Category Archives: News

At the farewell event for Doug Ralph in the Castlemaine Botanic Gardens early last month Phil Ingamells gave a speech about Doug’s contribution to the environment movement in this region. Phil who lived in Castlemaine in the late 1990s was a good friend of … Continue reading →

The sounds of our natural environment are comprised of many voices; birdsong, frog choruses, seasonal insect choirs, mammal calls… But how have all these varied animal repertoires evolved? What can we learn from studying, or simply listening, to nature’s sounds … Continue reading →

FOBIF has been informed that the Inspector General for Emergency Management has postponed his report on fuel reduction programs, which was due this month. It will now be released at the end of April.

The storm which made local headlines by bringing down a tree on the Loddon River bridge in late February was only one of a series of what seem to be mini tornadoes throughout Central Victoria, and specifically in our own … Continue reading →

Where did the policy of burning [at least] five per cent of public land every year come from? The material below is taken from the submission by the Victorian National Parks Association to the current enquiry. As readers will remember, … Continue reading →

Led by Geoff Park, twenty-five people walked leisurely around the Rise and Shine Bushland Reserve last Sunday (March 16). This was first FOBIF walk for this year. The Reserve is 30 minutes drive from Castlemaine and south of Newstead. Many people had come … Continue reading →

Ern Perkins will be the guest speaker at Castlemaine Landcare AGM on Monday 23 March (7.30pm upstairs at Herons Gallery, cnr Lyttleton and Hargraves Streets, Castlemaine – followed by supper). Everyone is welcome. His talk, Is Our Forest Changing? will be based … Continue reading →

Newstead Landcare’s first presentation for the year will be on Saturday 28th March at 3pm by Dr Lindy Lumsden, a wildlife ecologist at Arthur Rylah Institute  The talk will be at the Newstead Community Centre and everyone is welcome to … Continue reading →

There are a number of local nature and history-based exhibitions as well as a ‘Trees of Significance’ tour that FOBIF members and subscribers might like to view or take part in during this year’s festival period (March 13-22). The information here comes from … Continue reading →

Readers of the Castlemaine Mail on Friday February 20 will have noticed Newstead policeman Grant Macdonald referring to the increase in wild deer crossings at Green Gully. This, of course, is a potentially serious traffic hazard. Feral deer have a … Continue reading →