Friends of the Box-Ironbark Forests

New twist for this year’s Camp Out on the Mount

Posted on 5 April, 2021 by fobif

Since 2013, Connecting Country, local Landcare, and other community groups have organised a free ‘Camp Out on the Mount’ event on Leanganook/Mount Alexander. This year, to reduce the risk of having to cancel or reschedule, they have decided to jump the gun, get creative and plan for a virtual ‘Camp Out on the Mount’.

When: 3 – 18 April 2021
Where: Online at www.connectingcountry.org.au/landcare/camp-out-on-the-mount-2021/

Asha Bannon, Mount Alexander Region Landcare Facilitator, says, “We hope to capture the ‘Camp Out on the Mount’ spirit by encouraging everyone to engage with our special ‘Camp Out 2021’ web pages, and inviting you to contribute to our ‘Camp Out Collage’.”

Each web page focuses on one of the elements that make the Camp Out special: ‘Camping out’ (of course!), ‘Caring for the land’, ‘Loving Leanganook’, and ‘Connecting with Indigenous culture’.

For each contribution you make to the ‘Camp Out Collage’ you will be entered into the draw to win one of several special prizes (maximum four entries per person), including a nest box, tubestock plants, and a native plants book bundle. Please note that you are only eligible to win the prizes if you live in Australia, and some of the prizes (such as the nest box and plants) will only be available for properties in the Mount Alexander region (central Victoria).

Anyone and everyone is welcome to participate, so hop online and join the fun! If you have any questions, please contact asha@connectingcountry.org.au

This event was made possible by the Victorian Landcare Facilitator Program, funded by the Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water, and Planning.

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Making the stones talk

Posted on 22 March, 2021 by fobif

FOBIF’s March ‘walk’ yesterday was a geology tour of the district led by Clive Willman. Good numbers turned up despite the rain, which turned out to be reasonably friendly, though umbrellas did come out at one of the stops.

Clive William addressing the tour group at the first stop.

Volcanoes, raging rivers, and wet beech forests were all part of the picture Clive drew out of the stones to portray a set of pictures of this region over millions of years. We hope readers will understand that the plot is a bit hard to summarise in a few words: a fuller account will appear on this site in a few weeks.

Much thanks to Clive for his detailed preparation and compelling presentation: for the participants, those stones will never look the same again.

Posted in News, Walks | 1 Comment

The questions are…

Posted on 22 March, 2021 by fobif

As a follow up to Rob Simons’ recent correspondence with Forest Fire Management about two proposed burns in the Diggings Park (see the comment at the end of our last week’s post), FOBIF has written to DELWP’s Acting Regional Fire Manager, asking for a few details about the burns, which are slated for 2022 and 2023.

The two proposed burns are east of the Porcupine Ridge road, in the south end of the Diggings Park.. FOBIF is critical of two previous burns in this area, and is hopeful the Department can improve its performance this time around.

The letter reads:

A few questions arising from your recent exchange with Rob Simons about the two planned burns CAS 0244 and CAS 0245.

These two blocks are of course close to or contiguous with two previous Department burns, Tarilta valley and Loop Track, burned eight and ten years ago. You may remember we had an exchange of letters on the matter at the time.

On these burns there are in our opinion two undeniable facts:

The Tarilta burn was followed by rain which washed a very large amount of soil off the valley sides and into the creek. We couldn’t quantify the soil loss, but the mud in the creek was up to the waist a week after the fire, and the Limestone Track causeway was blocked.
The Loop track fire killed a significant number of big trees, and has resulted in rampant and dense regrowth of wattles and eucalypts. It’s now one of the few areas in the region where it’s almost impossible to walk any significant distance without a struggle. The vegetation load in this block is heavier than in adjoining unburned areas.

In both cases the outcomes were the result of fires that were arguably too hot; and in the case of the Tarilta fire, the serious soil loss was a direct result of stripping vegetation from steep valley sides a few days before forecast heavy rain.

I have an extensive collection of photos taken soon after the burns.

My questions are:

What were the conclusions of post fire monitoring after the above two exercises [both as to ecological effects and fuel reduction]?
What lessons have been drawn from the monitoring?
How will the management of the upcoming burns be different [if they will]? I note, for example, that the two blocks contain significant areas of creekline vegetation and damp forest]

Sincerely,

Bernard Slattery

FOBIF Secretary

*****************

We’ll let readers know when we get an answer.

Posted in Fire Management | 2 Comments

FOBIF geology tour

Posted on 21 March, 2021 by fobif

The FOBIF geology tour will still take place today despite the rain. For people who have registered we are meeting at 9,30 at the Community House.

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So: what’s new?

Posted on 20 March, 2021 by fobif

Is public land management governed by science? Or is it by a chaotic mix of politics, self interest and old habits?

Let’s not by cynical about this, and see what researchers on public land are finding out. This week the Victorian Environment Assessment Council is running a series of five-minute talks, by twenty postgraduate students, public land managers and scientists who conduct research on public land. The talks will take place from 10 am to 12.30 pm next Tuesday March 23.

This symposium is part of VEAC’s program of online events throughout 2021 that celebrate the 50th anniversary of VEAC and its predecessors. To register go to https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/science-into-management-research-on-victorias-public-land-registration-140720664295

This event is being co-sponsored by the Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research, Museums Victoria, the Royal Society of Victoria, and the Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability, Victoria.

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