Updates

REMINDER: 13th June 2025, Monthly Meeting, 7.30 pm by ZOOM – register in advance

Monthly Meetings, Updates / By

Register: Please register anytime in advance to receive the link for joining the Zoom session: click on the following link or copy this url into your browser: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/YYBa0F5NRCSv23G5rYl2lw We recommend joining the session 5 – 10 minutes before the meeting to avoid congestion at 7.30pm. Guest speaker: Kelly Clitheroe is President of DarkSky Victoria and […]

REMINDER: 13th June 2025, Monthly Meeting, 7.30 pm by ZOOM – register in advance Read More »

Speaker: Kelly Clitheroe, “How light pollution impacts wildlife”

SEANA Spring Camp – Ballarat, 17-19 October, 2025

Other Activities, Updates / By

The South East Australian Naturalists’ Association (SEANA) “camps” are an excellent chance to meet fellow naturalists from around SE Australia and explore a new region under the guidance of local experts.  The Field Naturalists’ Club of Ballarat Inc. warmly invites you to attend the SEANA Spring camp for 2025. The camp will be based at

SEANA Spring Camp – Ballarat, 17-19 October, 2025 Read More »

Hosted by the Field Naturalists’ Club of Ballarat Inc.

Monthly Meeting:  Friday 13th June 2025, 7.30pm by Zoom

Monthly Meetings, Updates / By

The June meeting will be the first of our 3 winter meetings by Zoom for 2025. Kelly Clitheroe is President of DarkSky Victoria and will be talking about the need to retain the quality of the night sky for future generations. She will focus on the impact of light pollution on fauna and flora and

Monthly Meeting:  Friday 13th June 2025, 7.30pm by Zoom Read More »

Speaker: Kelly Clitheroe, “How light pollution impacts wildlife”

Excursion: Saturday 14th June 2025, 1.30pm, “Street trees of Castlemaine – part 2 and Forest Creek revitalisation project”, Greenhill Ave.

Excursions, Updates / By

In July 2024, arborist Sue Luke together with Rosemary Turner led a Castlemaine street trees walk taking in Kennedy Street and Goldsmith Crescent. Sue will lead a second walk along Greenhill Avenue, from Greenhill Place to the Pyrenees Highway, looking at over thirty Australian tree and shrub species. In addition, the Forest Creek Revitalisation Project

Excursion: Saturday 14th June 2025, 1.30pm, “Street trees of Castlemaine – part 2 and Forest Creek revitalisation project”, Greenhill Ave. Read More »

Leaders: Sue Luke, Cathrine Harboe-Ree, Jon Leevers

Monthly Meeting: Friday 9th May 2025, 7.30pm, Uniting Church Fellowship Room, Lyttleton St.

Monthly Meetings, Updates / By

Graham is President of Turtles Australia Inc. A retired train driver, he has been devoted to freshwater turtle conservation for around 15 years. His talk will cover the three species of freshwater turtles we have in Victoria and will outline some of the conservation work Turtles Australia is engaged in. To allow attendees to get

Monthly Meeting: Friday 9th May 2025, 7.30pm, Uniting Church Fellowship Room, Lyttleton St. Read More »

Speaker: Graham Stockfeld - "Talking turtles"

Excursion: Saturday 10th May 2025, 1.30pm, “Photographing flowers, grasses and insects for effective iNaturalist identification”, Red White and Blue Mine

Excursions, Updates / By

An opportunity to join with expert field naturalists to gain experience in photographing fauna and flora species including key characteristics to maximise the likelihood of getting your observations identified from photos submitted to iNaturalist. Whether you prefer to use a smart phone, a point and shoot digital camera or a digital SLR camera with interchangeable

Excursion: Saturday 10th May 2025, 1.30pm, “Photographing flowers, grasses and insects for effective iNaturalist identification”, Red White and Blue Mine Read More »

Leader: Jill Williams

Roadside Clean-up: Monday 12th May 2025, 9am

Other Activities, Updates / By

Join us for a pleasant walk along some interesting roadside bush as we check our section of the Pyrenees Highway. This will be the second of our four clean-ups for the year. Meet: 9am near Tait’s Decorative Iron, corner of Willy Milly Rd and Pyrenees Highway, Castlemaine. Bring: Gloves, water, sturdy footwear. Garbage bags and

Roadside Clean-up: Monday 12th May 2025, 9am Read More »

Time to check our stretch of the Pyrenees Highway!

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

Monthly Meetings, Updates / By

Steve calls himself a “mothylated spirit”, meaning he studies moths. He records moths on a light sheet every night at home and rears moths from their eggs. These activities help him answer questions like: What is there? What and where is it feeding? What and where is it at each stage in its life cycle?

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

Speaker: Steve Williams, “Mysteries of the Life Cycles of Moths”

Excursion – Saturday April 12th, 1.30pm, “Forest Creek Restoration by Castlemaine Landcare Group”

Excursions, Updates / By

This excursion is rescheduled from March due to the high temperature. Christine will take us for a walk along the Great Dividing Trail path beside Forest Creek (now named Leanganook Track) to see first-hand the remarkable transformation of a gorse-infested, tree-less valley to a productive native riparian strip following over 20 years of work by

Excursion – Saturday April 12th, 1.30pm, “Forest Creek Restoration by Castlemaine Landcare Group” Read More »

Leader: Christine Kilmartin (President, Castlemaine Landcare Group)

CANCELLED: Excursion – Saturday March 15th, 2025, 1.30pm, “Forest Creek Restoration by Castlemaine Landcare Group”

Excursions, Updates / By

Unfortunately, due to the high temperatures forecast for Saturday, we have decided to postpone our walk along Forest Creek with Christine to 12th April 2025. However, members and visitors are reminded of our AGM and Monthly Meeting as detailed in our previous update. Friday 14th March, 2025, 7.30 pm, Uniting Church Fellowship Room, Lyttleton St

CANCELLED: Excursion – Saturday March 15th, 2025, 1.30pm, “Forest Creek Restoration by Castlemaine Landcare Group” Read More »

Leader: Christine Kilmartin (President, Castlemaine Landcare Group)