Calendar

The Current Calendar (below) includes FoG and related activities. To be kept fully up to date with FoG activities, become a member, get the newsletter and if you have email access you'll also get the FoG E-bulletin with all the latest news and information. If you have queries about any of the activities below, contact the person nominated, or Contact Us.

FoG visits many private or public properties during the year to assist in plant identification and management issues. These visits usually do not appear in the FoG program because we may not know what to expect at such sites and because they are usually arranged at short notice. If you are interested in participating in property visits, Contact Us.

Please advertise this information amongst your friends and networks and support our activities.

Non FoG members are welcome to participate in FoG events.

For any FoG activity you should register with the indicated contact, who can assist with directions and possibly car pooling. By registering you assist us to organise any catering and provide you with any other information that you may need, including late changes. For all FoG activities please supply your emergency contact person's details when registering.

Calendar

Events (details below)

Work parties (details below)

Events and work parties beyond February

Summary

Events

Work parties

Events

For events after February, see separate section further down the page.

Fri 15 Jan, 9-11am, Garden visit & morning tea, Ngunnawal ACT

Join Margaret and Geoff for a tour of their small grassland garden in Ngunnawal followed by a morning tea or coffee. The garden has 25 grass species and an equal number of grassland forbs. Visitors might also bring plants with them that they wish to show and or have identified. Register with margaret.ning@fog.org.au

Thurs 21 Jan, 6.30-8pm, Wandiyali Restoration Trust, online forum

FOG members have visited the privately owned Wandiyali Environa Wildlife Sanctuary (near Queanbeyan), being managed by Wandiyali Restoration Trust. The aims are to maintain and restore the national endangered communities and species present there, to erect a fence to exclude feral predators and herbivores, to reintroduce endemic flora and fauna, to provide founder and exchange populations of these species for similar restoration programs, and to engage, stimulate and educate the (local) community. The landowners and Trust have entered into offset and other programs to work towards these objectives, and much progress has been made in weeding, planting mid storey plantings, restoring habitat, implementing Indigenous “cool patch” burning. Carolyn Larcombe, long time resident, landowner and Conservation Manager, will present the Trust’s experience to date and answer your questions. For more on the Trust, see Wandiyali. To attend forum, please register with geoff.robertson@fog.org.au.

Thurs 18 Feb, 6.30-8pm, “The future of grassy ecosystems with John and Paul” online forum

Assoc. Prof. John Morgan (Dept. of Ecology, Environment and Evolution, La Trobe University) will speak on "Looking to the future - where should we be focusing our efforts for grassy ecosystem conservation and restoration?”, while Dr. Paul Gibson Roy (Manager Ecological Restoration, Kalbar Operations). will talk on “Seed Production: underpinning innovative approaches to restoring species-rich native grasslands.” Both presentations are highly informative and challenging and were first given to the Woorndoo Land Protection Group’s Online Community Day, held on 27 Nov. To attend, register with : geoff.robertson@fog.org.au.

Work parties

For work parties after February, see separate section further down this page.

Registration

Participants need to register for these events, preferably at least two days before the event, to confirm details of the starting locations or any last minute changes. Note: Work includes weeding, planting and rubbish removal. Herbicides are often used so these events are not suitable for young children. Tools are provided. You need to wear gardening clothes (including hat) and solid footwear appropriate for the work and the weather, and bring your own drinking water. The work party convenor provides morning tea, making these pleasant social occasions.

Blue Gum Point, Yarralumla, Saturday 16 January 2021, 8am - 10 am (note time)

The Kangaroo Grass seed has ripened, so our mission is to cut bunches of seed heads into buckets (please bring a bucket), and sow the cuttings onto disturbed ground to enable revegetation. This small, short and last minute work party will start early to beat the heat. There may also be rubbish to round up. When established, Kangaroo Grass can suppress the growth of many weeds. It also has a lower fire risk compared to the exotic grasses and is good habitat for a lot of flora and fauna. We will meet at the Blue Gum Point car park near the rusty DNA sculpture on Alexandrina Drive midway between the Hopetoun and Mariner intersections in Yarralumla. In the second hour we’ll move to the Westlake management gate on Alexandrina Drive (again, midway between the Hopetoun and Mariner intersections) to sow our harvest. Please wear enclosed shoes and bring your own eye protection and drinking water. There will be no morning tea. Register with Jamie.pittock@fog.org.au or 0407 265 131.

Gurubang Dhaura / Stirling Park – Haines Creek, Yarralumla, Sunday 24 January 2021, 9am - 12 noon

We have a real mixture of work to do along Haines Creek and the nearby gully, including:

We will meet at the Haines Creek crossing of Alexandrina Drive, near the western Mariner Place intersection with Alexandrina Drive in Yarralumla. Please wear enclosed shoes and bring your own eye protection and drinking water. Register with Jamie.pittock@fog.org.au or 0407 265 131. This work party will be automatically cancelled if the forecast is for more than 35 Deg C or it is a total fire ban day.

Sun 21 February – State Circle

Weed control and rubbish removal (weather dependent). Register with Jamie.pittock@fog.org.au or 0407 265 131.

Franklin Grasslands Reserve

The Franklin Grasslands Parkcare Group is organised by FOG and ACT Parkcare. Work parties have largely focused on plant identification and removing weeds, and some planting of grasses and forbs is planned. We are working closely Ranger Martin Bajt. This is a great opportunity for participants in the group to learn about grassland plants and weeds and their management, and more generally on how to restore our precious grasslands, including selecting, growing and reintroducing plants. To inquire and to register, contact: margaret.ning@fog.org.au.

The following work parties are being organised in Jan and Feb.

Stirling Park

Due to unpredictable hot weather in January and February, the Stirling Park Group is opportunistic and arranges working bees at short notice after rains to undertake weeding and rubbish removal. So if you are interested you need to be on Jamie’s email list. Events for the remainder of the year are listed below. Register with jamie.pittock@fog.org.au. Note: The Stirling Park group is responsible for work on National Lands managed by the National Capital Authority and ACT Transport Canberra and City Services (TCCS) land at Blue Gum Point.

Register with Jamie.pittock@fog.org.au or 0407 265 131.

Event will be cancelled if the weather is unsuitable: a) the forecast is 35 deg C+, b) it is a total fire ban day, c) there is lightning, d) air quality is hazardous, or e) there is heavy rain. Tools are provided for work parties.

More information on work parties. Jamie Pittock puts out a regular newsletter. For more information and to register contact jamie.pittock@fog.org.au or at 0407 265 131.

Events & work parties beyond February

Many events and dates are indicative and subject to change. They will be advised as more information is available. 

FOG general activities

inquiries: geoff.robertson@fog.org.au

Special & outreach events

inquiries: geoff.robertson@fog.org.au

FOG grassy ecosystem forums

inquiries: geoff.robertson@fog.org.au

FOG Field trips & visits to properties

inquiries: margaret.ning@fog.org.au

Franklin Grasslands work parties

inquiries: margaret.ning@fog.org.au

Hall Cemetery work parties

inquiries: john.fitzgerald@fog.org.au

FOG has held regular work parties at Hall Cemetery since 2009, aiming to remove weeds and restore the native grasses and wild flowers that were once present. Tentative dates for Hall Cemetery work parties in 2021 are:

Scottsdale monitoring

inquiries: linda.spinaze@fog.org.au

Stirling Park Group work parties

inquiries: jamie.pittock@fog.org.au

Planned work parties after February 2021 are:

Top Hut work parties

To be advised inquiries: margaret.ning@fog.org.au

Please advertise these events among your friends and networks. Non FoG members are welcome to FoG events. For inquiries or if you have an item to include, please Contact Us