Around the Wewak Track

Posted on 16 September, 2019 by fobif

Last Sunday’s FOBIF excursion was a 5 km loop walk in Wewak Track area at the southern end of the Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park. It was a warm overcast day and fortunately the threatened rain held off. Numerous plant identification stops meant that the pace was leisurely. Highlights were finding the Smooth Parrot-pea and numerous Heath shrubs in flower, seven species of Wattles, and the rare Elphinstone Grevillea.  Jeremy Holland also took us a 100 metres off the track to see ‘Mr Hunts Chimney’ and a nearby extremely deep mine shaft. Lunch was at the Charlie Sanger hut ruin on the Goldfield Track.

Some of the walkers on the Wewak Track near the end of the walk.

Noel Young’s bird list
*Crimson Rosella, *Long-billed Corella, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, White-winged Choughs, Olive-backed Oriole, Grey Shrike-thrush, Fuscous Honeyeater, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, *Pallid Cuckoo, Fantail Cuckoo, Horsefield’s Bronze-cuckoo, *Grey Fantail, Rufous Whistler, White-throated Treecreeper, Spotted Pardalote, *Thornbill sp.
*sighted (otherwise from call recognition)

Thanks to Frances Cincotta and Elaine Bayes, for leading such as fascinating walk. 

Next month’s walk will be and 8 km walk in bushland between Railway Dam and White Gum Track. Leaders will be Bernard Slattery and Jeremy Holland. Check the walk’s page for more detail.

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It’s not Bambi, it’s not cute–and it’s coming to a place near you

Posted on 16 September, 2019 by fobif

More and more deer sightings are being reported from our region, where they were once reasonably uncommon. A herd of 11 was seen in Muckleford last month, and last weekend 7 were sighted in the Gough’s Range State Forest.

Deer in the Gough’s Range State Forest, September 2019: they’re a danger to traffic, a pest to agriculture and they trash the bush. And there are more and more of them.

Reports are piling up from around the state of the damage done by these feral animals, whose numbers are not being controlled by recreational hunters. The state government has been under pressure from farmers, conservationists and municipalities to deal with the exploding deer population. So far it has delayed making any kind of decisive decision about what to do with the problem. We can only speculate about the reasons for this delay, but the most likely explanation is that the government clings to the notion that the economic benefits of deer hunting and  the political clout of hunters outweigh the damage done by the animals.

As the deer population increases this position is getting dodgier and dodgier.

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Carnivale for Climate Action

Posted on 13 September, 2019 by fobif

The Maldon Neighbourhood Centre has asked us to publicise this new Maldon street festival that will take place this Sunday (September 22).

Ditch your car for the day! Maldon goes car free for climate action

Walk, cycle, catch the bus or take the heritage steam train to Maldon on Sunday 22 September to be part of Car-free Carnivale – Maldon’s new street festival to inspire climate action and achieve a safer, healthier and cleaner environment for local communities.

Held to coincide with World Car Free Day, the Carnivale will take over Maldon’s main street from 12pm to 3pm, transforming the heritage shopping and café strip into a car-free thoroughfare of ideas for sustainable living. Innovative exhibitors, children’s activities and live performances will be on offer, as will plenty of local food, with Maldon’s cafes and hotels all open on the day.

Car-free Carnivale is an initiative of Maldon Climate Action Network (CAN), a local group formed this year, working to reduce Maldon’s carbon footprint through community-led action. “We want to inspire the people of Maldon – as well as neighbouring communities – to work together to reduce our carbon emissions so we can create a safer, healthier and cleaner environment for everyone,” says Ali Brookes, member of Maldon CAN.

“It can be as simple as catching the bus for some trips rather than using your car, to using some of the great local services on offer, like the Castlemaine Repair Café to fix your household goods rather than sending them to landfill. It’s about zero carbon, zero waste and infinite hope.”

Maldon CAN is encouraging locals to walk or cycle to the Carnivale, and for those from further afield to catch Castlemaine Bus Lines’ Castlemaine–Maldon bus (Route 4) or use the scenic rail trail, a 17.7km walking and cycling trail linking Castlemaine and Maldon. The Victorian Goldfield’s historic steam train will also be running on the day, providing a return trip for travellers from Castlemaine.

“We’re keen to promote sustainable transport options, especially given transport is Australia’s second largest source of greenhouse gas pollution after electricity,” says Maldon CAN’s Ali Brookes.

Maldon has limited public transport options, giving locals little choice but to predominantly rely on cars for personal transport. Maldon CAN believes governments can and must do more to fund regional public transport services as well as infrastructure to support Australia’s transition to electric cars powered by renewable energy.

In the meantime, locals are leading with initiatives to reduce transport emissions, including Maldon Neighbourhood Centre’s Community Bus, which will launch its new timetable at the Carnivale.

What: Maldon Car-free Carnivale for Climate Action When: Sunday 22 September 2019, 12pm to 3pm Where: Maldon Main Street
More information: fb.me/MaldonCAN

Media enquiries: Melanie Scaife, Maldon Climate Action Network, Mobile 0439 088 458

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Reminder: FOBIF AGM coming up

Posted on 1 September, 2019 by fobif

Jase Haysom, well known local map maker, will be our speaker at the upcoming FOBIF AGM on Monday 9 September.

The meeting will start at 7.30 in the Ray Bradfield Room, Castlemaine (next to Mostyn Street IGA supermarket). Information on how to nominate for the FOBIF Committee can be found here. All welcome and supper will be served.

You can find out more here.

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Two presentations on The New Nature by TIM LOW

Posted on 1 September, 2019 by fobif

Tim Low

Tim Low, biologist and best-selling author of author of seven books about nature, will be giving 2 talks in central Vic, discussing The New Nature. This intriguing work looks at how modern human activity is changing the lives of many native species –some for better and some for worse. Tim will talk about how animals don’t have any concept of ‘natural’ or ‘unnatural’ so they don’t automatically recoil from cities and farms. Sometimes they can do better in cities than in forests. Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane now have Peregrine Falcons nesting on skyscrapers!

Tim’s presentation will go for 45 minutes then 15 minutes for questions from the audience. This is a rare treat, so make sure you come along to one or other of the talks, and tell your friends. All are welcome. Entry by donation. Tim’s two most recent books will be for sale at both events: Where Song Began and The New Nature.

Friday 6th September at 7.30 pm at Newstead Community Centre, Lyons Street/Pyrenees Hwy, Newstead. Hosted by Newstead Landcare Group and Connecting Country with extra support from FOBIF.

Saturday 7th September at 1.30pm at Glenlyon Shire Hall, Daylesford-Malmsbury Rd Glenlyon. Hosted by Wombat Forestcare.

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