Category: Articles

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

Boroka Fire Update 21-01-2025

Park Update

Grampians (Gariwerd) National Park 21.01.2025

Boroka Bushfire Update

  • The Boroka bushfire in Grampians (Gariwerd) National Park is now under control
  • Firefighters continue to monitor and black out hotspots, treat hazardous trees and manage control lines
  • Small areas of smoke within the containment area may be visible

The following closures are in place to support ongoing suppression activities and work towards fire recovery operations and impact assessments.

  • Mt Difficult Road between Lake Wartook boat ramp and Mt Victory Road
  • Boroka Lookout
  • Boroka Track
  • Lake Wartook Lookout
  • Old Mill Road from Rose Creek Road to Mt Difficult Road.

For more information

Use multiple sources to stay informed about emergency information and warnings:

www.emergency.vic.gov.au

VicEmergency Hotline – freecall 1800 226 226

VicEmergency app

Facebook or Twitter (#VicFires)

Tune in to ABC Local Radio, commercial and designated community radio stations.

Visit Brambuk the National Park and Cultural Centre – 277 Grampians Road … 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
… Read the rest

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

Official Park Update 17-01-2025 Pest Control Operations

 Grampians (Gariwerd) aerial pest animal control operation

20th – 24th January 2025

Parks Victoria is conducting a conservation program to respond to the ecological impacts of the Yarram Gap fire.

An aerial shooting operation will be undertaken between Monday 20th – Friday 24th of January 2025 to target pest animals and to support the recovery of the park and its native species.

The fire affected over a third of the Grampians (Gariwerd) National Park impacting native plants, animals, aquatic species, and invertebrates.

Urgent action is being taken to reduce predators (foxes and feral cats) and introduced herbivores (deer and feral goats), threatening the survival and recovery of vulnerable native plants and animals.

Foxes and feral cats’ prey on Grampians native animals such as the Brush Tailed Rock Wallaby, Long Nosed Potoroo, Southern Brown Bandicoot, Smoky Mouse, Heath Mouse, and Grampians Mountain Dragon. These native animals are now … Read the rest

Underground Lovers

UNDERGROUND LOVERS By Alison Pouloit
‘In the gloom of the forest floor, fallen branches are sheathed with fungal stripes of yellow and purple. But beneath the floral surface, the fallen litter is alive with the clandestine workings of fungi*.
What can we learn from the lives of fungi? Underground Lovers brings us to our knees, magnifier in hand, to find out. Fungi offer a way to imagine life differently. In Underground Lovers Alison Pouliot reaches down to earth, and deeper, to dwell with fungal allies and aliens, discover how fungi hold forests together, and why humans are deeply entwined with these subterrain. Told through first-hand stories – from the Australian desert
to Iceland’s glaciers to America’s Cascade Mountains – Alison Pouliot shares encounters with glowing ghost
fungi and unearths the enigma of the lobster mushroom. Melding science and personal reflection, she explores the fungi that appear after fire, how fungi … Read the rest

2023 AGM Presidents Report

Presidents Report

This term of president doesn’t quite make the full twelve months with the earlier timeslot for our AGM but we have had a full book of achievements and enjoyable activities nonetheless. We also have an interesting schedule of activities identified for the rest of 2023, a good start for the next term.

Our Christmas 2022 gathering was partially scuppered by road closures, which were not communicated, but those who met up farewelled 2022 appropriately. We therefore chose to welcome 2023 with a lovely gathering at Zumsteins in February. Together, over lunch, we set out a potential schedule of activities for 2023 followed by a very pleasant walk to Fish Falls. Along the way those of us who installed the half way seating a few years ago were able to show it off to other members. A tribute to the tenacity of Bill Gardner to see this project completed.… Read the rest

Friends of Grampians Gariwerd