Our first Wildflower Wander for the year on 7th September along Youngman’s Track did not disappoint with several native orchids and other impressive wildflower displays. The plant list with some beautiful photos will be in the next ‘Castlemaine Naturalist’. For our second wildflower wander on 14th September, we will wander along tracks in Kalimna Park […]
Wednesday Wildflower Wander Read More »
Due to the weather conditions, instead of exploring The Monk with orchid expert Julie Radford we will be visiting her laboratory and nursery in Kangaroo Flat. This is a unique opportunity to see the work Julie is doing propagating rare spider orchids in order to re-plant them in the wild and thus help conserve them.
ATTENTION – ATTENTION! CHANGE TO SATURDAY 10th SEPTEMBER EXCURSION Read More »
Deakin University’s Powerful Owl Research Team have been involved with Powerful Owls for over 20 years. At the core, the research aims to understand how increased urbanisation and landscape modification impacts this threatened apex predator, whilst also identifying solutions that can contribute to the conservation of the species. PhD student Nick Carter will describe how
The Great Southern Bioblitz 2022 will be held from 28th – 31st October. Join us in trying to see as many plants and animals as possible across Mt Alexander and the eastern half of Hepburn Shires. Last year our club did very well coming in at number 13 out of 70 plus groups across Australia
Great Southern Bioblitz 2022 Read More »
During September each year, when so many the local plants in the Box-Ironbark woodlands of our region are flowering, we arrange late afternoon excursions on Wednesdays to nearby sites to enjoy the wildflowers. Meet: at the Octopus (opposite the motel in Duke St) ready to leave at 4 pm, returning by about 5.30 pm. Bring:
Wednesday Wildflower Wanders Read More »
Speaker: Tanya Loos, Nature writer and science communicator “Window strike: when birds hit windows” Combined meeting with Birdlife Castlemaine District Window strike is a huge problem for common birds – as well as threatened species such as the Swift Parrot and Powerful Owl. Many of us have had the unfortunate experience of a thud or even a crash
Monthly Meeting: Friday 12 August, 7.30pm by Zoom Read More »
Leaders: Marli Wallace & Noel Young Wildflowers, birds, aboriginal and mining history. This was a significant place for the Dja Dja Wurrung people before becoming a major gold mining area. Twenty one sites around the 1.8 km circuit track (a bit rough in places – walking pole useful) will be described, with wildflowers, regrown woodland
Excursion: Saturday 13th August, 1.30 pm “Eureka Reef” Read More »
– Help keep our stretch of the Pyrenees Highway clean! Meet near Tait’s Decorative Iron, corner of Willy Milly Rd and Pyrenees Highway, Castlemaine at 9am. Garbage bags and safety vests supplied. Wear sturdy footwear and bring your own gloves and water. Please contact Geoff Harris (mob 0418 392 183) if you can help
Roadside Clean-up: Monday 15 August, 9am Read More »
Starting from the junction of Muckleford School Road and Bells Lane Track, we will drive along Talbot, Dunns Reef and Red White and Blue Tracks, with stops along the way to enjoy the birds, wildflowers and trees of the forest and to view old mining sites. We will then drive along Bells Lane Track to
Excursion – Sat 9 July, 1:30 pm Read More »
Because it contains the best moss beds on continental Antarctica, Casey Station is dubbed the ‘Daintree of the Antarctic’. Individual plants have been growing here for at least 100 years, fertilised by ancient penguin poo. But our new research shows that these slow-growing plants are changing at a far faster rate than anticipated. The healthy green
8th July, 7:30 by Zoom – The Old-growth Moss Forests of Antarctica – Dr Melinda Waterman Read More »