13 July 2012: Special Event
Posted on 3 July, 2012 by Connecting Country
On the evening of the 13 July, there will be a launch of Ern Perkin’s new Central Victoria Grasses Identification Guide CD followed by a presentation by Geoff Park on the Moolort Wetlands.
Local naturalist Ern Perkins was the 2008 recipient of the Australian Natural History Medallion which is a nation-wide award awarded to one person per year judged to have made the most meritorious contribution to the understanding of Australian Natural History. His new CD covers all native and non-native grasses known to occur in Mt Alexander Shire. Ern will give a short talk and presentation on the CD and all attendees will receive a free copy (one per household).
The CD has been published with the joint support of the Castlemaine Field Naturalists Club and Connecting Country.
After the CD launch, Geoff Park will talk on the beautiful wetlands of the Moolort Plains. Geoff is Knowledge Broker at the North Central CMA, on the committee of Connecting Country and also convenor and chief contributor to the Natural Newstead blog. The following text is an excerpt from his blog about the Moorlort Plains:
The Moolort Plains are a very different environment to the goldfields landscapes closer to Newstead. The plains country is part of the Victorian Volcanic Plains bioregion, once dominated by native grasslands and largely untimbered. Silver Banksia, Tree-Violet and Bursaria were some of the predominant shrubs in this verdant landscape, prior to European settlement. A feature of the Moolort Plains are its wetlands and swamps, many of which have been actively managed for conservation values by local farmers.
Long Swamp, Moolort Plains. Photo by Geoff Park, 7 September 2010
The launch and the talk will be held on evening of Friday 13 July at the Uniting Church Hall in Lyttleton St, Castlemaine (building behind the church), and will commence from 7.30pm. The event is part of the Castlemaine Field Naturalists Club July meeting, but all are welcome and encouraged to attend– both members and non-members. There is no cost for attendance, although a gold coin donation towards the supper afterwards would be appreciated.
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