FROM THE EDITORS
Spring has arrived and nearly gone, but the flowers are still outstanding; it’s interesting watching the progression as early give way to late flowerers. Nestlings are transforming into very demanding fledglings, then teenagers.
Please refer to Strum’s Prez Sez for info on our FOGG website. We’re all grateful to Darren McClelland for setting this up and taking on the ‘maintenance’ and updating of information; and of course incredibly grateful to Frank for his years of support and work – some of us in awe of that sort of knowledge!
Hoping you can all get out and enjoy some nature, whatever the weather …. And wishing all a safe-from-fire season.
Note: unless credited otherwise, photos are by Leigh and ben
Category: 2023
FROM BILL PLAYNE AT THE PARKS DESK June 2023
Parks Victoria – Update – Spring 2023: William Playne – Visitor/Community Ranger
Thank you for the opportunity to connect, contribute and share vital information about the park. I hope you enjoy the range of brief reports/project updates. They certainly provide understanding and comprehension concerning the diverse range of ongoing tasks needed to manage the scope of Grampians (Gariwerd) National Park.
In the past month, it was exciting to see the pulse of the park rise as perfect spring weather drew large numbers of visitors. The Mackenzie Falls track counter topped the popularity stakes with 590 visitors per day over the two weeks of the school holidays! Zumsteins welcomed many picnickers and day walkers headed for Fish Falls and beyond. Out on the trail, Grampians Peaks Trail Rangers met good numbers of walkers, with many journeying over the full 12-day experience. Each with their own personal take on the challenge and … Read the rest
Bird Morning : Saturday 12th August 2023
Bird Morning : Saturday 12th August : Neil Macumber
Eleven members and myself met at the Corner of O’Sullivan’s Road and Mount Victory Road on what appeared to be a very pleasant sunny morning with lots of birds calling. By the time everyone had arrived and we had driven a little over one kilometre to start our bird-walk the clouds had rolled in and it had become noticeably duller with a lot less birds calling. Following Neil (blindly!) …can everybody see it?
Nevertheless, we did manage to record a total of 25 species of bird for the morning. Bird species either seen or heard by me were: – Galah, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Long-billed Corella, Musk Lorikeet, Crimson Rosella, Eastern Rosella, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, White-plumed Honeyeater, Red Wattlebird, Yellow-tufted Honeyeater, Brown-headed Honeyeater, Fuscous Honeyeater, Weebill, Spotted Pardalote, Grey Shrike thrush, Willie Wagtail, Magpie, Magpie Lark, White-winged Chough, Grey Currawong, Australian Raven, Little Raven, … Read the rest
Dr Noushka Reiter’s Threatened Species Talk September 2023
NOUSHKA’S THREATENED SPECIES TALK
Friday 8th September
Following the AGM, our Guest Speaker Dr Noushka Reiter talked to us about the recently funded Nature Fund Project. The project ‘Raising Rarity: preventing extinction of Victoria’s threatened flora’ is a $1.35 million dollar project over 3 years with 11 partners, including Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria (RBGV) and Latrobe University being the lead agencies. Other Environmental and friends Groups are also contributing community support.
There are 24 threatened plants across Victoria which will be researched in various ways to try to prevent their extinction. Of these five are found only in the Grampians region.
- Undertake community surveys Community groups and partner organisations are being invited to help with surveys to check areas from old herbarium records and potential sites to ascertain the extent of populations.
- Collect seed, mycorrhiza or rhizobia. For all species, seed will be collected from across populations to ensure genetic
NATIVE FLOWER WALK Saturday 14th October 2023
NATIVE FLOWER WALK on Saturday 14th October
It was yet another overcast Spring day, but we were lucky enough to be in one of the flower gardens of Gariwerd – this time at Heatherlie Quarry. Sunshine was limited, with the cold wind all day made for rugging up.
With help from eager (useful?) assistance, Wendy created a list of the various species we encountered. A valiant effort indeed.
A: Gompholobium ecostatum
B: Green-comb Spider Caladenia dilatate
C: Goodenia sp.
D: Waxlip Orchid Glossodia major
E: Grevillea alpina
F: Dillwynia oreodoxa
G: Apple Berry Billardiera scandens
H: Bearded orchid Calochilus sp.
I: Caladenia pusilla
The list of Wendy’s recording:
Flowering species
Grevillea aquifolium, Grevillea alpina, Pimelea sp, Conospermum mitchellii, Conospermum patens, Banksia ornata, Banksia marginata, Calectasia intermedia, Dillwynia sericea, Dillwynia hispida, Gompholobium ecostatum, Brachyloma daphnoides, Stackhousia sp, Spyridium parvifolium, Tetratheca ciliata, Dodonaea viscosa, Isopogon ceratophyllus, Hakea sp, Correa aemula, Allocasuarina muelleriana… Read the rest
REPTILE WALK Saturday 11th November 2023
REPTILE WALK : Saturday 11th November
Eleven of us met at the Staplyton Campground on a pleasantly warm and near windless day. We met David Steane who presented us with reptiles: their variety and habits. Copies of his notes are available on request. He also again recommended the CSIRO’s ‘Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia’ as the current authoritative guide for those who are keep to keep on looking.
He then took us for a walk up the Staplyton Track: a track that was unknown to most of us. The variation in vegetation ranged from woodland through open regrowth (tea tree, banksia, cypress pine and low shrubs) to the rock slopes of the range. Well worth the walk if you have yet to do it.
Unfortunately we only passed an unidentified lizard scurrying under a xanthorrhoea and the sand track of a passing snake.
We did, however, and thanks to … Read the rest
HEALING COUNTRY TOGETHER: ROCK ART PROTECTION IN THE GARIWERD CULTURAL LANDSCAPE
Parks Victoria Release: Millennium Cave restored : Monday 20 November, 2023
(Eds edited version)
“Today was five years in the making as we begin healing Rock Art places in Gariwerd after inappropriate and no consent access by climbers over a period of decades. With the help of climbers, today we took that step together toward looking after Country. The proper way,” John Clarke, General Manager of Bio-cultural Landscapes, Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation.
The work represents a turning point in efforts to protect the nationally heritage listed bio-cultural landscape led by the Barengi Gadjin Land Council Aboriginal Corporation (BGLC), Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation (EMAC) and Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation (GMTOAC) in partnership with Parks Victoria (PV). Traditional Owners, Cultural Heritage Advisors, and Rock Art Protection Specialists worked on the removal of chalk and graffiti. Bolt removal, chalk removal and patching work was done by specialist Industrial Rope Access Trade … Read the rest
2023 Winter Newsletter
FROM THE EDITORS
If it had been due on 20th July, this Winter newsletter would be well on time! As it is, we hope the wait hasn’t inconvenienced anyone. We all know it’s winter, this year – cold, wet, dark; but we are assured El Nino is on its
way.
So, we’re making the most of the wet and green aspects, a beautiful winter for ducks – wetlands are abundant with waterbirds, native plants flowering, bush birds getting ready for mating/territory issues, water plants (and
others) thriving, fungi prolific. It’s a joy to be amongst it all, and we hope you all can be too.
Speaking of fungi, Alison Pouliet’s new book is reviewed in this issue. We have it and it’s wonder-full!
Happy hunting, and keeping warm by the fireside.
For those of you who have yet to run across our new Chief Ranger, Charlie Richardson: there is … Read the rest
PREZ SEZ July 2023
PREZ SEZ July 2023
Welcome to this edition of the FOGG Newsletter and a well done to the editors for their work to publish items relevant to Grampians Gariwerd along with summaries of our activities. As you will read further into this
newsletter, we had some hiccups getting our contribution to Clean up Australia Day underway. However, all went well in the end and many thanks to the small team who cleaned up Reeds Lookout and surrounds.
We have pretty much established a calendar of activities for 2023 although as we have seen there can also be some flexibility as the year progresses. Your committee is always open to suggestions for topics to be covered or perhaps working bees if our age group allows. Just contact a committee member if you have an idea. In particular you may have a suggestion for a location/activity for a Christmas function. Normally the … Read the rest
Gariwerd rock art in the Australian context presented by ben Gunn: June 2023
Friday 16th June : Gariwerd rock art in the Australian context presented by ben Gunn.
A well attending group were presented with a PowerPoint talk on how the rock art of Gariwerd is both different from that anywhere else, but still fits within the broader pattern of Aboriginal rock art across the continent. As so many of the public have seen the well-preserved and visually spectacular rock art of northern Australia, the immediate reaction to seeing that in Gariwerd is one of disappointment; a problem not assisted by the near lack of any suitable on-site interpretation. The problem, however, is not unique to Gariwerd, as most of the rock art across southern Australia is similarly small, hard to see, and poorly preserved. But Gariwerd is unique and very
significant because, unlike other areas of southern Australia, it has a particularly high number of rock shelters used for rock art (160+ … Read the rest