Upcoming biodiversity events in November
Posted on 6 November, 2015 by Connecting Country
Here’s a selection of opportunities to learn and get involved in various biodiversity activities over the next few weeks.
Great Victorian Koala Count on Saturday 7 November 2015
The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) is hosting the Great Victorian Koala Count, and they’d love the community to get involved. They are after citizen scientists (aka Koala counters) to contribute to this project, improving our knowledge of Koalas and where they are located in Victoria. All you need to do is undertake a walk with family or friends and tell DELWP where you did and didn’t see Koalas. To take part in the count, register online (click here) and then download the Great Victorian Koala Count smartphone app to record your findings on the day.
Butterfly Conservation talk on Friday 13 November 2015, and field day on Sat 14 Nov
The guest speaker for November’s Castlemaine Field Naturalists Club meeting is local ecologist Julie Whitfield. The presentation commences from 7.30pm (13 Nov) in the chapel behind the Uniting Church on Lyttleton St. Julie says, “I will discuss with the group the rare and threatened butterfly species of the region, with a particular focus on the Eltham Copper Butterfly conservation works of the past, I will also discuss briefly my travels overseas to learn about butterfly conservation programs.”. All are welcome to attend, and there is no cost for entry.
Julie Whitfield – Presenting at Connecting Country’s Fire and Biodiversity workshop earlier in 2015.
On the following day (14 Nov), Julie will also lead a field excursion, focusing on how to conduct a survey for Eltham Copper Butterflies and areas to target within Kalimna park. She will provide data sheets and maps for future surveys. Again, everyone is welcome. Meet at the car-park for the Kalimna Park rotunda at 1.40pm (at the southern end of park, along Kalimna Tourist Rd).
Contact Max for further details (mschlachter@outlook.com.au).
Waterbug Workshop on Friday 20 November 2015
The North Central CMA is running a workshop for people with a particular interest in becoming a Community Volunteer Waterbug Monitors. This a long-running program to monitor waterway health. If this is something you would be interested in then this workshop is for you! It is being held at Baringhup, along the Loddon River. Further info is available in the flyer attached (click here), or fill in the Expression of Interest form (click here) and send it back to the North Central CMA info@nccma.vic.gov.au or call 035448 7124 to register before Thursday 12 November 2015.
Eucalypt Symposium on Friday March 18, 2016
The Bjarne K Dahl Trust and the Royal Society of Victoria are presenting a one day symposium, ‘Conserving Eucalypts – The How and the Why’, highlighting eucalypt diversity and conservation. It aims to provide scientific insights to the future of Australian forests, woodlands and biota and to engage scientists, forest managers and anyone interested in the response of eucalypt forests and woodlands to environmental threats. For more details, and to register, see the symposium website (Click here).
And some of the others….
Plus, there are the multitude of other events coming up that we’ve highlighted previously, including the rabbit control field day in Metcalfe on 22 November (click here), the Future Directions Conference: Food and Fibre Production and Environment being held in Bendigo on the 18th November (click here), and Andrew Skeoch’s Nature Sound Recording Workshop for Beginners being held in Newstead on 28-29 November (click here).
Note: The Castlemaine Field Naturalists Club presentation on Friday 13 Nov has been moved to the Chapel at the back of the Uniting Church. (The usual Fellowship room is unavailable to the VCE exams).