Author Archives: fobif

Walkers observe the effects of a Fuel Reduction Burn

Posted on 21 March, 2012 by fobif

Forty-five walkers set out from the SEC Dam Track in Green Gully on 21 March for the first FOBIF walk of the year.  It was not the normal scenic bushwalk as the route was mainly through areas of the Muckleford … Continue reading →

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Tarilta Gorge: burned off, washed away

Posted on 21 March, 2012 by fobif

It’s sometimes hard to know what to call DSE burning operations: control burns? Fuel reduction? Ecological burns? Too often none of the above apply: there’s little control, apart from keeping the burn inside the control lines [and as we know, … Continue reading →

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Moss identification cards

Posted on 15 March, 2012 by fobif

For those interested in the moss identification workshops, Cassia has prepared some moss illustrations. Click here to view them. The first moss workshop recapping what was covered in 2011 is now being organised. Details will be posted on this site.

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Stinker

Posted on 6 March, 2012 by fobif

FOBIF has alerted Mount Alexander Shire council of an outbreak of Stinkwort in the newly developed section of the Wesley Hill industrial estate. The plant, Dittrichia graveolens, is a declared noxious weed because of its capacity to get into pasture … Continue reading →

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Fire Briefing

Posted on 24 February, 2012 by fobif

Radio National’s Background Briefing program ‘Fighting Fire with Fire’ [broadcast on February 19 and available for podcast here] was a very fair effort to canvass all points of view on fuel management issues. The fact that it seems to have … Continue reading →

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Weeds are for burning

Posted on 21 February, 2012 by fobif

In December we criticised DSE’s management of the Quartz Hill management burn [see ‘The uses of fire‘] on the grounds that the exercise failed to do anything about the prolific weeds in the area. FOBIF has now written to local … Continue reading →

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2012 Autumn Fungi Workshops

Posted on 19 February, 2012 by fobif

The Central Victorian Fungi Ecology Workshop Series is running again this coming autumn. If you would like to know more about this curious kingdom, workshops include interactive displays, illustrated seminars and exciting forest forays deep into our local forests. Full … Continue reading →

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Maniac?

Posted on 17 February, 2012 by fobif

The endearing creature below is a Peron’s Tree Frog, sometimes uncharitably called the Maniacal Cackle Frog, owing to its distinctive ‘machine gun’ cackle. It’s not uncommon for frogs to be seen in household gardens in our district, and for that … Continue reading →

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Right plant, wrong place

Posted on 3 February, 2012 by fobif

The flower below is St John’s Wort [Hypericum perforatum], a pretty plant which has been used for over a thousand years as a herbal remedy. Flowers are sparse, but seeds many at this time of the year on Mount Alexander. … Continue reading →

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Government under fire over fire

Posted on 25 January, 2012 by fobif

Following the release of ANU research showing that current fuel reduction practices are not improving public safety [see our post below], the press has reported that DSE has been burning widely in remote bushland, but has neglected to effectively reduce … Continue reading →

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