All Events

Excursion: Saturday 9th & Sunday 10th September, “Special double field trip near Ballarat”

Saturday 9th – meet at 3pm at a private fenced wildlife sanctuary at Berringa (40mins SW Ballarat) for a tour of the sanctuary, then an early picnic tea before viewing grazing free-roaming nocturnal animals (Rufous Bettongs, Bandicoots etc) until about 8pm. Sunday 10th – meet at 9.30am for an orchid/bird walk in Clarkesdale Bird Sanctuary […]

Excursion: Saturday 9th & Sunday 10th September, “Special double field trip near Ballarat” Read More »

Saturday, Leader Roy Pails, Private Wildlife Sanctuary; Sunday, Leader Emily Noble, Clarkesdale Orchids and Birds

Monthly Meeting:  Friday 8th September, 7.30pm, Uniting Church Fellowship Room, Lyttleton St.

Combined Castlemaine Field Naturalist Club and BirdLife Castlemaine District annual presentation Going bush, watching and photographing birds and then making art about them, is talented local nature artist Jane Rusden’s idea of the perfect day. Jane will talk about her time in remote desert landscapes, namely Nature Foundation’s Witchelina Reserve in outback SA, studying and

Monthly Meeting:  Friday 8th September, 7.30pm, Uniting Church Fellowship Room, Lyttleton St. Read More »

Speaker: Jane Rusden, “Birding in SA Desert country”

Wednesday Wildflower Wander, 6th September, 4pm, Kalimna Park

During September each year, we arrange late afternoon excursions on Wednesdays to nearby sites to enjoy the wonderful wildflower show in our local Box-Ironbark woodlands. Meet: at the Octopus (opposite the motel in Duke St) ready to leave at 4 pm, returning by about 5.30 pm. Bring: There are a few rough spots along the

Wednesday Wildflower Wander, 6th September, 4pm, Kalimna Park Read More »

Leaders: Peter and Rosemary Turner

Monthly Meeting:  Friday 11th August, 7.30pm by Zoom

Skylos Ecology Co-Founders Tracy Lyten and Fiona Jackson will discuss the specialised use of detection dogs in the conservation world.  They will explore how dogs are providing a valuable service in helping protect Australia’s flora and fauna. From endangered species detection, fox and feral cat management to the detection of invasive weeds, Tracy and Fiona

Monthly Meeting:  Friday 11th August, 7.30pm by Zoom Read More »

Speakers: Tracy Lyten and Fiona Jackson (Skylos Ecology), “The Role of Detection Dogs in Conservation”

Excursion: Saturday 12th August, 12 noon. “Whipstick Wildflowers”

Join us for a walk in the Whipstick, Greater Bendigo National Park, to enjoy the emerging spring wildflowers in this beautiful box ironbark forest. Meet: 12 noon at the Octopus car park (Duke St, opposite the Castle Motel) or at Shadbolts Picnic ground, Whipstick, Bendigo ready to start the walk at 1.30pm after a picnic

Excursion: Saturday 12th August, 12 noon. “Whipstick Wildflowers” Read More »

Leaders: Peter Turner & Noel Young

Monthly Meeting:  Friday 14th July, 7.30 pm, by Zoom

Matt will talk about his research studies into the Chytrid fungus that is causing a serious decline in our frog populations.  Matt is identifying factors that influence frog disease susceptibility and strategies for protecting frogs from this fungus.  He will also describe projects to translocate healthy populations of frogs, including the Growling Grass Frog, to

Monthly Meeting:  Friday 14th July, 7.30 pm, by Zoom Read More »

Speaker: Dr Matt West (University of Melbourne Biosciences) “Protecting frogs from Chytrid fungus”.

Excursion: Saturday 15th July, 1.30pm. “Maldon Historic Reserve Flora Surveys”

Our July excursion will be to the Gower area of the Maldon Historic Reserve.  The purpose of the visit will be to look at some of the vegetation plots established by Ern Perkins around 2009 to monitor the effects of bush fires and fuel reduction burns on the native vegetation.  We will remeasure one or

Excursion: Saturday 15th July, 1.30pm. “Maldon Historic Reserve Flora Surveys” Read More »

Leaders: Euan Moore and Richard Piesse

SEANA Spring Camp – Yarram, October 20-23, 2023

The South East Australian Naturalists’ Association (SEANA) organises two camps each year where Field Naturalist groups from around SE Australia gather to meet fellow naturalists and explore a new region under the guidance of local experts. Several of our members greatly enjoyed the Autumn camp at Port Campbell. The SEANA Spring Camp will be held

SEANA Spring Camp – Yarram, October 20-23, 2023 Read More »

Hosted by the Sale & District FNC and Latrobe Valley FNC

Reminder! Register in advance for June 9th Monthly Meeting

A reminder that our June meeting will be via Zoom.  If you wish to join us to hear Louise Saunders’ interesting talk on her botanical art and conservation work, you MUST first email Peter (munrodsl@iinet.net.au) before 3pm Friday 9th June to request the invitation to register for the meeting and then get an email with

Reminder! Register in advance for June 9th Monthly Meeting Read More »

Our Monthly Meeting on Friday 9th June is via Zoom

Monthly Meeting: Friday June 9th, 7:30pm by Zoom

The June meeting will be the first of our 3 winter meetings by Zoom for 2023 with our speaker being Louise Saunders, a botanical artist originally from Benalla in Victoria’s North East. Louise has had a particular interest in illustrating the ground orchids of NE Victoria and since relocating to Queensland, also the subtropical flora

Monthly Meeting: Friday June 9th, 7:30pm by Zoom Read More »

Speaker: Louise Saunders “Botanical art – inspiring wildlife conservation”