Author Archives: fobif

Launched!

Posted on 30 April, 2018 by fobif

Close to 100 people turned up on Saturday morning to see Castlemaine Field Naturalists’ president George Broadway launch FOBIF’s Wattles of the Mount Alexander Region. The guide was produced as a tribute to Ern Perkins, for many decades the leading … Continue reading →

Posted in Nature Observations, News | 1 Comment

Deadly trees?

Posted on 9 April, 2018 by fobif

A curious feature of the Creekways Plan is its bland listing of ‘trees’ as one of the three main risks to humans from the creeks. We all know trees can do a lot of damage when they fall or drop … Continue reading →

Posted in News | 3 Comments

OK: it’s pretty bleak. On the other hand…

Posted on 25 March, 2018 by fobif

As Hanrahan might have said: ‘It’s dry all right’. A quick check of the map below will confirm what common observation has already registered: February was dry, and March so far hasn’t been much better. The 27 mls of welcome … Continue reading →

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Against the wind

Posted on 25 March, 2018 by fobif

Fifteen brave takers drove out of Castlemaine through a driving storm on Sunday the 18th for the first FOBIF walk of the year in the Fryers Forest. The storm lasted ten minutes, but the wind came and went all day, … Continue reading →

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Walks program 2018 kicks off

Posted on 12 March, 2018 by fobif

FOBIF’s 2018 walks program kicks off next Sunday with a stroll around  the Coliban Main Channel, with a return through sections of the Fryers Nature Conservation Reserve and the state forest. Check the walks program for more details.

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Needlegrass war

Posted on 2 February, 2018 by fobif

FOBIF has completed a preliminary report on its project to control Needlegrasses in Castlemaine. These weeds—related to Serrated Tussock— threaten to cause serious damage to pastures and native environments. They were probably introduced into Victoria from the 1930s, and have … Continue reading →

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A sobering look across the Pacific

Posted on 2 February, 2018 by fobif

So far Victoria has passed through summer without disastrous fire events. In case you missed it, however, it’s worth casting a sympathetic eye across the Pacific to California, a US state with perhaps better environmental credentials than some. Maybe there … Continue reading →

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Oops! FOBIF melts in the heat

Posted on 23 January, 2018 by fobif

Sorry folks: at some point in the production of the newsletter posted to members this week our walks program became scrambled. The details of the April and May walks became inextricably mixed up, making for an interesting geographical challenge to … Continue reading →

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Christmas wishes

Posted on 18 December, 2017 by fobif

The FOBIF committee wishes all friends of our forests a happy Christmas and a great new year. Our 2018 walks program will soon be available. We’ll see you in the bush in the new year! And on a sadder note: … Continue reading →

Posted in News | 2 Comments

Fuel for thought on fire

Posted on 18 December, 2017 by fobif

Fuel reduction burning is necessary, but not enough: that’s the conclusion of Tasmanian research released last Friday. The research, by the University of Tasmania, found that it would take an impossible amount of burning to reduce the impact of major … Continue reading →

Posted in Fire Management, News | Comments Off on Fuel for thought on fire