Friends of the Box-Ironbark Forests

On September 29 a  new publication, Daylesford Nature Diary: six seasons in the foothill forests, was launched before a large gathering in Daylesford. The author, Tanya Loos, is a naturalist and journalist and the diary includes many of her monthly nature columns published in the Hepburn paper, The Advocate.

A special feature of the diary is the arrangement of the articles in a six seasonal context. Tanya writes that she was ‘inspired by a calendar format that moves away from the traditional four seasons and into a multi season format that more accurately reflects the Australian experience.’ In her introduction, she discusses the connections with Indigenous weather knowledge.

Sample page. Click to enlarge.

 This incredibly attractive publication is illustrated throughout with watercolours by Anne Maxon. Although the diary is based on the Wombat Forest region, it includes photographs of least 3 photographers from our region. The cover folds out into a poster of the Wombat Forest Calender.

For further information contact Tanya on 0400 458 910. To find out more about the diary and/or to place an order have a look at the publisher’s website.

As we reported in March, the Mount Alexander Shire has been in the process of producing a Rural Land Study. The draft study is now out for consultation, and is well worth a look. You can find it on the Shire’s website.

FOBIF has made a brief submission on the study, which can be read below:

‘We congratulate the authors of this comprehensive rural land study.

‘There is however one issue that has barely got a mention and needs more attention given to it.  The issue is the interface issues that arise with proposed new rural living areas near public forested land.

‘We fully support the report’s emphasis that any new rural living areas must have the ability to create defendable space around new housing.  But there is more to this issue. If a rural living area is proposed near public forested land, there could immediately be a demand on the public land manager to carry out Asset Protection Zone burns adjoining any new rural living areas. 

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The photo below shows cup moths congregating on a Goldfields Track post at the Castlemaine town edge, presumably taking a break from munching through nearby eucalypts.

Cup moth conference, Etty Street Castlemaine, September 2013: the second infestation in two years is patchy, but in some places devastating.

As we predicted in April, the infestation is back. Bushland at the north end of the Fryers Forest is in a pretty dire shape, facing its second attack in two years, as are trees in other parts of our region. The bush in the Diggings Park south of Vaughan Springs doesn’t seem to be so badly affected.

For some interesting recent thoughts on insect infestations, cup moths and cuckoos, check Geoff Park’s Natural Newstead blog here. Also for some very pertinent observations on long term effects of drought stress and insect attack in our region and elsewhere in Victoria, check out Ian Lunt’s excellent Ecology Blog.

According to the Trust for Nature, 4000 ha of native vegetation is being cleared from private land each year.

In spite of this, there has been a push among supporters of the State Government to ease laws controlling this clearing, and the Government is about to do this.

The changes may be seen in a DEPI document in which the word ‘reform’ is repeatedly used. ‘Reform’ used to mean ‘improvement’: but it has now become  a general rule that prolific use of the word almost certainly means that the systems in question are about to be degraded. This seems to be the case here.

The government’s ‘reform’ document can be seen here

A thorough analysis of the ‘reform’ proposal can be found on the Conversation website, together with interesting responses from readers: including one landholder who discovered that under the new regulations his bush block–which contains several endangered plant species–is classified the same, for clearing purposes, as the wheat field next door!

Essentially the ‘reforms’ mean that it will be easier to clear native vegetation. FOBIF has put its name to the following letter drafted by the Victorian National Parks Association, objecting to the changes:

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Due to factors beyond our control, all the posts after 13 August 2013 have been removed from the FOBIF website. We intend to reinstate them using stored copies. However this could take a couple of weeks because our main contributor, Bernard Slattery, is currently on holidays for 10 days.

We will email subscribers when the site is back to normal.

The second last FOBIF walk for the year took place in the Fryers Ranges west of Taradale on Sunday 15 September.    A 20 minute portion of this walk was conducted as a “sound walk” during which (without speaking) we listened to the soundscape to which our own passing contributed.  People commented later that this silent walking led to a more intense visual and aural experience of the bush.  We may include a sound walk on one or more occasions next year if people are interested.

Noel Young contributed the following text and photos:

In fine and mild to warm conditions, a group of 25 to 30 set off for a 10k walk through the bush, ably led by Alex, who led us across country rather than along tracks.

Perhaps owing to the weather and the time of year, there seemed to be more bird activity than I have noted at other times in the area. Although I only recorded species while on the move, and didn’t use binoculars, I had noted the following by the walk’s end; Superb Fairy Wrens were abundant, especially near the race, where also the distinctive call of the Fan-tailed Cuckoo was heard persistently, as well as further into the walk. Others noted along the way were White-throated Treecreeper, Rufous Whistler, Grey Shrike-thrush, Black faced Cuckoo-shrike, Red Wattlebird, Common Bronzewing Pigeon, Galah, Crimson Rosella, White-winged Choughs, Grey Fantail, Yellow Robin.

Toward the end of the walk, someone found a recently deceased body of a female Scarlet Robin (apparently undamaged)

Although the bush seemed quite dry for the time of year, there were good showings of flowering wattle scrub along the way, and many early wildflowers. I noted down the following;    Purple Coral Pea, Gorse Bitter Pea, Early Nancy, White Marianth, Fairy Wax-flower, Handsome Flat Pea, Pink Bells, Pink Fingers (the only orchid – a single specimen), Common Beard-heath, Daphne Heath, Downy Grevillea (alpina), Common Hovea, Grey Everlasting, Rice Flower sp. and a Button sp.

White Marianth and Purple Coral-pea. Photos by Noel Young

The final FOBIF walk for the year will be in another part of the Fryers Ranges. Richard Pease will lead the walk and you can find out more about this one here. We are now planning the 2014 walks program. If you have an idea for a walk or would like to lead one we would be very interested in hearing from you.  Contact details are here.

FOBIF’s AGM saw the current committee reelected unopposed on August 12: the committee for the next twelve months is:

 The DEPI planned burning program is now on the internet for public consideration. As we have previously reported, the program contains new proposed burn areas, mainly centred around settlement, and targeted as Asset Protection Zones.

The program can be seen here. It’s not a particularly friendly website, and the maps may be slow to load, but it’s important that people familiarise themselves with burns planned in their own area.

DEPI has shown that it is interested in community feedback: instructions on how to do this are on the above link, but it’s probably simpler to email concerns to planned.burning@depi.vic.gov.au . The consultation is open till August 31.

FOBIF’s position on this question has been consistent:

1.   We are not opposed to fuel reduction clearly and effectively directed at protection of communities and assets.

2.   We are sceptical of the value of recklessly burning vast areas remote from settlement, with little evidence of any ecological or safety concern. We believe that the recent report by the Royal Commission Implementation Monitor validates this view.

In all cases we believe operations should be conducted with respect for the environment: this means more than just drawing a boundary around a zone and setting fire to it.

In the case of the present plans, we are particularly concerned about the plan to burn Kalimna Park. DEPI showed in last year’s Poverty Gully burns that it could conduct its operations with care for ecological values, but even there precious big old trees were needlessly brought down. FOBIF has produced a weed map of Kalimna. We believe that the proposed operation can be used to get rid of flammable weeds and that fuel reduction should be achieved without destroying the Park’s many precious assets. This can only be done with a variety of fuel reduction methods, not just blunt application of fire.

We are also concerned about remote area burns: in particular, the proposed burning of Peppertree track and Rusconi’s Road, in the Tarilta catchment, if not properly managed, will go close to completing the destruction of this wonderful area; and the large planned burn at Amanda’s Track, at the south end of the Diggings Park, presents a serious ecological challenge to managers.

We urge members to write to the above address expressing an interest in the areas they know best. Intense interest from this area last year has caused some modification of DEPI plans. It’s a simple fact that some DEPI operatives work a lot better if they think they are being closely watched. We would like to avoid a repetition of the scandalous carelessness of past operations like last year’s Tarilta Gorge burn.

FOBIF’s submission to last year’s FOP can be found here. It’s still relevant. Modifications to last year’s plan include the addition of several Asset Protection burns; a sensible change to the zoning of Mount Tarrengower [the whole of the mountain had been unaccountably zoned Asset Protection]; and others which can be seen here.