Friends of the Box-Ironbark Forests

Are there Platypus in your local creeks?

Posted on 18 October, 2011 by fobif

The North Central Catchment Management Authority (CMA) along with the Newstead Landcare Group invites you to join us at a Platypus information night.

The Australian Platypus Conservancy will present an illustrated talk about the amazing platypus and how you can help monitor them in the Loddon River system

Date: Tuesday 15th November 2011
Time: 6.30pm–8.00pm (including a light supper)
Venue: Newstead Community Centre

Admission is free and everyone is welcome. Don’t miss this great opportunity to come along and learn more about the habitat and biology of this unique animal.

RSVP by 5.00pm Friday 4th November 2011 to info@nccma.vic.gov.au or telephone (03) 5448 7124, indicating that you wish to attend the Newstead Platypus information session and outline any dietary requirements.

This information night is presented as part of the North Central CMA’s Upper Loddon and Campaspe project, Victorian Landcare Program and North Central Waterwatch.

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DSE changes proposed fire management zones

Posted on 12 October, 2011 by fobif

Chris Johnson wrote the following report:

Local residents from Green Gully, Muckleford and Muckleford South, supported by local naturalists and groups such as Newstead Landcare and FOBIF, have been successful with their submission to have the proposed fire management zones for the southern part of the Muckleford Forest changed. A large part of this section of the forest (576 hectares) is proposed to be burnt this spring. After learning of the proposal for the burn, a number of people lodged submissions with DSE opposing the extent and severity of what was proposed. Their concerns included biodiversity, and the fear that such burns are increasing not reducing fire risk.

DSE then called an on-site meeting to talk it through, but while it was good to meet those in charge of the proposed burn and discuss issues, many at the meeting left still feeling very concerned. It was clear that the fire management zoning underpinned the burn plan, so the next step was to investigate whether the zoning could be changed. It turned out that the fire management zones were proposed – not final! So another submission was pulled together quickly on both the zonings and the specific burn.

The good news is that south of the Pyrenees Highway, Zone 1 will be changed to Zone 3. To the immediate north of the highway the Zone 1 Asset Protection will remain, but be reduced to a band of around 500 metres, with a 1000m Zone 2 Strategic Wildfire Moderation Zone to the immediate north, with the balance further north changed to Zone 3. But there are still some special areas within Zones 2 and 3 that will be burnt, and the next step is to identify these so we can ask DSE to avoid burning them. The only response from those who control the Fire Operations Plan is that they will burn in accordance with the zones.

The submission also advocated a whole of landscape approach to our area, suggesting that many of the highest fuel loads were in fact on roadsides and neglected private land, and that by considering both private and public land together we could all feel safer without our forests having to be sacrificed. To date, DSE has not responded on this strategic issue.

Wildflowers at Demo Track. Photo by Chris Johnson, October 2011

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Second moss and liverwort field day

Posted on 12 October, 2011 by fobif

Moss and Liverwort enthusiasts enjoyed a second field day led by Cassia Read at Clinkers Hill Bushland Reserve on the morning of 8 October. They identified, photographed and recorded another 10 mosses and a liverwort for the planned brochure. The field work is now complete and the next session will involve examining moss using microscopes. If you would like to join the group, contact Beth Mellick on 5472 1316. The photos included in the slideshow below cover five of the mosses studied and the youngest member of the group.

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An interesting Greenhood

Posted on 9 October, 2011 by fobif

Two FOBIF members recently went to the Wewak Track hoping to see the Matted Bush-pea Pultenaea pedunculata in flower. This creeper covers vast areas and is spectacular when in flower. Unfortunately we were a week or two too early. We did find lots of wildflowers including the Tangled Guinea-flower Hibbertia fascicularis and Liverworts in the wetter areas.

We also found a Bearded Greenhood Plumatichilos plumosa actually trapping an insect. As you can see in the left-hand photo below, an insect is entering the flower along the labellum which is the rigid rod with yellow hairs. This movement triggers the labellum to move upward (see second photo), closing the opening and thereby trapping the insect. The dark area in the flower in the second photo is the insect trying to escape. During this activity pollen attaches to the insect which is distributed when the insect eventually escapes through an opening near the top of the flower.

Bearded Greenhood. Photos by Bronwyn Silver, 3 October 2011

All Greenhoods trap insects but the mechanism differs depending on the type. See the South Walmer Nature Conservation site for a description of how the Blunt Greenhood trap insects.

Posted in Nature Observations, News | Comments Off

Sutton Grange Organic Farm

Posted on 8 October, 2011 by fobif

Can you farm in a different way? Is farmland degraded land? These are two of the questions Ann-Marie Monda and Carla Meurs from Sutton Grange Organic Farm addressed in their inspiring and informative presentation to Connecting Country’s AGM on 26 September 2011.

Their farm is organically certified and consists of 205 acres of granitic sandy loam. Rainfall is between 400 ml and 1000 ml rainfall a year. They run 75 goats and produce the award winning Holy Goat organic cheese which they sell at Farmers’ Markets and through a distributor who supplies outlets in regional Victoria, Melbourne and Sydney.

Twenty-nine percent of the farm is bushland and two percent is infrastructure. The benefits of protecting this extensive bushland include the maintenance of seed banks, the protection of pasture provided by birds, insects and windbreaks and the beauty of this land which they believe benefits the goats and people.

The farmland zone is sixty-nine percent of the total land and supports substantial stands of native grasses which are deep-rooted, perennial and drought tolerant. Kangaroo and Wallaby grass are particularly beneficial in providing vital minerals and fibre. They described their successful efforts in increasing levels of phosphorous, calcium, magnesium, iron and PH levels in the soil. They have also recently trialled an innovative method for controlling Cape weed.

Anne-Marie and Carla concluded their talk by explaining their vision for the farm. They distance themselves from the conventional idea that growth means more goats and producing more cheese which could eventually be exported. Instead they view the growth of their farm in terms of sustainability, quality and generosity for their goats, the land, people and the soil.

The slide show below is made up of recent photos from the the Sutton Grange Organic Farm.