Celebrate the butterfly!

Posted on 27 October, 2019 by fobif

Elaine Bayes has supplied us with details of a terrific program of activities designed to improve knowledge of the Eltham Copper Butterfly. Details are below:

If you would like to help protect Eltham Copper Butterflies or would simply like a purpose while walking out in the bush, then come and join us in finding where ECB are so that they can be protected from threats.

If you are just curious and want to learn more about ECB then come along to the ECB monitoring education session or Castlemaine Field Naturalist talk.

If you would like to become an ECB Monitor and carry out searches either with our group or on your own, then join us on the ECB Monitor Training Events, so that you can learn how to contribute to conservation of the amazing Eltham Copper Butterfly. Contact Connecting Country  to attend this years events, which are supported by the Norman Wettenhall Foundation and Mount Alexander Shire Council.

7.30 pm Friday 8 November 2019: ECB talk at Castlemaine Field Naturalist Club, Uniting Church (UCA) Hall (enter from Lyttleton St.) (General information on ECB biology, monitoring)

1.30-4 pm Saturday 9 November 2019   (Field trip to Kalimna Park, see ECB habitat and learn method of ECB search). Contact Castlemaine Field Naturalists for details at castlemainefnc@hotmail.com

12-4 pm Saturday 16 November 2019 ECB Monitor Training event. -Introductory Session. This is a training day on how to monitor ECB.  The following ECB training sessions will be carrying out ECB searches.

1-3 pm Sunday 17 November 2019 Butterfly Celebration Day, Botanic Gardens: Family event with art and music and ECB habitat tours of northern botanic gardens

2–4 pm, Sunday 1st, 15th and 21st December: ECB Monitor Training event – Practical Session carrying out ECB searches as a group. – Contact Connecting Country.

Trained ECB Monitors are also invited to join Karl Just and Elaine Bayes on their searches throughout Nov/ Dec on the following dates (these may change depending on the weather, so contact us at elaine@rakali.com.au if you would like to be updated).

  • Friday 15 Nov 2019
  • Friday 29 November 2019
  • Thursday 19 and Friday 20 December 2019
  • Friday 27 December 2019
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Strenuous effort, rich rewards

Posted on 21 October, 2019 by fobif

A strong contingent took on brisk weather and a couple of strenuous climbs on FOBIF’s October walk yesterday. The route took the group from the Railway Dam up to the Fryers fire tower, down to Fryers Creek and up again to ‘Hill 488’, the highest point between White Gum Track and the Railway Dam. The effort was significant, and the rewards were rich: terrific displays of Billy Buttons, Sticky Everlasting, Bendigo Wax and sundry peas, among many other things—not to mention impressive patches of Spider Orchids. The final stretch took the group through dense fields of Chocolate Lilies on the cusp of blooming…another week and ‘Hill 488’ will be even more spectacular.

Our thanks to Jeremy Holland for yet another imaginative and rewarding route. This was the last Sunday  walk for the year—but see here for details of the Matted Bush-pea excursion this coming Wednesday (the 23rd).

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NEW: FOBIF greeting cards

Posted on 21 October, 2019 by fobif

FOBIF has produced eight greeting cards featuring photographs of our local bushlands.  All the photos have been part of FOBIF photo exhibitions. Photographers are Joy Clusker, Patrick Kavanagh, Damian Kelly, Geoff Park, Bronwyn Silver, Bernard Slattery and Noel Young.

Click on the thumbnail images below to see compete photo. Each folded card is 10×14.5cm with details of the photograph on the back.

They are now available for sale as a set of 8 with envelopes. Cost for the 8 cards including postage is $20. Click here for purchase details. 

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TOGS exhibition extended

Posted on 21 October, 2019 by fobif

The TOGS photo show has been extended for a week and will now run until 31 October. So still plenty of time to drop in and have a look at the wonderful range of local bush photos. 

Janet Barker’s contribution to the TOGS FOBIF exhibition:

Vicroads massacre planned – goodbye to the trees. Photo: Janet Barker, Pyrenees Highway
January 2019

These are three of 140 trees removed by Vicroads in early 2019 as part of their road widening and barrier installation project through the Muckleford Forest between Muckleford South and Newstead. This stretch of road traverses important bird habitat, including the Swift Parrot, and is a wildlife corridor for many more species. It was also much loved for its aesthetic values.

 After a lengthy engagement with Vicroads, community members managed to save six trees from destruction and some wire rope barriers were replaced with metal guardrail. Speed limit reduction through the forest is still being pursued.

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Matted Bush-pea mid-week excursion

Posted on 14 October, 2019 by fobif

Several FOBIF members have organised an excursion to the Wewak Track on Wednesday 23 October to have a look at the Matted Bush-pea Pultenaea pedunculata in flower as well as other spring wildflowers. See this previous post for more detail on this area. We are meeting at 9.30 outside the Guildford Post Office and then driving in convoy to the start of the excursion. The walk will be fairly short and we will be back by midday. Bring morning tea. All welcome. Contact Bronwyn Silver on 0448751111 for more information. 

Our regular monthly walk is on this Sunday (20 October). See walks page for details.

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