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The IFFA is dedicated to the future of Australian flora and fauna, whether in habitats of world heritage quality or in the urban back yard. Read More

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IFFA mushroom excursion

Posted Wed, 06/02/2013 - 21:05 by tonyf
23/06/2013 10:00 am
Australia/Victoria

Earth StarSunday 23 June, 10 am- 1.00 pm approx.

Join us for a winter walk in the woods with amateur mycologist John Walter. John is a knowledgeable mushroom enthusiast and will take us on a guided tour to explore the vast diversity of mushroom species around his home in Drummond. Come along and learn about the fascinating and often underrated kingdom of fungi. Depending on the weather conditions and the occurrence of mushrooms, we will also be exploring bryophytes.

Response to DEPI document ‘Tourism Investment Opportunities of Significance in National Parks’

Posted Sat, 20/04/2013 - 17:55 by BB

The following letter was sent to the the Victorian Minister for Environment and Climate Change, the Hon. Ryan Smith, MP, in response to the recently released, ‘Tourism Investment Opportunities of Significance in National Parks’

Ryan Smith,
We oppose the recent government decision to open Victoria’s National Parks to development for tourism opportunities.
Victoria is the most heavily cleared state in the nation and its unique biota requires urgent management to conserve it for future generations. This move continues the direction of your government towards exploiting, rather than protecting, our precious, struggling ecosystems.

Mt Rothwell first newsletter

Posted Sun, 03/03/2013 - 17:13 by tonyf

Mt Rothwell Biodiverity Interpretation Centre has issued its first edition its new series of newsletters.

They would like to thank Susie Inglis from the WMCN who volunteered her time to help them facilitate, edit and design the newsletter.

If readers would like to add themselves to the mail list please email Annette Rypalski (annette at mtrothwell.com.au).

Download the newsletter

February 2013 Indigenotes

Posted Sun, 24/02/2013 - 15:30 by tonyf

Getting used to Australia's dry environment, IFFA's trip to Nardoo Hills, the world of ants and the importance of top predators feature in this latest issue of Indigenotes.

Brian's Confession

Posted Mon, 11/02/2013 - 21:40 by tonyf

I have a confession to make.

I have never felt at ease in the summer’s heat, drought and bushfire smoke. My adopted Volcanic Plains home features bleached shadeless grasslands swept by moisture-sucking winds and hard cracking clay. In this year’s intensely dry summer, it is a hard landscape to love.

Inner city balcony gardening with indigenous plants

Posted Sat, 09/02/2013 - 15:46 by tonyf

Indigenous vertical garden Algar thumb.jpg

Over the past few years I have been experimenting with garden design in small spaces using my inner city balcony as a trial site. I have had success with a vertical garden using recycled soy milk containers.

Long time IFFA member Penny Algar describes an indigenous garden suitable for just about the smallest location imaginable.

Volunteering

Posted Sat, 09/02/2013 - 14:52 by tonyf

Two years ago, I moved to Australia from The Netherlands. Being an ecologist, it quickly became clear that not only the species diversity in Victoria alone is higher than in my entire country, I also had no idea what species I was looking at half the time. Furthermore, I realised that I didn’t know anyone who could tell me! It wasn’t long until I found out about the benefits of volunteer work.

Nuts on Ants

Posted Fri, 08/02/2013 - 10:27 by tonyf

Ant3799 thumb.jpgThere is a traditional dance piece from Ghana (a country of west Africa), a particularly fast tune with plenty of drumming and clapping, that breaks into a regular chorus of ‘nuts and ants!!!’. When asked why these two things are yelled out so ecstatically, the dancers aren’t too sure and shrug their shoulders. It is an old tune and no one is too sure where the nuts and ants came into it, but why not celebrate these things?

Looking after the bush: Do ecosystems need predators?

Posted Thu, 07/02/2013 - 22:19 by tonyf
Figure 2 Powerful Owl thumb.JPG

Predator control programs can lead to increasing populations of herbivores with serious consequences for the wider ecosystem. They are justified where there are significant species threatened by the predators, but this isn’t always the case. Decisions to implement predator control should therefore be based on assessments of the likely consequences, according to this article from Jeff Yugovic.

IFFA Nardoo Hills Bush Heritage reserves trip

Posted Wed, 06/02/2013 - 21:17 by tonyf

IFFA members were buzzing as they met in Wedderburn on a Sunday morning last August. The Nardoo Hills Bush Heritage Reserves we were about to visit are not usually open to visitors, so this was a rare chance for us to examine this remarkable place.
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