It won’t feel the same without Stan! But we will be continuing this long running project. Last year we had to postpone due to total fire bans, but ended up counting a huge number in February. So once again, check with Leigh during the week.

Contact Leigh 5356 4282

Last year Denis gave us a wonderful talk and audiovisual on our insects. Now he has promised to take us on a field trip.

Please note: Do not apply any insect repellent!

Contact Denis 5356 6106 for meeting place and time

Contact Lesley 5358 2867 or Thelma 5358 1402

Contact Ewen 5383 6294

Last year’s AGM was held in a roaring gale at Mirranatwa Gap. Who knows what weather we’ll encounter at Cherrypool? Last year we had an informal orchid hunt and found the very rare Spiral Sun-orchid in flower. This year we’ll be joining the Threatened Species Group to search for three species (Downy Star-bush, Grampians Pincushion lily, and the Brilliant Sun-orchid) in the Black Ranges. The TSG search will continue on Sunday.

Contact Margo 5356 4524

The season of Larneuk – nesting birds is just finishing. Its description starts with Bleak mists, freezing winds and rain. Well this year it hasn’t been particularly cold but it has felt like it! And masses of wonderful rain, better than last year even. If it hasn’t been raining the clouds have sat solidly in the valleys. So far in August rain has fallen on Mt William on 26 days, as against the long term average of 14.The good news too is that this time the water has been soaking in so well. One not so good result has been that the strong winds have brought down so many trees, stressed from the drought and now in waterlogged soft soil.

As at 25 August, Bellfield Reservoir is at 42% full, compared with 24% this time last year,and 17% the year before. Overall in the Grampians Wimmera Mallee water storages we are now at 18.5% compared to 18.7 last year and 5.7 the year before. Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water have a useful chart.

Once again, Petyan (Spring) presents as an extremely busy time. Well over half of our yearly activities are squashed into a few months. Do try to be involved in at least some of them. The Threatened Species activities are our major way of volunteering in the Park. The contribution of enthusiasts to the body of knowledge about plants and animals is invaluable. Plus it is so enjoyable to get out and learn. One of our winter activities was a talk on the rare Grampians Bitter-Pea. After the talk a couple of us realised that one of the flower arrangements in the HG Hall painted by Henrietta D’Alton in 1886 featured this plant. Her amateur enthusiasm has resulted in a valuable record.

We’ll be selling cards featuring her work at the Wildflower show at the end of September. This is not actually a FOGG activity, but it would not survive without FOGG involvement. The HG community is very grateful for your support.

In addition to the flowers (picked under licence plus from nurseries and private property, all “unimproved” local varieties) there will be displays on Stan’s beloved plants with separate male and female flowers, Threatened Species Group, Brushtailed Rock Wallaby project, Wimmera Catchment Management Authority and Project Platypus Landcare group. There will be a retrospective of Ken Woodcock’s illustrations. Plus craft activities for children (and adults). This year again the flowers will be arranged in communities, and databases and reference books will be available for general use. There will also be daily bus tours to see the flowers in the wild. On the same weekend you can also admire Australian native plants for the garden at Pomonal’s show.

We really would love some more volunteers in all areas, setting up on Tuesday and Wednesday, flower guides inside and out, on the door, helping with children’s activities, helping with the shop. Contact Mandy on 5356 4646 or email “wadge at exemail.com.au” For more info see www.grampianswildflowershow.org.au.

In addition to the flowers (picked under licence plus from nurseries and private property, all “unimproved” local varieties) there will be displays on Stan’s beloved plants with separate male and female flowers, Threatened Species Group, Brushtailed Rock Wallaby project, Wimmera Catchment Management Authority and Project Platypus Landcare group. There will be a retrospective of Ken Woodcock’s illustrations. Plus craft activities for children (and adults). This year again the flowers will be arranged in communities, and databases and reference books will be available for general use. There will also be daily bus tours to see the flowers in the wild. On the same weekend you can also admire Australian native plants for the garden at Pomonal’s show.

But as well as coming to our activities, you can contribute to the well being of our Park by looking up the proposed Fire Operations Plan on the web and making your comments on it. Go to the DSE website then click on Fire Operations Burns and then View Proposed Burns.

We have heard that there have been good rains so it sounds as if it will be a wonderful spring for wildflowers. Judging by the Orchid leaves that were coming through before I left, it should be a particularly good year for them as well.

This brings me to our AGM in September where we should have a very interesting time
searching for Orchids, some which are now quite rare. *Can I encourage members to
come and bring their friends as we would really like to see some new people with
new ideas and enthusiasms on the committee.*

Proo Pyke

Syphon Road Closed – Until early 2011

The Syphon Road in the Victoria Valley has been closed by Parks Victoria after recommendations from DSE to close the bridge at the southern end of the road. The bridge was assessed this week by DSE engineers who have deemed it unsafe and have provided advice to Parks Victoria that the bridge should be closed immediately. Funding has been allocated by DSE and the bridge is scheduled to be replaced in the first few months of 2011. By the way, check with Brambuk or the Halls Gap Tourist information Centre before venturing very far in the next few weeks.

Walking Tracks and Roads

Over the past few weeks there has been considerable damage from the strong winds and rain that we have received in the park. Park staff have repaired damage and have been extremely busy clearing roads and walking tracks of fallen limbs and debris. Please report any trees blocking walking tracks or roads to Brambuk the National Park and Cultural Centre.

While the rain we have received lately is fantastic, it is also a reminder to take care on the roads within the National Park. There are sections on many roads that have closed after the heavy rain and winds. Drivers also need to be aware that limbs are continuing to fall due to the wet ground conditions and all unsealed roads in the park are very wet and slippery. For further information on roads in the park, call into Brambuk or the Halls Gap Visitor Centre.

Spring and Spectacular Waterfalls!

Early Spring in the Grampians means the creeks are flowing and the waterfalls are tumbling. Clematis, Silverband and the many other waterfalls are providing a spectacular sight. Fungi can be found in most parts of the forest and many wildflowers are in full bloom. Keep and eye out for the sea of Thryptomene in the north of the park and there are fine examples of Candle and Flame heath, Grevillea alpina, Varnish and Silver Wattle along most walking tracks. Among the undergrowth there have been sightings of helmet orchids along with Trim, Dwarf and Emerald -lip orchids.

Oh! the place where I worship is the wide open spaces
Filled by the hand of the Lord
Where the trees of the forest are like pipes of an organ
And the breeze plays an amen chord.

Oh the stars are the candles and they light up the mountains –
Mountains are altars of God
Oh the place where I worship is the wide open spaces
Where the sun warms the peaceful sod

There’s a carpet of green, and the sky blue roof above
I’m welcome there alone or with the one I love.
In your heart take a good look: if you follow the Good Book
You’re sure to find your reward
Oh! the place where I worship is the wide open spaces
Built by the hand of the Lord

By R.W. Hampton

Students, parents, friends and community members gathered to celebrate the historical naming of Mackey’s Peak with the name well known to the community – ‘Cherub Peak’. Cherub Peak was named following the death of Agnes Folkes, the three month old daughter of John and Phoebe. Agnes became ill and it was not possible to take her to a doctor as all tracks were flooded. She was buried close to the family home at the base of a mountain. The locals began to refer to the mountain as Cherub Peak. It was later officially named Mackey’s Peak, after a surveyor who worked in the area. Even though the ceremony had to be held inside due to rain, all those who came along and squashed into the junior room enjoyed the day. It was great to see our past students and Ms Miller return to celebrate. All students – from those who began the project and to those who completed the project are to be congratulated.

It was good to hear the students sing a song that had only recently been unearthed by the Halls Gap and Grampians History Association which was apparently composed quite a few years ago by the owner of the general store.

Hearts have been crushed and broken,
Life has seen many a change,
Since we laid her to rest in the mountains,
At the foot of the Grampian range.

And all who pass by her grave site,
Are moved by what they see there,
A posy of wildflowers are surely a sign
That our children continue to care.

Our walk to Golton Gorge took us twice as long this morning because we stopped frequently along the way to identify birds and look at flowering plants.

Our bird list included:

Scarlet Robin, Superb Fairy Wren, Tawny-crowned Honeyeater, Crimson Rosella, Dusky Woodswallow, Emu (h), Striated Thornbill, White-throated Treecreeper, White-eared Honeyeater, Grey fantail, Spotted pardalote, Yellow Thornbill, Eastern Spinebill, and Kookaburra. The Tawny- crowned Honeyeaters took us a while to identify despite good views of the long curved bill, white eyebrow and black mask curving down along the white breast but Graham Pizzy’s description of their “beautiful, liquid, metallic phrases” was the clue we were looking for.

The flowering plants we noted were:

Silver Banksia Banksia marginata, Erect Guinea-flower Hibbertia riparia, Bundled Guinea-flower Hibbertia fasciculata ssp prostrata, Twiggy Guinea-flower Hibbertia virgata, Common Correa Correa reflex, Hairy Correa Correa aemula, Dusty Millar Spyridium parviflolium, Brown Stringybark Eucalyptus baxteri, Common Heath Epacris impressa, Downy Grevillea Grevillea alpina, and Twiggy Daisy-bush Olearia ramulosa.

The Flame Heaths Astroloma conistephioides, Pine Heaths Astroloma pinifolium and Golden Heaths Styphelia adscendens were a picture dotted throughout the bush alongside the pale blossom of the occasional Juniper Wattle Acacia ulicifolia.

We were pleased to find four orchids: Emerald-lip Greenhood Pterostylis smaragdyna, Fringed Hare Orchid Leporella fimbiata, Trim Greenhood Pterostylis concinna and Banded Greenhood Pterostylis sanguinea.

We also photographed two other plants of interest – a Hairy Geebung Persoonia rigida in the gorge and a beautiful example of a large Porcupine Grass Triodia scariosa off Golten Track. The dense rounded tussock of the Porcupine Grass was over a metre in diameter with last seasons tall flower stems still in place.

For more info you can contact Pauline 0437 463 378.

Saturday 10th July turned out to be a wild weather day and with warnings to “not shelter under trees’ this activity was shifted to the Wartook café. Ewen had a large board with lots of photos he had taken of fungi found in the local area, he also had several books, including the Fungimap book to which he contributed photos. Spore patterns can help with identification of fungi and Ewen had prepared some for us to look at. These were fungi which were placed gill side down on newsprint (which was black and white) then left overnight so the spores shed. The colour and pattern of the spores could easily be seen and quite fascinating to observe.

We also talked about lichens which took me back to the 70’s when I had a collection and was studying them as one of my projects. Lichens are formed by a symbiotic relationship between a fungi (usually an ascomycete) and an algae usually a green or a blue-green algae. They have a distinctive look and after a while you can easily tell the difference between a lichen and a fungi. Some of our lichen species are found only in Australia but many are found here and other countries.
There are three main growth forms of lichens. The foliose group resemble a leafy structure and may have thread like structures on the underside which appear to attach them to the soil, bark or surface they are growing on. The fruticose group tend to be a lot more three dimensional and typical examples are ‘old mans beard’ growing on branches and ‘coral lichen’ you may see lying loosely on the ground. The third group are crustose and they are closely appressed to the surface they are growing on and cannot be separated from it, an example are those blobs on rocks which look like birds droppings or bits of paint. These growth forms alone are not enough to key out lichens as the lichens of one family or even one genus may belong to all three groups. A number of characteristics are taken into account when trying to name lichens including chemical tests. As each species produces its own unique chemical substances, these chemical tests are sometimes the deciding factor between species A or species B. More involved methods such as crystal tests and chromatography are also used. However most lichen keys just use physical characteristics and occasionally chemical tests to get to genus level, then physical and chemical tests to get to species level. Of course like all groups of plants they have their own vocabulary and when starting out, one is continually referring to the glossary to work through the key. Never the less these are a fascinating group of plants and well worth having a look at under a hand lens or dissecting microscope.

‘Enthusiasm’ was the watchword for the day as around 26 members gathered in the mural room for an initial power point presentation by geologist Ross Cayley. The number in the audience was evidence of this, but it was more than matched by the daylong exuberance of our mentor, who is obviously totally absorbed in his subject and more than willing to enlighten the layman about its latest theories and conclusions.

Ross set about destroying the notion, with which many of us were familiar, that the Grampians sandstones had originally been something like 10 km thick, because the present eroded remnants of this huge pile do not evidence the characteristics to be expected from such pressure, and the increasingly benign climate over the last 400 million years could hardly have caused such an amount of erosion. This idea is backed by the results of modern techniques of magnetic and seismic surveying which indicate the disposition of the rocks and the major faults that lie beneath the surface.

In its place Ross drew a picture of periods of heavy erosion of mountains that no longer exist, which deposited sand into the waters of lakes or seas, and much longer intervals between those periods when much smaller particles were slowly deposited into fairly still water. These processes gave rise to layers of hard sandstone around 150m. thick, which have not eroded significantly since then, interspersed with deeper layers of mudstone approximately 750m thick. Plate tectonics, with the Pacific plate pushing against eastern Australia, have caused the uplift of the Grampians, and horizontal faulting helped with slippage between the layers of rock.

This theory holds to the original belief that the Mt. William sandstones are the oldest, followed by the Serra range and the Victoria Range, but it also explains the large amount of mudstone in the valleys between the ranges that we do not readily see because they are heavily vegetated. Being more easily eroded, they have provided a more fertile medium for the growth of plants.

After an outline of these ideas in his initial presentation, we drove to the summit of Mt. William where Ross showed us trace fossils of worm burrows and much larger creatures in the sandstone rocks. We then stood around the summit cairn poring over a geological map while he explained its meaning. Ross seemed to be the only one impervious to the biting wind. On the way back we stopped to look at road cuttings where the mudstones have been exposed.

After lunch many of us accompanied him part way up the Pinnacle Track from the Wonderland carpark. We looked at cross bedding from old sand dunes in the Grand Canyon, an intrusive dyke at Bridal Veil Falls and the fault line that has created Cool Chamber. Here Ross told us of the time that he and a number of his fellow geologists were casing the area. They all agreed that the Chamber is a great example of a fault but could not agree on the direction in which the two layers of rock had moved over each other. Some of them went on to look at other features, only to come back two hours later to find the rest still arguing the point.

With a wry smile he commented that he prefers to concentrate on the bigger picture! He had certainly managed to do that all day, and we were very grateful to him for the insights he had given us.

Ed: Later Ross emailed me to inform us that the new geology display at the Melbourne museum has some Grampians rocks and also a video of him talking about Melbourne’s geology. The complete display is not yet open , but I saw parts of it last week. You can also see the video on http://museumvictoria.com.au/600millionyears

In June we learnt that the park was to receive $1 million dollars for upgrades: Rosea Lookout and Redman’s Lookout top priority and then McKenzie Falls walk, from Fish Falls to Zumsteins. Visitor services have also received extra money for the replacement of toilet blocks and picnic tables. Buandik Campground is to receive a minor upgrade.

The Dunkeld walk over the June long weekend was very successful and may become an annual event. Heatherlie – A management plan for the site was completed a few years ago. Staff will be working with Janet Witham to look at future external funding.

We then travelled out along the Mt Zero Rd. At the edge of Halls Gap, Dave Handscombe provided an overview on the Halls Gap township protection plan, explaining the different fire protection techniques that DSE and PV are involved in. At a lunch at Plantation Campground, the Advisory Group farewelled Graham Parkes as RIC and thanked him for his work over the last sixteen years in the park. They wished him the best of luck in his new position as Chief Ranger for the Grampians District. After lunch, Geoff Evans gave an overview of the planned burns for 2010 and also spoke about the different burning techniques used at the Deep Creek Burn. Geoff also spoke about future expectations from the Bushfire Royal Commission for the next three years.

At our August meeting we met the new RIC David Roberts, heard about the $1.6 million for the first stage of the proposed long distance walk (more in our next newsletter), then again spent much of the meeting discussing fire. Geoff Evans presented 2010/2011 DRAFT Fire Operations Plan(FOP). It’s a 3 year rolling program of planned fire/fuel management works including proposed Fuel Reduction Burns, Strategic Breaks, Slashing programs, track works and track clearing activities. He said that the FOP in the Grampians is developed giving equal consideration to Fire Protection Objectives and Fire Ecology Strategies.

• 2009/2010 planned area 5784ha – based on a statewide target of 130,000ha
• 2010/2011 planned area 6400ha – based on a statewide target of 200,000ha
• 2011/2012 ?

Bushfire Royal Commission recommendation

• 5% of Crown Land treated
• = 380,000ha annual target, up from 130,000 target 2009/2010
• Figure does not include wildfire or landscapes affected by wildfire.
  On 26th August the Government accepted this advice.

Many of us were concerned at the fact that should there be a wildfire, or an escape burn, there was no allowance for adjusting the targets. (See my editorial for how you can view and comment on the FOP).

I raised that last year’s AG auspiced inspection of fire management works with members of various environmental groups had been well received and a repeat had been promised. This should be scheduled once the replacement for Mike Stevens is settled in the job, in consultation between GNP and DSE staff.

We also made a start on getting representative secondary school students to join the Advisory Group, and discussed the status of the education officer position for our park and what we are offering visiting schools. Options for the Mt Zero Rd were discussed, with the reminder that substantial improvement might have unforeseen results.

Briefly: we decided to make a donation of $1000 to the Poola Foundation (based in Hamilton & endorsed by VNPA) for Fire Ecology & Community Work. Poola Foundation has offered to match donations through VPNA. We also passed on a donation we had received to the Brush-tailed rock wallaby project, to assist in the cost of batteries for remote cameras etc.

It was agreed that Margo follow up the purchase of a ‘hard-drive’ storage space for FOGG files and also that we purchase appropriate office items for our room at GNP administration area. An amount of $500 was agreed upon.

Plans were discussed re gathering at Redgum walk for dedication of the new Red-gum table. National Parks staff who were involved in installing the new table will be invited, as well as some FOGG members and Stan Parfett’s close relatives. We did set a date, but weather intervened once more. It is now scheduled for September 24.

FOGG members Margo and David Witham have attended training courses paid for by PV. Margo is now accredited to use agricultural chemicals in the Park, and David to use a chainsaw. Other members may be gaining accreditation through Landcare funded courses.

A note from Mike…

Dear all,

I have accepted a position with Parks Victoria as Manager, land and seascape-scale conservation which presents an exciting opportunity for me to follow my passion in conservation across the state. After 8 years, my final day coordinating the Grampians Natural Values Management Program will be on Friday 25th June and I will take two weeks holiday before starting my new job on July 12th.

I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank community members, project partners and my colleagues in Parks Victoria and DSE who have kindly spent your time imparting knowledge on various aspects of land management. It has been a privilege to work with everyone on projects such as the fox baiting, research and monitoring, Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby reintroduction, prescribed burning, wildfires and the challenging 2006 fire recovery program.

I will miss working with people on park management programs in the Grampians but you will still see me around the place as I will remain based out of the Halls Gap Parks Victoria work centre and retain my contact details.

In the meantime, FOGGs have given Mike permission to camp in our Volunteers’ Room until new offices have been completed for him.