Category Archives: News

Mal ‘Jase’ Haysom has produced yet another useful map of our area: this time, roads and tracks in the Taradale Nature Conservation Reserve and [almost] adjacent State Forest. The map can be found online here, or a paper version can … Continue reading →

UPDATE ON THIS POST: Please see the press release above relating to this matter Vicroads is planning to begin its tree clearance works on the Pyrenees Highway east of Newstead this week. Works were planned to start today (the 29th), … Continue reading →

In an earlier post we told readers about Alison Pouliot’s new book, The Allure of Fungi, published by the CSIRO. Details of the book and where to purchase it can be found here. Wombat Forestcare and Alison will formally launch the … Continue reading →

The FOBIF committee hopes you’ve had a good start to the new year, and take good care not to melt in the coming week’s heat. The FOBIF monthly walks program for 2019 is now available, and can be found by … Continue reading →

A well-attended meeting in Newstead last Tuesday was told that Vicroads’ Pyrenees Highway tree removal and wire rope barrier project was about to proceed. The meeting was therefore a briefing, not a consultation: it was not going to change anything … Continue reading →

Do a few trees matter?The context of all the above is not only the preferences of a few tree lovers. It’s found in the map below: It seems that at every point in what passes for debate these days, we’re … Continue reading →

We’ve seen the margins of public land around towns sometimes used by residents to store their unwanted stuff—car bodies, machinery, etc. And we’ve seen residents encroach onto public land with garden extensions and attempts to expand their own properties. And … Continue reading →

Castlemaine Historical Society has just published an excellent new map by Clive Willman: Castlemaine Diggings: historical and modern place names. It’s available at the Info Centre in Mostyn Street for $15.00. All the place names are modern, actually, since they’re … Continue reading →

This year has been the worst on record for drownings of native water rats, and the second worst for platypus. According to DELWP, an average of five platypus are drowned per week in Victoria, victims of illegal or inappropriate yabbie … Continue reading →

Join Connecting Country and Muckleford Catchment Landcare on Saturday 19 January 2019 from 10.00 am to 12.00 pm to learn about snake ecology and behaviour. Snakes play an important role in healthy ecosystems, snacking on frogs and smaller reptiles and providing a food … Continue reading →