Nature Photography at Newstead Railway Arts Hub

Posted on 19 November, 2018 by fobif

Patrick Kavanagh, Geoff Park and Bronwyn Silver are holding a photographic exhibition at the Newstead Railway Arts Hub starting on Saturday  December 2018. 

One of the exhibition photos by Patrick Kavanagh. Lipotriches Bee with Black-anther Flax-lily. 

The expression “taking photographs” is a curious and revealing usage. In English, we don’t “make” photographs, we “take” them. When photographing nature – wildlife, plants, landscapes – it can seem that the photographer “captures” a beauty already there, taking something that belongs to the subject, but without diminishing the subject.

Bronwyn Silver, Geoff Park and Patrick Kavanagh roam the goldfields of Central Victoria, stealing images of the beauty they find. Birds, mammals, plants. Not even mosses and lichens are safe from their pilfering ways!

While the targets of their larceny are unaffected by the process, these thieves have been profoundly altered by the images they’ve stolen from the wild, seeing more deeply into the wonders of the natural environment. They are happy to share their bounty at Newstead Arts Hub this December.

Newstead Railway Arts Hub, 8a Tivey Street, Newstead
Dates: Starts 1 December 2018, 10am – 4pm
Opening: 2 December 11 am, refreshments provided, everyone welcome
Open 10am – 4pm on the first four weekends in December: 1st & 2nd, 8th & 9th, 15th & 16th, 22nd & 23th.
Contact Bronwyn Silver for more details, 0448751111

And a reminder that the FOBIF ‘Creatures’ photo exhibition is on at TOGS till 29 November.

Posted in News, Photo Exhibitions | Comments Off on Nature Photography at Newstead Railway Arts Hub

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.

Posted in Fire Management, News | Comments Off on Talking Fire: Reviving Indigenous Burning Practices

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.

Posted in News | Comments Off on Who lives in the Wombat Forest?

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.

Posted in News | Comments Off on BirdLife Castlemaine AGM and Geoff Park presentation

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.

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

Posted in News, Walks | Comments Off on October walk in the Muckleford Forest

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.

Dusky Woodswallows by Geoff Park

Yellow-footed Antechinus by Damian Kelly

Silvereye by Arlen Truscott

Posted in News, Photo Exhibitions | 1 Comment

Open house on Forest Fire Management Vic activities

Posted on 10 October, 2018 by fobif

Forest Fire Management Victoria has invited people to come and discuss their management activities including:

  • The Joint Fuel Management Plan (previously Fire Operations Plan)
  • Domestic firewood
  • Planned burning and other fuel management activities
  • State forest and crown land management

When: Thursday 18 October 2018 from 4.00 – 7.00 pm

Where: Ray Bradfield Room, Castlemaine VIC (next to Victory Park)

For further information visit https://www.ffm.vic.gov.au or email loddonmallee.plannedburning@delwp.vic.gov.au

Posted in Fire Management, News | Comments Off on Open house on Forest Fire Management Vic activities

TOGS exhibition starts soon

Posted on 1 October, 2018 by fobif

Our ‘Creatures’ Flickr album now has 116 terrific photos. The closing date for submitting photos was 1 October. The collection ranges from small invertebrates such as nymphs and spiders to larger creatures such as wallabies and echidnas.

We are now in the process of selecting photos for the TOGS exhibition which will run from October 12 till 29 November. Thanks to the 21 people who contributed photos to make this a successful project.

Some of the latest contributions.

Striated Pardalote in display with nesting material. Muckleford. Photo by Arlen Truscott, 26 September 2017

Swooping Juvenile Black Shouldered Kite. Newstead. Photo by Arlen Truscott, 20 June 2017

Australian Wood Ducks. Porcupine Flat. Photo by Steph Carter, 29th October 2016

Posted in News, Photo Exhibitions | 1 Comment

Alison Pouliot’s new book on fungi

Posted on 1 October, 2018 by fobif

The Allure of Fungi by Alison Pouliot has recently been published by the CSIRO.  

Alison’s press release:

“Although relatively little known, fungi provide the links between the terrestrial organisms and ecosystems that underpin our functioning planet.

The Allure of Fungi presents fungi through multiple perspectives – those of mycologists and ecologists, foragers and forayers, naturalists and farmers, aesthetes and artists, philosophers and Traditional Owners. It explores how a history of entrenched fears and misconceptions about fungi has led to their near absence in Australian ecological consciousness and biodiversity conservation.

Through a combination of text and visual essays, the author reflects on how aesthetic, sensate experience deepened by scientific knowledge offers the best chance for understanding fungi, the forest and human interactions with them.

Although relatively little known, fungi provide the links between the terrestrial organisms and ecosystems that underpin our functioning planet.

Features:

  • An interdisciplinary exploration of fungi, their role in nature and relationships with different cultures
  • Engaging personal anecdotes take readers on a journey of discovery into the world of fungi and fungus enthusiasts
  • Combines text and evocative visual essays in an amalgam of history, science and art.”

The Allure of Fungi has 280 pages, 82 colour photographs and costs $49.99. Purchasing details can be found here.

Alison has been a speaker at Friends of the Box-Ironbark Forests and Connecting Country events and has run local workshops on fungi and photography in central Victoria for many years. She is a worldwide expert on fungi, an excellent photographer and an inspiring teacher.

Posted in News | Comments Off on Alison Pouliot’s new book on fungi

Extension of closing date for VEAC report submissions

Posted on 27 September, 2018 by fobif

A few weeks ago we included a post on The Victorian Environment Assessment Council draft report on its Central West Investigation.

The report recommended that a significant part of the Wombat forest be included in a new Wombat-Lerderderg National Park. A further recommendation was that the western part of the Wellsford State Forest be absorbed into the Bendigo Regional Park, and the eastern and northern section of the forest be created as a nature reserve. The main impact of these latter changes would be the protection of the Wellsford from logging. Readers will remember that Vicforests was proposing renewed logging in this magnificent box ironbark area.

Although the report does not directly cover the Mount Alexander shire we think that it is important for as many people as possible to forward written submissions supporting the positive features of the report.

The closing date for submissions has been extended from 31 October to Monday 10 December.

Posted in News | Comments Off on Extension of closing date for VEAC report submissions