Articles
2025 Friends of Grampians Gariwerd Autumn Newsletter
Newsletter Autumn 2025
Season of Gwangal Moronn – season of insects, sunrises and flocking birds (late March – early June) starting to cool down after the summer heat.
Diary Dates
Next meet:
13th June – Charlie Richardson, Area Chief Ranger Talk at Brambuk 5.30-6.30pm. Followed by a meal.
Full years Calendar at end of this Newsletter
Office bearers 2025
President Leigh Douglas 0428109361
Vice President Geoff Stratford (Strum) 0402292690
Secretary Catherine Carlyle 0428399441
Treasurer Wendy Bedggood 0429932065
Presidents Report May 2025
Greetings everyone. This is our 1st newsletter this year, due to difficulty finding an Editor since Margo left. Thanks to Catherine Carlyle for stepping in for this issue. There has also been difficulty in getting rain these last couple of seasons; wetlands and waterholes have dried up, which on top of the fires in the Grampians has been very tough on wildlife and … Read the rest
2025 May- June -July events
Dear FOGG members – here are upcoming events – usually second Friday night or second Saturday of the month, unless indicated.
Exciting News – FOGG is now a registered Charity, exempt from income tax, but without tax-deductible status.
Website: www.friendsofgrampiansgariwerd.org.au
Office bearers 2025
President Leigh Douglas 0428109361
Vice President Geoff Stratford (Strum) 0402292690
Secretary Catherine Carlyle 0428399441
Treasurer Wendy Bedggood 0429932065
Friends of Grampians -Gariwerd Events
Friday 9th May
“How will little critters cope with climate change” The Grampians fire, climate and biodiversity project with A/Professor Dr John White Deakin University
Date: Friday 9th May
Time: 6.00 pm to 7pm, followed by a meal.
Where: Brambuk the National Park and Cultural centre.
Findings from long-term small mammal research in the Grampians. While the impact of recent fires remains unclear for now, this talk will focus on how these species respond to changing climates and what their stories … Read the rest
Grampians (Gariwerd) National Park – Aerial Pest Control Tuesday 6th May to 8th May
Aerial Pest Animal Control Program in the Grampians (Gariwerd) National Park
Parks Victoria is conducting a conservation program to respond to the ecological impacts of the recent Grampians bushfires.
An aerial shooting operation will be undertaken between Tuesday 6th May – Thursday 8th of May 2025 to target pest animals and to support the recovery of the park and its native species.
Operations will occur within fire ground areas currently closed to the public. No additional closures of visitor sites or campgrounds will occur.
To ensure visitor safety, fireground closure signs are located at key road access points to the control area. Visitors are encouraged to follow all instructions on permanent and temporary signage.
For further information visit Brambuk the National Park and Cultural Centre in Halls Gap or call Parks Victoria Information on 13 1963.… Read the rest
Sallow Wattle Morning
Sallow Wattle Control Morning
- When: Saturday, 12th April, 9:45 AM
- Where: Grampians State Park, Halls Gap-Ararat Road, near Halls Gap Transfer Station
8 members and a Halls Gap Landcare volunteer attended. We parked at the Halls Gap Transfer station and car pooled across the road and down the track to the previously surveyed sallow wattle sites. Sallow wattle was removed along the track and we were pretty happy we got it all from this section. There are large trees on the boundary with private property which Parks Vic are aware of and working with Council and the landowners to remove. Sarah Cole will keep us informed.
We didn’t see any Grevillea gariwerdensis seedlings, but Neil Marriott has offered to visit the site next week to help FOGG look for these endangered plants.
Thankyou to everyone involved. John King, John Minchin-King, Wendy Bedggood, Geoff Wadge, Catherine Carlyle, Strum Stratford, … Read the rest
Asterolasia phebalioides
Aster Greek meaning star and lasios hairy, because of the stellate hairs covering the leaves and stems of plants in this genus, phebalioides meaning it resembles the genus Phebalium. Both genera are in the family Rutaceae which contains plants like Boronia, Correas and citrus.
Downy Starbush is one of many of the Grampians rare and threatened plants, it is listed as Vulnerable under the Federal EPBC Act, it also occurs in the western Black Range and the Little Desert. It flowers in Spring, predominantly in October, with eye catching yellow flowers. For the uninitiated, at first glance you may mistake it for a Hibbertia, but it has distinctive foliage with downy covered stems and foliage. The grey green leaves are crowded, cuneate – obcordate (with a blunt or notched tip) and make it readily identifiable without flowers. If you have a look at the hairs under magnification, they look like … Read the rest
FOGG now a Charity!!
Subject: Your charity is now registered with the ACNC CRM:001260817797
Congratulations
We are pleased to confirm that the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) has registered Friends of Grampians-Gariwerd Inc (ABN: 69541815642) as a charity.
The date from which your charity is registered is 8/08/2014.… Read the rest
Grampians Walking Track Support Group April May Events
Good afternoon
This year we have a variety of volunteer maintenance works planned for our much loved walking tracks. The program will commence with vegetation and drainage works at Heatherlie Quarry on 5 April.
On 8 and 9 April we are replacing a short section of raised walkway at Heatherlie Quarry, using prefabricated panels funded by our donations.
We are planning works for 3 & 4 May and 6 & 7 September with the tracks to be determined following a full assessment of fire impacts..
We are also looking at a maintenance day at the Piccaninny in October.
As details are finalised, the projects will be available on ParkConnect –
Please don’t hesitate to contact our Convenor, David, or me should you require further information.
All the best
Graham
… Read the rest Tail of the Squirrel Gliders night survey report
On Monday evening, Friends of Grampians Gariwerd members and Project Platypus Elia and Lee ventured along the roadside vegetation to survey the area for Squirrel Gliders. We gathered at Mt Drummond Road, equipped with thermal imaging scopes and red light torches, tools crucial for spotting nocturnal wildlife. As the sun disappeared and darkness enveloped the landscape, the bushland seemed to come alive around us.
Our night began with some remarkable sightings. Almost immediately, a Brush-tailed Possum appeared in our sights, its distinctive, bushy tail illuminated in the soft red glow. Not long after, we caught sight of a Ring-tailed Possum navigating its way through the canopy with remarkable grace. These initial encounters reminded us of the importance of roadside vegetation with its mix of trees and understorey of wattles and set an exciting tone for the survey.
The real stars of the evening, however, were the Sugar Gliders. Not long … Read the rest
Tandara Track Work 17th March
Park Update
Grampians (Gariwerd) National Park 12.03.2025
From Monday 17th March 2025, Wildtracks are commencing works on the Fyans Creek (Barri Yalug) Track between the end of Tandara Rd and the Terraces Fireline). Wildtracks will take approximately 2 weeks with this section of the track temporarily closed or detoured around on the Terraces Fireline in accordance with the progress of works. Boronia Peak remains accessible from the northern end of the Fyans Creek (Barri Yalug) Track.
William (Bill) Playne
Ranger – Visitor and Community
Grampians (Gariwerd)|Western Region… Read the rest