Friends of the Box-Ironbark Forests

Talking Fire: Reviving Indigenous Burning Practices

Posted on 12 November, 2018 by fobif

How we manage fire is an important conversation for rural and bush communities. What can we learn from how Aboriginal people used fire? Are those techniques applicable today in local landscapes that have changed a lot over the last 200 years?

Join the Newstead community for two events this November:

Returning cultural burning – Djandak Wi – to Country
Thursday 29 November 7.30pm. Newstead Community Centre (9 Lyons Street, Newstead). All welcome, no booking required.

Reviving Indigenous Burning Practices in a Changed Landscape: Community Search Conference
Friday 30 November 9am-5pm. Newstead Community Centre (9 Lyons Street, Newstead).

Full details can be found on the Talking Fire website.

Talking Fire is a community initiative designed to create different kinds of community conversations about fire. Supported by the Mount Alexander Shire Council Community Grants Program.

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Who lives in the Wombat Forest?

Posted on 8 November, 2018 by fobif

Gayle Osborne from Wombat Forestcare is giving a short presentation on the amazing wildlife and threatened species of the Wombat Forest at 6pm on 20 November in the Ray Bradfield Room, Castlemaine.

Wombat Forestcare has spent years learning about, promoting and protecting this stunning forest. The group has discovered, using camera traps and spotlighting, beautiful and endangered Greater Gliders, Powerful Owls and more. Using this information they have worked incredibly hard to protect the forest into the future by getting it assessed as a potential National Park.

As mentioned in previous posts (see here and here ), the Victorian Environmental Assessment Council (VEAC) has released a Draft Proposal report recommending new protections of public land for Wombat forest (near Daylesford), Wellsford (near Bendigo), Mount Cole and Pyrenees Range forests (near Beaufort and Avoca) and dozens of smaller public parcels in the investigation area. This is great news and a one off opportunity to protect this land.

This meeting will give people an opportunity to learn about the Wombat Forest and write a submission on the VEAC report on the night. Download the flyer here.

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BirdLife Castlemaine AGM and Geoff Park presentation

Posted on 22 October, 2018 by fobif

The inaugural Annual General Meeting of the BirdLife Castlemaine District Branch will be held on 27 October. This historic occasion includes a presentation by local bird expert and photographer, Geoff Park, and a short guided bird walk.

BirdLife Castlemaine AGM and Geoff Park presentation
Saturday 27 October, 2018 at 2.00 pm
Campbells Creek Community Centre, 45 Elizabeth St, Campbells Creek VIC

Interested people can nominate for the committee. Positions vacant are Chair, Secretary, Treasurer and three general committee members. Nomination forms and proxy voting forms can be obtained by emailing castlemaine@birdlife.org.au or by phoning Judy Hopley (Acting Secretary) on 5472 1156. Nominations will be accepted at the meeting.

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October walk in the Muckleford Forest

Posted on 16 October, 2018 by fobif

The last FOBIF walk for the year was an enjoyable and pleasant 5 km off-track walk led by Geoff Nevill in dry forest near the Red, White and Blue Poppet head. Geoff’s expert and relaxed guiding made for an interesting and informative day. Frances Cincotta and other flora experts were a great help with plant identification.

Noel Young provided the following flora list: Musky Caladenia, Grey Everlasting, Downy Grevillea, Daphne Heath, Sticky Everlasting, ,Chocolate Lily, Rice-flower, Guinea flower, Pink Bells, Many-flowered Mat-rush, White Marianth, Fireweed (Senecio sp), Bluebell (Wahlenbergia), Twining Fringe-lily, Showy Podolepis, Twiggy Bush-pea, Showy Parrot-pea, Beard Heath, Trigger-plant, Yam Daisy, Creamy Candles, Early Nancy, Milkmaid.

He also made this bird list from calls: Golden Whistler, Rufous Whistler, Magpie. Raven, Fantail Cuckoo, Pallid Cuckoo, Spotted Pardalote, Grey Currawong, White-throated Treecreeper, Red Wattlebird, White-winged Chough, Olive-backed Oriole, Grey Shrike-thrush, Weebill, Thornbill sp., Crimson Rosella

Geoff Nevill explaining the workings of a Puddling Machine.

The first photo below is by Di Davies and the rest are by Bronwyn Silver.

Lichen-crusted old boot

Twining Fringe-lily

Trigger-plant

Showy Parrot-pea

Twiggy Bush-pea

Sticky Everlasting

Musky Caladenia

Downy Grevillia

The 2019 walks program will be on the site early next year.

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Creatures show opens

Posted on 15 October, 2018 by fobif

The FOBIF ‘Creatures’ photographic exhibition hosted by Togs Place in Lyttleton Street opened last Friday. It will run till 29 November. There are 24 photos which have been selected from the 125 photos that were sent into FOBIF. Once again thanks to everyone who participated. The photos are online here. We would also like to thank the owners of Togs, Elissa and Jason, and the cafe staff, for their support in holding this exhibition.

Some highlights include the endangered Swift Parrot by Debbie Worland, a group of perching Juvenile Scarlet Robins by Albert Wright and a Red Wattlebird bathing by Vivienne Hamilton. The rest show photos of local fauna including a macro shot of a Grasshopper Nymph by Patrick Kavanagh, a watchful Koala and a curious Yellow-footed Antichinus by Damian Kelly. We encourage everyone to go along and have a look at this impressive show by local photographers.

You can view a PDF version of the catalogue here. All photos are for sale. For enquiries ring Bronwyn silver 0448751111.