Field Naturalists' Club Ballarat

18/06/2026

We have enjoyed 2 Sundays of fantastic fungi forays recently. Both days were in the Wombat Forest. The first was our club excursion to the Lerderderg Track near Blakeville and the second was with Bendigo Field Naturalists near Bullarto Reservoir. So many fungi to see.


# fungi

16/06/2026

People come from all over the world to see our beautiful colourful parrots but are we putting them at risk by changing the import rules?

07/06/2026

Earlier this year we visited Guildford and took time to marvel at the Big Tree. What a wonderful tribute for a fallen branch.

04/06/2026

There is an opportunity to contribute to the new waterway management strategy for Victoria.

We want to hear your feedback on the new Victorian Waterway Management Strategy.

Victoria’s waterways are the lifeblood of our communities, supporting our health, wellbeing, productivity and unique plants and wildlife.

Consultation has just opened for the new strategy, which guides how we will sustain waterways over the next decade, while balancing the many ways Victorians use and value them.

We will be hosting online webinars so you can hear more about the strategy, and you can provide feedback through an online survey or written submission before 29 June.

To read the draft strategy, visit: https://engage.vic.gov.au/victorian-waterway-management-strategy

04/06/2026

Some of our members who have expressed interest in the Gong Dam Rehabilitation project may be interested in this update. No mention of any focus on biodiversity.

The Gong Dam Rehabilitation project in Buninyong is focused on reducing flood risk to nearby residents and the Ballarat Botanical Gardens.

The project includes upgrading the embankment beneath Cornish Street, which has experienced significant internal degradation and poses a failure risk during major flood events.

Currently in the concept design phase, the project is being led by engineering consultant JJ Ryan Consulting. The City of Ballarat is working closely with key stakeholders including the Botanical Gardens and Heritage Victoria to ensure the upgraded infrastructure is both fit for purpose and respectful of its surrounding environment.

The design is expected to be completed by the end of 2026. This will be followed by appropriate planning approvals including from Heritage Victoria, and the development of a construction tender scheduled. Works are scheduled to be completed in the 2027/28 financial year.

🌧️😅 With weather like today, flood planning feels pretty relevant

The City of Ballarat is continuing work to improve flood resilience across the municipality, with four priority projects now progressing through key design stages to better protect homes, businesses and infrastructure.

In Cardigan Village, planning is refining upgraded stormwater drainage, with investigations underway to support future construction and explore opportunities for a landscaped wetland.

At Charlesworth Street, detailed design is underway to slow flood flows and improve infrastructure along Specimen Vale Creek, responding to changing rainfall and flood conditions.

In Buninyong, concept design for the Gong Dam Rehabilitation is focused on strengthening the embankment and reducing risk to nearby residents and the Botanical Gardens.

Meanwhile, the Miners Rest Flood Mitigation project is progressing through design, with plans to deliver new levees, upgraded culverts and a replacement bridge to address local flooding, supported by funding from the Australian Government’s Disaster Ready Fund.

These projects are all part of a coordinated effort to reduce future flood risk and support safer, more resilient communities across Ballarat.

04/06/2026

Planting of the Friends of Canadian Corridor Children’s Friendship Forest
From a ripple a forest can grow…
A small forest will be planted as part of the Urban Ripple Project by local children, to create a legacy for future generations and nurture a care for the environment.
Time and Date:
10am, Tuesday 30th June 2026
Location: Canadian Creek Reserve,
off Hocking Ave
Age:
Children of ‘standing’ age, up to 12
Children must be accompanied by a supervising adult.
Bookings via Trybooking.com
https://www.trybooking.com/DMLSJ

04/06/2026

𝐉𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐮𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐁𝐞𝐧 𝐑𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐬' 𝐕𝐄𝐅𝐍 𝐎𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐤:
𝐁𝐢𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐞𝐥𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞’𝐬 𝐑𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 🌱

Melbourne’s rail network contains some of the region’s most significant remnant native vegetation and provides important habitat for a range of threatened species and ecological communities. This webinar will explore the historical development and management of rail corridors to understand how they have become valuable biodiversity assets within an increasingly urbanised landscape.

The session will provide an overview of Metro’s Biosite Management Program, highlighting the approaches used to protect and manage significant biodiversity values across the network and showcasing key achievements from the program over the past nine years.

The webinar will also explore Metro’s efforts to improve landscape-scale biodiversity connectivity, including an industry-leading collaboration with The University of Melbourne to enhance and connect critically endangered Natural Temperate Grasslands along the Sunbury rail corridor.

𝐃𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐬:
Monday 22nd June
7pm

Microsoft Teams meeting
Join: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/48980268536900?p=hq7lU9FRgTDEqSSEwN

Meeting ID: 489 802 685 369 00
Passcode: MD2iJ6Cg

02/06/2026

The "lollipop" tree on top of Mount Beckworth is a district landmark, imagine the views if you are able see if you walk to the tree. The Pinus radiata was the National Trust of Australia (Victoria) Tree of the Year in 2018, when the centenary of its planting was celebrated.

Aside from the distinctive tree, Mount Beckworth is a scenic reserve managed by Parks Victoria and attracts birdwatchers, naturalists and campers. The tracks are rugged and in some places steep, but there are interesting areas to explore on the lower slopes.

There are more details about the reserve in our Discovering Ballarat's Bushland guide.

02/06/2026

A positive step in the recovery of Ballantinia antipoda, Southern Shepherd's Purse, a small annual herb endemic to Victoria
and Tasmania. The species has disappeared from almost all sites from which it was known, and currently exists only at a single location at Mount Alexander in central Victoria.