Lou Citroen

Wednesday Wildflower Wander, 22nd October 2025 at 4pm, Walmer State Forest

Our fourth and final September/October late afternoon wander to explore our beautiful local wildflower areas will be on Wednesday 22nd October in the Walmer State Forest.  A chance to see the rare Goldfields Grevillea as well as many other treasures.  Meet: In the Car Park north of the Railway Goods Shed in Kennedy St, ready

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Leader: Geraldine Harris

Great Southern BioBlitz, 24-27 October, 2025

We’re now well into spring and so wonderful to see the new growth and increasing activity in bushlands and gardens after so many months of challenging conditions. Trees, shrubs and other understorey plants are putting out new leaves and foliage, and canopies are becoming denser. Birds are calling and nesting. Frogs are croaking. Thankfully insects

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Are you ready? Your chance to make a difference!

Wednesday Wildflower Wander, 24th September 2025, 4pm at “The Monk”

Our second September/October late afternoon excursion to explore the wonderful wildflowers in our local Box-Ironbark woodlands will be on Wednesday 24th September at The Monk, South of Chewton.  We will enjoy those wildflowers that favour a higher terrain, and maybe even see some stunning spiders! Meet: In the Car Park North of the Railway Goods Shed

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Leader: Cathrine Harboe-Ree

Monthly Meeting:  Friday 8th August 2025, 7.30pm by Zoom

Linden Ashcroft is an award-winning climate scientist and communicator from the School of Geography, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Melbourne. Her research focuses on historical climatology, using pre-1900 documents and weather observations to improve understanding of Australia’s past climate so we can better prepare for the future. The impact of human-induced climate change is

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Speaker: Dr Linden Ashcroft “What will climate change bring to Castlemaine weather?”

Excursion: Saturday 9th August 2025, 10.00am,“Grassland treasures”, Baringhup

At our July Castlemaine Field Naturalists Club meeting, Adrian Marshall (Grassy Plains Network) reminded us that less than 1% of Victoria’s native grasslands remain and they’re rapidly disappearing without recognition and protection. Small patches remain, often with just a few plants, but knowledge of grassland species and locations is limited.  Our first of three roadside stops

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Leader: Kerrie Jennings

Roadside Clean-up: Monday 11th August 2025, 9am

Our club checks a section of the Pyrenees Highway four times a year, west of Castlemaine from the top of McKenzie’s Hill to Woodman’s Road. It is always a pleasant walk along some interesting roadside bush as we do our bit for the community.  Meet: 9am near Tait’s Decorative Iron, corner of Willy Milly Rd

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Help keep our stretch of the Pyrenees Highway clean!

Reminder:  CFNC weekend at Wedderburn, 12-14 September 2025

As advised earlier, there will be no regular monthly meeting or excursion in Castlemaine in September. Instead there will be a weekend of events at Wedderburn.  Registrations (see below) are required by August 8th to confirm attendance and organise car-pooling. Speakers and excursion leaders – ecologist and Mt Korong fauna expert Professor Michael Kearney from

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Monthly Meeting:  Friday 11th July 2025, 7.30pm by Zoom

Dr Adrian Marshall is the Facilitator of the Grassy Plains Network, which is program of the Victorian National Parks Association. He advocates for the greater protection of Victoria’s native grasslands and runs a range of community engagement activities to raise people’s awareness of our extremely threatened grassy ecosystems. He co-edited “Land of sweeping plains: managing

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Speaker: Adrian Marshall, “Our endangered grasslands: threats and ways forward”

Excursion: Saturday 12th July 2025, “Fungi search”, Mt Alexander; NOTE 10.00 am start time!

Rain at last! So for our July excursion we will go on a fungi search with Joy Clusker, co-author of the excellent guide to identification of the “Fungi of the Bendigo Region”.  Joy will give us valuable tips on identification and where to find fungi. Since the light drops early at this time of the

Excursion: Saturday 12th July 2025, “Fungi search”, Mt Alexander; NOTE 10.00 am start time! Read More »

Leader: Joy Clusker