Category Archives: News

Our latest FOBIF publication, Wattles of the Mount Alexander Shire, will be launched next Saturday morning, 28 April in the Phee Broadway Theatre Foyer at 11 am.  You can find all the details here. If you can’t make the launch, … Continue reading →

Acacia, known in Australia as wattle, is the largest genus of plants in the country — nearly 1000 species! Its brilliant flowers transform winter and spring landscapes. Our sporting teams wear its green and gold colours. Sprigs of wattle flowers … Continue reading →

Ever wanted to go on a walk in our local bush with plenty of birds to observe along the way? Damian Kelly’s new publication, Castlemaine bird walks: a guide to walks and birds in the Castlemaine district, will give you … Continue reading →

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 →

A new publication, Native plants and animals of the Chewton Bushlands, was launched on 17 March in the Tea Rooms of the Botanic Gardens. The authors are Karen Baker, Antoinette Birkenbeil and Hannah Nichols. Ian Higgins launched the guide with … Continue reading →

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 →

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 →

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.

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 →