Botany Program
Grasses, Sedges, Rushes
Our last excursion for the year will focus on grasses and grass like plants. Alberton Cemetery is a great place to visit when these plants are in flower. Meet at the carpark of the cemetery.
Mt Cannibal - Postponed
**Please Note, this event has been postponed until 2025. This excursion has been a long time in the making. The last time we visited this reserve was October 2017. Hopefully it is still as good as before the 2019 fires. Meet in the carpark of the reserve.
Grassland Plants
Corinella Cemetery is one of those old Victorian graveyards that is a botanical treasure. Targeted management ensures the place is flush with orchids and other wild flowers in spring.
Plant survey Holey Plains
This is our annual post fire survey in Holey Plains SP. Meet at the public toilets in Rosedale at 9.30AM.
Mosses
Margaret will lead an indoor session at the Moe Library identifying mosses. Please bring any specimens from your area you would like to know and bring your microscope and/or magnifying glass if you have any. A camera that can take macro images and zoom in to look at details would be a bonus.
Damp Subalpine Forest
High Lead Walking Track in Yarra State Forest follows an old tramline along a creek through damp forest. Rainforest species, ferns, fungi and even some subalpine species can be found in this area. Be prepared for leeches.
Meet at High Lead Carpark at 10AM or at the Warragul Railway Station carpark near the Goods Shed at 9.15AM to carpool.
Coastal Vegetation
Lorraine will lead an excursion exploring the coastal vegetation near Venus Bay. Meet at the Venus Bay jetty at 10AM.
Plant Survey Crossover RP
It’s been a while since we did a survey in Crossover Regional Park. This time we will look at the southern part of the reserve which is accessible from Lavinia St in Rokeby.
Ferns Mt Worth SP
Last year Wendy lead a fern excursion for the Friends of Mt Worth SP which was documented at the same time by a film crew. She will take us back along the same route to explore the wide variety of ferns in this piece of rainforest.
Meet in the carpark of Moonlight Creek Picnic Area.
Plants from Summer Camp 2024
Our Summer Camp will be held early February 2024. The destination is Mt Hotham and surrounds. At the first Botany meeting of the year we will revisit plants that we weren’t able to identify during the camp. Meet at Jack’s and Marja’s place.
Rushes and Sedges
Lorraine will lead a session on the identification of rushes and sedges in the Gippsland area. The meeting will be held at the Moe Library. Bring lunch, a hand lens and small ruler.
Button Grass Walk
Jack and Marja will lead the excursion to the Button Grass Walk in the Bunyip State Forest. This area is known for special and rare plants and flowering has been exceptionally good after the March 2019 bushfires. Meet at Tynong North turnoff of Princess Freeway. Find a safe spot to park.
Craspedia canens
Meg Hirst from the Royal Botanic Gardens will teach us how to identify Craspedia canens by looking at cultivated plants. This will be followed by a field excursion where we will try to find plants in the wild of this rare species. Meet at the Rosedale Primary School. (Photo: Royal Botanical Gardens Vic)
Holey Plains State Park
Mitch will take us to the four locations we have surveyed for the last three years since the 2019 bushfires. Meet 10am at the carpark/public toilets opposite the bakery in Rosedale.
Kurth Kiln Regional Park
We will explore the bush and creek line near the Kiln for Banksias, ferns and early spring flowers. Meet at the Kurth Kiln picnic area at the corner of Beenak Rd and Soldiers Rd, Yellingbo.
Directions: In Gembrook take the road to Launching Place (C424) and turn left into Soldiers Rd. The picnic area is past the Kiln and surrounding buildings on the left hand side of the road. This route is slightly longer but easier to travel as Beenak Rd is a dirt road of full of potholes.
Liverworts and Mosses
Margaret will lead an indoor session in the Moe Library on how to identify liverworts and mosses with help of a microscope. BYO lunch, morning tea provided.
Fungi in Mirboo North Regional Park
Our annual fungi excursion will visit Mirboo North Regional Park near Hallston. We plan to explore fungi in the area near Boyle Creek at the bottom of Hallston Road off Forresters Road. Beforehand, Will and Lorraine Norden will check Hallston Road near the gully of Boyle Creek for its suitability for 2-wheel drive vehicles . If necessary people will be offered a lift in a 4-wheel drive vehicle. Meet at at Hallston Hall on the Grand Ridge Rd at 10 am. Note: We are not going to the section of the Park near Samson Road.
Morwell River Falls
Excursion to Morwell River Falls Reserve to explore riverine vegetation. Meet in the carpark of the reserve.
Ferns in Tarra Valley
We will be looking at ferns and allies in Tarra Valley. Meet in the carpark of the Tarra Valley Picnic Area on Tarra Valley Road (-38.44769, 146.53798).
Coastal Vegetation and Saltmarsh
Lorraine will lead us on an excursion to Charles Hall Road in Fish Creek to look at coastal vegetation and saltmarsh. Meet in the carpark near the public toilets in Fish Creek, off Falls Road.
Plants from Summer Camp
Our Summer Camp will be held early February at Mt Baw Baw. At the first Botany meeting of the year we will revisit plants that we weren’t able to identify during the camp and our excursion to Mt Erica in January. We will meet at Wendy’s place.
Excursion Darriman Bushland Reserve
We visited this reserve last year as part of our general excursion but did not have a chance to identify plant species. Leader and meeting point will be confirmed closer to the date.
Button Grass Walk
Jack and Marja will lead the excursion to the Button Grass Walk in the Bunyip State Forest. This area is known for special and rare plants and flowering has been exceptionally good after the March 2019 bush fires. Meet at Tynong North turnoff of Princess Freeway. Find a safe spot to park.
Orchid Excursion
Forest walk in Won Wron State Forest. Phil will lead us to several locations that generally have lots of orchids. We meet at the Won Wron Hall at 10:00am. From the Hyland Hwy, tavelling south, turn left into Napier Rd at Won Wron, and park in the large car park at the hall immediately after the turn. It will be only a short drive in convoy from there to the Forst Walk.
Plant Survey Holey Plains
Mitch will take us to the 4 locations we have surveyed for the last 3 years since the 2019 bush fires. Meet at 10AM at the carpark/public toilets opposite the bakery in Rosedale.
Study Liverworts and Mosses
Indoor study about Liverworts and Mosses lead by Margaret. We will learn the difference between the two groups and to identify species with the microscope.
Taxonomy Study Lily like Plants
Indoor study at Jack and Marja’s place. Our native lily like plants that used to be in the family of the Liliaceae have now been moved into several families in the orders Asparagales and Liliales. We will explore the differences between the families and where to find the commonly-known species.
Fungi Excursion
Joelle will take us to a private property, Jumbuck Park to look at fungi. Let’s hope we will have had some good rain by then to get the fruiting bodies going. Take your mirror and camera with you and Fungi related books you have.
Meet at Kerry Road Carpark in Morwell NP at 10:00 AM.