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

Summary of upcoming FOG Events

Sat 23 Sept 8am-4:00pm Nerriga heathland sites. Register: margaret.ning@fog.org.au

Sat 30 Sept, 9.30 to 3.30pm Work Party, Top Hut TSR, near Cooma, NSW.  Contact: margaret.ning@fog.org.au

Sat 7 Oct 7.30am, Day trip to Young area: Register: margaret.ning@fog.org.au

Mon 23 Oct, 9am to 3pm, FOG’s annual monitoring at Ginninderry Conservation Trust’s scrape and sow site.  Register: margaret.ning@fog.org.au

Thurs 26-Mon 30 Oct Armidale visit. Register: margaret.ning@fog.org.au

Summary of upcoming FOG Work partiess

National Lands Group. Register: jamie.pittock@fog.org.au

Budjan Galindji (Franklin Reserve). Register: margaret.ning@@fog.org.au

Hall Cemetery - Inquiries and registration: john.fitzgerald@fog.org.au

Scottsdale Monitoring.  Inquiries & contact: linda@xamax.com.au

Summary of Notices

Friends of Monash Grasslands working bees are held on the 1st Saturday of each month. Contact Zohara Lucas, ecologist@sactcg.org.au.

Friends of the Australian National Botanic Gardens Student Scholarship. Closes 29 October 2023.

Canberra Festival of Nature. Educational and interpretive walks, workshops and other events throughout Sept-Nov 2034.  More info: https://www.landcareact.org.au/festival.

Details of FOG Events

Sat 23 Sept 8am-4:00pm Nerriga heathland sites. Let’s get away from Canberra for a day to warmer climes, and explore some coastal heath just beyond Nerriga. Roger Farrow has been monitoring these sites since the 2020 fires went through the area, and has shared the locations with us for our FOG activity. (It is around an hour and a half to Nerriga, so an 8am departure from Canberra is envisaged, time will be confirmed on registration.) Register: margaret.ning@fog.org.au.

Sat 30 Sept, 9.30 to 3.30pm Work Party, Top Hut TSR, near Cooma, NSW.  We are hoping for a burn on the northern side of the TSR in Sept, which will be interesting to see. We’d like to assess everything to plan for subsequent work parties.  Come and see the results of the April 2023 brief grazing event. Contact: margaret.ning@fog.org.au.

Sat 7 Oct 7.30am, Day trip to Young area: A FOG member surveyed TSRs in Young last season and will show us the pick of the sites.  We will also check out a sustainably grazed property that retains its natural values. Register: margaret.ning@fog.org.au.

Mon 23 Oct, 9am to 3pm, FOG’s annual monitoring at Ginninderry Conservation Trust’s scrape and sow site.  Join us for our fourth year of monitoring at Ginninderry, and hear how the Pink-tailed Worm-lizard influx on the site is going. We invite past volunteers to join us, and/or members who would like to learn the ‘monitoring’ ropes. If washed out, backup date will be Thurs 2 Nov.  Register: margaret.ning@fog.org.au.

Thurs 26-Mon 30 Oct Armidale visit. A FOG member has put together a program of great sites she has found while living in the Armidale area, including a couple of private properties and forays into national parks etc.  Thurs and Mon are travel days, we shall stay a couple of nights in Ebor pub and a couple in the Armidale caravan park. It is time to book the accommodation, so please get in touch to register: margaret.ning@fog.org.au.

Early warning of FOG future eventsts

Events and dates are indicative and may be subject to change. Details will be advised as more information is available.

Sat 4 Nov, 1.30pm, Sutton, Goorooyarroo Lane. Wander over a 40 acre block that has been variously grazed in the past, but not for the last eight years or so. The shady canopy and understorey will make for a pleasant afternoon walk. Register: margaret.ning@fog.org.au.

Sat 18 Nov 9am, FOG’s return visit to the Tinderries. Not much was flowering when we visited in May, but this time we shall get a much better idea of what is there. The views are amazing, the walking is reasonably easy most of the time, and it is a beautiful, peaceful place to be. (Sun 19 Nov is our back up day if the weather lets us down on 18 Nov.).  Register: margaret.ning@fog.org.au.

Sat-Sun 2-3 Dec Shoalhaven River property visits (Wyanbene area). Camping weekend on two members’ properties, within proximity of each other, but with different vegetation communities; one a heathy grassland sandstone community and the other is open woodland and riparian forest, and both feature the Shoalhaven River. We shall start on Friday afternoon, stay two nights and finish around lunch time on Sunday. There is some accommodation available, and lovely areas for camping as well. (You can arrive on Saturday if that suits better.)  Register: margaret.ning@fog.org.au.

Late January 2024 FOG Tasmanian Grasslands activity. Broadly, we plan to travel either the week beginning Mon 22 or Mon 29 Jan. (approx. week away from home). A 2-3 day program of property visits and discussions with ecologists and landowners. This planning is being done in cooperation with Pierre Defourny of Tasmanian Land Conservancy (TLC). If you wish to fly, transportation from Hobart to the Midlands and back, and for the duration of the visit program, can be organised through TLC. (FOG member). If you are interested in joining us, email us with your preferred dates and we shall do our best to plan around them to accommodate everyone. Contact: margaret.ning@fog.org.au.

Details of FOG work parties

Registration

Participants need to register for these events 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 convener may provide morning tea, making these pleasant social occasions. Events 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) heavy rain.

National Lands Group - Inquiries and registration: jamie.pittock@fog.org.au.

FOG’s National Lands Group is responsible for work on National Lands (Gurubung Dhaura /Stirling Park, Scrivener’s Hut, State Circle, Blue Gum Point & Yarramundi Grassland) managed by the National Capital Authority and Blue Gum Point managed by ACT Transport Canberra and City Services (TCCS). Work parties with 10 to 30 participants held on Sunday mornings between 8:30 am and 1 pm unless otherwise stated:

Budjan Galindji (Franklin Reserve) - Inquirries and registration: margaret.ning@fog.org.au.

The Budjan Galindji (Franklin Reserve) 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 with Ranger Stephen. This is a great opportunity for participants in the group to learn about grassland plants and weeds and their management, and more generally how to restore our precious grasslands, including selecting, growing and reintroducing plants.  Work parties are from 9-11.30am on the first and fourth Wednesday of the month.

Hall Cemetery - Inquiries and registration: 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. Work parties are held from 9am-11am. You need to bring your own working tool, and dress sensibly.

Top Hut TSR, near Cooma, NSW.  Contact: margaret.ning@fog.org.au.

Scottsdale Monitoring. Inquiries & contact: llinda@xamax.com.au.

Details of Notices

Friends of Monash Grasslands working bees are held on the 1st Saturday of each month. This is a new group which would welcome any help FOG members can provide with conservation maintenance and identifying and recording the natural values and weeds at Monash Grassland. This is a small remnant patch of high quality Natural Temperate Grassland, located on the north side of Isabella Pond at Monash. FoMG is coordinated by Southern ACT Catchment Group. The next event is scheduled for Sat 7 October 10am-12.00pm. Also check out its newly installed interpretive information sign which FOG members contributed content to and which was partly funded by a FOG Grassy Ecosystem Grant. For a further information check out SACTCG's events calendar or contact Zohara Lucas, ecologist@sactcg.org.au.

Friends of the Australian National Botanic Gardens Student Scholarship

A new top-up scholarship for Honours, Masters and PhD Students, funded by the Friends of the Australian National Botanic Gardens (FANBG), and the family of the late Don Beer, in honour of his legacy of work with the ANBG has been announced. The FANBG Student Scholarship supports students (Honours, Masters, or PhD) engaging in collaborative research projects with the ANBG that bring direct benefits to the Gardens and its objectives. The scholarship aims to enhance the knowledge and conservation of Australia’s diverse plant heritage, contributing to the ANBG’s mission to inspire, inform and connect people with Australian flora.

Three scholarships are available in [2023-24]:

Successful applicants undertaking Masters or PhD programs will be awarded the scholarship for each year of full-time study (to a maximum of three years full time equivalent, total maximum of $22,500 over three years), pending submission of a satisfactory annual progress report.

More information, including the FANBG Scholarship objectives, Application Guidelines and ANBG Research Areas, is available online at: Friends of the ANBG Student Scholarships | Friends of the Australian National Botanic Gardens .

Applications for this year close 29 October 2023. Enquiries and discussion about potential collaborative projects outside of these dates are welcomed.

Contact:  ANBGadmin@dcceew.gov.au to get in touch (with ‘FANBG Scholarship’ in the subject line).

Canberra Festival of Nature

Landcare ACT is delighted to be introducing a new event on the ACT’s spring calendar – the Canberra Festival of Nature.  The program will feature educational and interpretive walks, workshops and other events throughout Sept, Oct and Nov. The Festival invites the community to connect with nature by celebrating and exploring the diversity and beauty of our native flora, fauna, and local ecosystems during the spring months of 2023. Designed as an umbrella events festival, a range of Landcare and other environmental groups will offer a schedule of events under the banner, centrally coordinated and promoted by Landcare ACT.

FOG will be adding some of its spring program to the Festival of Nature calendar.  If you would like to receive more details about their planned program you can either check out their webpage https://www.landcareact.org.au/festival or email communications@landcareact.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