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

2019 ACT workparties at Stirling Park and Yarramundi

Your help is needed and always welcome.

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 workparty convenor provides morning tea, making these into pleasant social occasions.

Please register by two days before the workparty so there are enough tools and tea for everyone, and so you can be told if the weather forecast has led to a cancellation. Workparties are cancelled if there is lightning; or there is heavy rain; or the forecast is for 35oC or more; or there is a total fire ban.

When you register, you’ll be sent more details about the workparty: such as tasks, targets, and where to meet for Stirling Park, Yarralumla. Yarramundi Grassland is at 245 Lady Denman Drive, ACT 2611.

Sunday 5 May, 9 – 12.30: Stirling Park woodland: creek and woodland clean up, based at the car park on Alexandrina Drive between Flynn Drive and Mariner Place, Yarralumla, hand-removing Ivy and Purple Top, cutting and daubing regrowth Privet, spraying weeds, maintaining plantings and collecting rubbish. Register: Jamie.Pittock@fog.org.au, ph. 0407 265 131.

Sunday 26 May, 9 – 12.30: Stirling Park woodland. We will be focussed on planting around 30 wildflowers and grasses by entrance signs, maintaining plantings, cutting and daubing regrowth woody weeds, hand removal of Ivy and Purple Top infestations, mowing Blue Periwinkle with Victa the Vinca Slayer and collecting rubbish. Register: Jamie.Pittock@fog.org.au, ph. 0407 265 131.

Sunday 26 May, 9 – 12.30: Yarramundi Grassland (yes, same time as Stirling Park). The main target will be the invasive Chilean Needle Grass, which will be chipped or sprayed according to your preferred method of extermination. This may be an early opportunity to see what has germinated in the newly sown demonstration scrapes. Register: Jamie.Pittock@fog.org.au, ph. 0407 265 131.

Sunday 30 June, 9 – 12.30: Yarramundi Grassland. Register to find out details. Register: Jamie.Pittock@fog.org.au, ph. 0407 265 131.

Calendar for work parties later this year

Work parties will be held on Sunday mornings between 9 am and 12:30 pm:

Saturday 4 May, 10 am: Cassinia control party at Mcleods Creek, Gundaroo NSW

Come and help remove Cassinia arcuata (Sifton Bush) seedlings at Mcleods Creek Nature Reserve, just outside Gundaroo NSW, starting at 10 am. This grassland and Box–Gum woodland reserve provides habitat for several threatened species. Already, 3,000 trees and shrubs have been planted in the endangered woodland by dedicated volunteers from the Gundaroo and Canberra communities. Cassinia arcuata is a native species local to the Southern Tablelands region, but it is a good coloniser of disturbed sites and can potentially outcompete recruiting native flora. Much of the Cassinia has already been removed by NPWS staff, Green Army, contractors, and FOG, and volunteers are needed to help maintain that progress. Secateurs and long-handled loppers are provided, and there will also be morning tea.

Register by 3 May with Susannah Power, ph. 0417 295 995 or susannah.power@environment.nsw.gov.au. Susannah will give you directions if you’ve not been to Mcleods Creek NR before.

10 - 12 May: grasslands and opera at Morundah NSW

A FOG and ANPS group will be at Morundah NSW on the weekend 10–12 May, to visit grasslands and Plains-wanderer habitat in the area. On the Saturday evening, 11 May, most of the group will attend the performance of Don Giovanni (opera by Mozart) at Morundah Theatre (see https://www.facebook.com/events/812645549092235). Register for this trip (with or without the opera) by emailing margaret.ning@fog.org.au.

Gully restoration, 14–18 May, Gundaroo NSW

NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service will hold community field days on 14–18 May at Mcleods Creek Nature Reserve, near Gundaroo NSW, to cost-effectively stabilise eroding drainage lines. These are ‘Learn by doing!’ field days. The team will reshape gullies, cover exposed soils, construct sediment collection points, spread straw and logs, and plant or sow trees, etc., into the creeklines.

Register (essential) with Ranger Susannah Power, ph 0417295995, email susannah.power@environment.nsw.gov.au, if you have time to learn in these hands-on sessions, or if you’d like to share your experiences and knowledge about this type of work. Equipment and lunch are provided. Bring your own hat, water bottle, workboots and clothes to get messy in.

Saturday 1 June: World Environment Day annual dinner

Conservation Council ACT Region’s annual fund-raising dinner is on Saturday 1 June, at Gandel Atrium, National Museum of Australia. Former Senator Bob Brown is guest speaker. FOG will have a table (or two). Register with margaret.ning@fog.org.au to join the FOG group at this prestigious event. Buy your tickets from Conservation Council, https://conservationcouncil.org.au/civicrm/?page=CiviCRM&q=civicrm%2Fevent%2Finfo&reset=1&id=112.

Sunday 16 June, 1.15 – 4 pm: Eastern Broad Acre Winter Tour & Cafe visit afterwards

This will be an exciting winter event, so rug up. We plan to visit up to four sites which will include grasslands at Bonshaw, West Majura, Amtech, and East Fyshwick along the Molongo River. The tour will provide an opportunity to see some extensive Canberra grassland landscapes and learn about their likely inclusion (some as offsets) in an extended future grassland reserve system. It will be an opportunity to examine their quality and consider the work required to preserve and restore them. It will also assist FOG to provide more informed comment on their future development. Please register for this event with Maree Gilbert, to obtain more details including meeting place. We plan to carpool for the tour, to take a 1 km return walk at one site, and to adjourn to a nearby cafe for hot chocolate after the tour. Contact: maree.gilbert@fog.org.au.

A Saturday in July: Mid-winter talks – in planning

FOG’s annual mid-winter afternoon talks and tea will be in July this year, on Saturday 6 or 13 July. Please pencil those into your diary.

Sunday 21 July, afternoon: A visit to grassy woodland in Griffith ACT

Early advice of another interesting visit, 21 July. You can read about the site in the newsletter. More details of our meeting place, etc., nearer the time. Register with ann.milligan@fog.org.au.

26–27 August 2019, Canberra: The National Biodiversity Offsets Conference. EIANZ – ACT and Victoria Divisions

See https://www.eianz.org/events/event/biodiversity-offsets-conference-2019-hotel-realm-canberra.

Please advertise this information 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