Field Nats

Monthly Meeting:  Friday 13th December, 7.30 pm, Uniting Church Fellowship Room, Lyttleton St

This is your chance for you to share a highlight of your nature observations from the year. Did you see some interesting wildlife behaviour? A new reptile for your property? What interests you will interest us! You can show photos, a power-point presentation, a video, a sound recording, or you can tell us a story […]

Monthly Meeting:  Friday 13th December, 7.30 pm, Uniting Church Fellowship Room, Lyttleton St Read More »

Members Night!

End of year Picnic: Tuesday 17th December, 5pm onwards

Meet on the lawn at the northern end of the Botanical Gardens to relax and enjoy good company in a beautiful setting. Peter Turner will update us on the activities of the CBG Powerful Owl family. BYO-everything (including chairs and insect repellent) Park in Downes Rd near the corner with Froomes Rd and enter by

End of year Picnic: Tuesday 17th December, 5pm onwards Read More »

Castlemaine Botanical Gardens

Monthly Meeting:  Friday 8th November, 7.30pm, Uniting Church Chapel, Lyttleton St.

Some recent ecological restoration projects in Hepburn Shire have demonstrated the value of ‘assisted natural regeneration’ and the benefits of leaving time to observe and work with a site’s natural resilience. A butterfly, the Bright-eyed Brown (Heteronympha cordace ssp. cordace) is emerging as a local flagship for this approach to restoration. Its story also interweaves

Monthly Meeting:  Friday 8th November, 7.30pm, Uniting Church Chapel, Lyttleton St. Read More »

Speaker: Brian Bainbridge (Biodiversity Officer, Hepburn Shire Council), “Habitat restoration for the Bright-eyed Brown”.

Excursion – Saturday 9th November, 1.00pm. “Trentham area – Habitat restoration for the Bright-eyed Brown”

What are the habitat features that aid survival of the rare Bright-eyed Brown Butterfly? Brian will take us on a walking tour to inspect some sites around Trentham where habitat restoration has been carried out to support this special butterfly. We will then drive to Lyonville and follow the Domino trail east for about 700m

Excursion – Saturday 9th November, 1.00pm. “Trentham area – Habitat restoration for the Bright-eyed Brown” Read More »

Leader: Brian Bainbridge (Biodiversity Officer, Hepburn Shire Council)

Roadside Clean-up: Monday 11th November, 9am

Come along and help do our bit for the community.  More hands, quicker work.  And you never know what treasure you might find! Meet: 9am near Tait’s Decorative Iron, corner of Willy Milly Rd and Pyrenees Highway, Castlemaine.   Bring: Gloves, water, sturdy footwear. Garbage bags and safety vests supplied. Contact: Geoff Harris (mob 0418

Roadside Clean-up: Monday 11th November, 9am Read More »

Help keep our stretch of the Pyrenees Highway clean!

Excursion – Saturday October 19th,1.30pm, “Walmer biodiversity site”

Our October excursion is to a private property in Walmer that has uncommonly rich biodiversity and is not generally available to the public. The site is one of the few places where Bitter Cryptandra (Cryptandra amara) is in good numbers in the district. Our guide will be local environmentalist and plant expert Ian Higgins, who received

Excursion – Saturday October 19th,1.30pm, “Walmer biodiversity site” Read More »

Leader – Ian Higgins

Monthly Meeting:  Friday 11th October, 7.30pm, Uniting Church Fellowship Room, Lyttleton St.

Joint talk with BirdLife Castlemaine District. Island fauna and flora generally lacks the diversity that is found on larger land masses but compensates for this with unique and sometimes unexpected adaptions.  The talk will look at how species reach islands and how they evolve after they establish a population.  It will also look at some

Monthly Meeting:  Friday 11th October, 7.30pm, Uniting Church Fellowship Room, Lyttleton St. Read More »

Speaker: Euan Moore, “Birds on Islands – How they change over time. A New Zealand case study.”

Wednesday Wildflower Wander, 25th September, 4pm, Youngmans Track, Walmer

Join us for another beautiful Wildflower Wander this week.  We will see the rare Goldfields Grevillea (Grevillea dryophylla), a large bank of the locally rare Dusty Miller (Spyridium parvifolium) as well as many other wildflowers including native orchids. Meet: in the Car Park north of the Railway Goods Shed in Kennedy St ready to leave

Wednesday Wildflower Wander, 25th September, 4pm, Youngmans Track, Walmer Read More »

Leader: Peter Turner

Wednesday Wildflower Wander, 18th September, 4pm, “The Monk”

A beautiful walk circling up the Monk will be our next Wednesday Wildflower Wander. We will enjoy those wildflowers that enjoy a higher terrain, and maybe even see some stunning spiders! Meet: in the Car Park north of the Railway Goods Shed in Kennedy St ready to leave at 4 pm, returning by about 5.30

Wednesday Wildflower Wander, 18th September, 4pm, “The Monk” Read More »

Leader: Noel Young

Wednesday Wildflower Wander, 11th September, 4pm, Sinclairs Lane, Muckleford

Our September Wednesday Wildflower Wanders will continue this week with a visit to the Muckleford Forest.  In addition to a magnificent show of different wildflowers including several orchids, we hope to see the rare Grevillea micrantha. Meet: in the Car Park north of the Railway Goods Shed in Kennedy St ready to leave at 4

Wednesday Wildflower Wander, 11th September, 4pm, Sinclairs Lane, Muckleford Read More »

Leaders: Judy and Philip Hopley