Category: From the Editor

Welcome to the summer edition of the FOGG newsletter. I’m writing this on Thursday 22 December after another dramatic summer downpour at the weekend, which I’m sure you will have heard about. Much less damage than the January one. Mt Victory Rd is open again today, one lane only at the Halls Gap end, with traffic lights. There’s some damage round the Plantation area on Mt Zero Rd, but the walking tracks repairs have stood up well. The Parks office was flooded, but nuisance level only. All the water storages and lakes have responded quickly: Bellfield is 91% full, Fyans and Lonsdale both 83%, Wartook 88% and Wartook 76%. The total GWM system has twice the water as at this time last year.
With the roads open at last it is great to be able to get out and explore the Park again. The flowers this year have been so … Read the rest

The Big Wet Continues:
The season of Larneuk – nesting birds has just finished. Its description starts with Bleak mists, freezing winds and rain. Well, for the second year in a row this was true until the last two weeks when it has been just so beautiful – sunny and warm at last. And masses of wonderful rain, continuing to fall. Read the article by Leigh on what the water has meant for her. One not so good result has been that the strong winds are still bringing down so many trees, stressed from the drought and now in waterlogged soft soil.
As at 25 August, Bellfield Reservoir is at 90% full, Lake Lonsdale is 100%, Wartook is 94%, Moora Moora is 90%. Even Rocklands is 66% up from 3% last year. Overall in the Grampians Wimmera Mallee water storages are now at 70% compared to 18.5% last year, 18.7 … Read the rest

Welcome to the winter edition of our newsletter.
You will not be surprised that much of our energy, and that of the Park staff, is still solidly on flood recovery, and that is going to continue for some months – actually years. In addition, the interesting work of monitoring the effects of drought and fire followed by flood and landslide will continue on for some years too.
The two major through roads are still blocked, although it is hoped that shortly the road from Halls Gap to Dunkeld will open as far as the Mirranatwa Gap road, giving access through Victoria Valley to the south. The road from Wartook is open as far as the Boroka Lookout turn off, but the slip above Venus Baths cuts the Wonderland area off from Halls Gap. VICROADS are working as hard as they can and we just have to learn to be patient. … Read the rest

Thanks once again to our USA based artist Cynthia for the honeybee. It’s a blue-banded bee. Cynthia writes: When looking up what the local bee species are I was utterly charmed to discover blue-banded bees and their habit of sleeping in groups, clinging with their mouths to little plant stems; and also found a scientific paper saying that using blue-banded bees as tomato pollinators results in 11-21% larger tomatoes. So this is Amegilla chlorocyanea with a tomato flower. This is the first time I’ve drawn a bee, so hopefully it’s up to snuff and doesn’t horrify any entomologists. 🙂
We’re very happy with our blue-banded bee Cynthia, and hope the research project successfully demonstrates that there’s no need to import bumblebees to support our horticultural industries.
Much of this newsletter is taken up with flood recovery issues. The last newsletter came out very soon after the event, and we spoke … Read the rest

_Margo Sietsma_
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Download the newsletter here -
“FOGG Newsletter Spring 2010.pdf (FOGG Newsletter – Spring 2010)”:http://www.foggs-online.org/file_download/5/FOGG Newsletter Spring 2010.pdf
Or read the individual articles by clicking “Newsletters” on the right.
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The season of _Larneuk – nesting birds_ is just finishing. Its description starts with _Bleak mists, freezing winds and rain_. Well this year it hasn’t been particularly cold but it has felt like it! And masses of wonderful rain, better than last year even. If it hasn’t been raining the clouds have sat solidly in the valleys. So far in August rain has fallen on Mt William on 26 days, as against the long term average of 14.The good news too is that this time the water has been soaking in so well. One not so good result has been that the strong winds have brought down so many trees, stressed from the drought and now … Read the rest

19-06-2010

FROM THE EDITOR

First of all, some very sad news. Our president Stan Parfett has passed away. We knew he was unwell, but he kept the seriousness of it to himself. He was able to watch Parks staff install our new table at the Red Gum Walk just days before his death at his home in Wartook on May 23. Our deep sympathy to his family and friends. His deep knowledge of the fauna, flora and history of the Grampians will be sorely missed.

Those involved in the table project (FOGGS and Park staff) are planning a get together to celebrate its completion and to remember Stan. All welcome. Unfortunately I can’t yet give a date. It will be a week day. If you wish to attend, please ring Ewen at 5383 6294 and he will let you know what is being arranged.

I’m afraid this is a rather … Read the rest

The season of Larneuk – nesting birds is just finishing. Its description starts with Bleak mists, freezing winds and rain. Well this year it hasn’t been particularly cold but it has been blissfully wet and uncomfortably windy. If it hasn’t been raining the clouds have sat solidly in the valleys. For instance, in August rain fell on 24 days, as against the long term average of 14.
As at 2 September, Bellfield Reservoir is at 28% full, compared with 17% this time last year, and overall in the GWM water storages we are now at 11.2% compared to 5.7 last year. It feels good but it was nearly this high in 2007, and then went down fast. The rainfall this year is above average, but not yet markedly. The good news I think is that this time the water has been soaking in so well. One not so good result … Read the rest

According to the Brambuk website, winter means:

• Bleak mists, freezing winds and rain.
• Animal breeding – Antechinus, phascogales and echidnas.
• Laying of eggs by powerful owls.
• Yellow – tailed Black Cockatoos on the move – tear at wattles for moths.
• Blooming of fungi and winter orchids.
• Flowering of heath and correa
• Return of Aquila constellation (Bunjil).
• There were two totems, GAMADJI (Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo) and GRUGIGJ (Sulphur-crested Cockatoo).

We are actually having a wet cold June. It’s just wonderful to see. We’ve had a few heavy downpours but mainly lots of gentle rain which is soaking in. The water storages are at last going up, but equally importantly all the Park is being refreshed and renewed. Even the western section of the Park which has so often missed out on rain events has received good falls. There’s a long way to go to catch up on the ten years of … Read the rest

As I write this on a mild autumn day in the Grampians I, along with all our members, am still grieving for those in the rest of the state who have suffered so terribly from the recent bushfires. We are thankful that we have so far been spared from any major fires here, though the Horsham fire was not that far away. Those who were here during our 2006 fires have had painful memories revived. Many of us know folk who lost their homes, folk who died. Three at least had a close connection with our area. Lynn Stone who has brought her exquisite silk flowers to the Wildflower Show the last two years was one who lost her home in Marysville. Jenny Barnett who worked so hard for the Victorian National Parks Association died with her husband John in their Steele Creek home. Jenny worked closely with the Hamilton … Read the rest