Leader John Eichler, Facilitators: June Anton and Anna Burley. The largest remaining eucalypt woodland on Phillip Island, 150 acres, including wetlands. This land was donated to the people of Victoria by Florence Oswin Roberts, a passionate conservationist and wildlife carer, of Koalas in particular, from the early 1900’s. Plants identified: Rhagodia, ericifolia melaleuca, Spinyheaded mat Read more…

LEADER: Graham Patterson FACILITATOR: Judith Sise Saturday Morning’s adventure to Pyramid Rock and Redcliff Head Lookout. At around 9 o’clock, sixteen Naturalists set off in cars gaily displaying purple ribbons behind Graham with Judith bringing up the rear. This was an easy introduction to the geology of Phillip Island – a pyramid of volcanic basalt, Read more…

Led by Gil Smith and Sue Woolley from Birdlife Bass Coast. The morning was still and overcast as 20 people and Gil and Sue set off from the car park at Rhyll Inlet. The vegetation varied from farmland to mixed banksia habitat to mangroves close to the water. The following 50 bird species were recorded. Read more…

Excursion: Kitty Miller Bay (Geology, Botany & Birds) On afternoon of Sunday 21st April excursion leader Ken Griffiths and facilitator Maryse arrived at the muster location at 1.00pm for our 1.15pm muster before driving to the site. The convoy of participants and others we met on site gathered in the Kitty Miller Bay Beach carpark Read more…

Saturday afternoon 20/4/2024. 16 degrees mostly cloudy. After meeting in the car park at the Nobbies 23 people led by Gil Smith and Sue Wooley from Birdlife Bass Coast walked slowly along the boardwalk between the visitor centre and the rocky coastline. Birds were observed on the rocks, in the air and water and we Read more…

Swan Lake is a freshwater lake, located in the south west corner of Phillip Island, close to the Penguin Parade and The Nobbies. The surrounding area was used for stock grazing over many years following European settlement, but overuse and erosion became an issue. In the 1960s, moves were made to protect the area and Read more…

Phillip Island SEANA Autumn Convention – April 2024 Report by Maryse – Facilitator 1. Excursion: Cape Woolamai Peninsula to Old Granite Quarry (Geology, Botany, History) On morning of Saturday 20 th April excursion leader Ken Griffiths and facilitator Maryse arrived at the muster location at 8.00am for our 8.15am muster before driving to the site. Read more…

SEANA Spring 2023 Camp Excursion 13: Alberton Cemetery Sunday afternoon Leader: Lorraine Norden Facilitator: Julie Murray Our visit to the historic Alberton Cemetery coincided with an attractive display of a range of bright, colourful flowers nestled among the grasses and sedges. This site is known for its native grasses; these flower and seed later in Read more…

SEANA Spring 2023 Camp Excursion 12: Old Port Trail at Port Albert Sunday morning Co-leaders: Jay Duncan and Julie Murray On the day of the Port Albert excursion, we had a great deal of rain and blustering wind. While the bird-watching planned from the Victoria Street vantage point for the first part of the tour Read more…

SEANA Spring 2023 Camp Excursion 11: Birding around Toora Sunday, all day Leader: Ron Greer Facilitator: Linda Hayes The purpose of this excursion was to showcase some of the birdlife of Corner Inlet, provide an overview of Corner Inlet from Mt Best and observe a different grouping of birds in and around Agnes Falls. As Read more…

SEANA Spring 2023 Camp Excursion 10: Northern end of Wilson’s Promontory NP Sunday full day Leader for Vereker Range: Greg Gilbert Facilitator: John Poppins We departed Yarram (which was then fine) soon after 8:00 am. Along the way, fine drizzle turned to steady rain. Just over an hour later, we arrived at our destination of Read more…

Excursion 9a: Alberton West State Forest No. 1 Saturday afternoon Leader: Melinda Darer (FOAWSF) Facilitators: Wendy & Norbert Fuessel A full group of some 20 plus participants ultimately met at a western corner of the state forest, cars ‘higgledy-piggledy’ on the gravel roadside end off in the scrub. We met our leader Melinda from the Read more…

SEANA Spring 2023 Camp Excursion 8A McLoughlins Beach Saturday afternoon Leader Mitch Smith Facilitator Joelle Champert We travelled by car 25 km east of Yarram and met the rest of our group at the McLoughlins Beach boat ramp and footbridge. The day was overcast ,with a gentle to fresh breeze. We could hear the roar Read more…

SEANA Spring 2023 Camp Excursion 7a: Shorebirds Boat Trip No. 1 Saturday morning Leader: Tania Ireton Facilitator: Jay Duncan Eight enthusiastic birdwatchers from various Field Naturalists’ Clubs, joined Brian & Belinda from “Port Albert Fishin’ Charters” on their boat, for a four-hour birding trip around the shallow, inner waters of Nooramunga Marine Park. The park Read more…

SEANA Spring 2023 Camp Excursion 6a: Won Wron State Forest No. 1 Saturday morning Leader: Dr Margaret Rowe Facilitator: Phil Rayment Led by Margaret and assisted by Phil, our first stop in the Forest was White Woman’s Waterhole, where we were greeted by many King Parrots, used to being fed by the visitors. This site Read more…

SEANA Spring 2023 Camp Excursion 5: Seawalls Edge Nature Reserve Saturday morning Leader: Diana Droog Facilitator: Ron Greer This is an amazing site where the owners and a biologist, led by Diana Droog, have created a 15ha Wildlife Nature Reserve in Corner Inlet at Toora. Corner Inlet was declared a RAMSAR site in 1982. The Read more…

SEANA Spring 2023 Camp Excursion 4: Birding around Toora & Foster area Reserves Saturday, full day Leader: Rohan Bugg Facilitator: Wendy Davies We picked up a couple of people who needed a lift to the Toora bird hide and headed down with much anticipation as Rohan had reported that the tide was just on the Read more…

SEANA Spring 2023 Camp Excursion 3: Mullungdung State Forest Saturday, full day Leaders: Jack Weerts & Marja Bouman Facilitator: Julie Parker The excursion involved a drive along bush tracks with several stops to explore particular vegetation types. Mullungdung SF covers 13,800ha of bush, dry Eucalypt woodland interspersed with more damp areas. The area is known Read more…

SEANA SPRING 2023 CAMP AT YARRAM – Phil Rayment, SEANA Spring 2023 Camp Convenor Excursion 3: Mullungdung State Forest Excursion 4: Birding around Toora & Foster area Reserves Excursion 5: Seawalls Edge Nature Reserve Excursion 6: Won Wron State Forest Excursion 7: Shorebirds Boat Trip Excursion 8: McLoughlins Beach Excursion 9: Alberton West State Forest Read more…

Jan and Rod Mitchell went to the Autumn campout at Port Campbell hosted by the Timboon Field Naturalists Club. Meals and talks by guest speakers were held at the Port Campbell Surf lifesaving Club. Many different half day excursions were on offer. Guest speakers: Friday night: a Port Campbell local (don’t know her name but Read more…

Just over one hundred people converged on Port Campbell for the Autumn state-wide gathering of field naturalists, held over the extended weekend of Friday 28th April to Monday 1st May. The event was hosted by the Timboon FNC, with convenor Helen Langley and Sally Loveridge leading the organization of the camp in fine style. It Read more…

The Timboon Field Naturalists Club organised this year’s SEANA autumn camp, choosing sites along the coastal strip in the Bay of Islands Coastal Park to the west of Port Campbell and the Port Campbell National Park and Twelve Apostles Marine National Park to the east. We had plenty of opportunities to view the magnificent coastal Read more…

104 field naturalists from all around Victoria converged on Port Campbell for the autumn get together hosted by the local Timboon Field Naturalists club. Locals and visitors participated in a series of organised excursions along the coast from Loch Ard Gorge to the Bay of Islands. Nightly presentations at the Port Campbell SLSC, which were Read more…

Leaders: Christine Kilmartin, President of the Castlemaine Landcare Group Christine, assisted by Euan Moore and Jenny Rolland, lead five participants on an excursion along the Forest Creek restoration area from Ten Foot Bridge to Moonlight Flat, Castlemaine. Like most of the waterways in the region, Forest Creek had been devastated by alluvial mining in the Read more…

Leaders: Euan Moore and Jenny Rolland The morning was spent at the Bald Hill Reserve, about 6km east of Kyneton. The reserve is owned by the Macedon Ranges Shire and comprises 96-hectares of forest, woodland and grassland with a rich diversity of indigenous flora and fauna including state and nationally significant species. The President of Read more…

The Spring 2019 SEANA Campout was organised by the Castlemaine Field Naturalists Club. SEANA Spring 2019 in Castlemaine Bald Hill and Malmsbury Castlemaine Landcare Group

Castlemaine FNC organized a very successful get-together over the weekend 4-7th October at
Castlemaine.

The SEANA Committee organized a very successful get-together over the weekend 21-23rd March at Port Fairy. SEANA AUTUMN 2019 WEEKEND MEETING AT PORT FAIRY  

The Autumn 2018 SEANA Campout was organised by the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria and a was based at Badger Creek near Healesville. SEANA Autumn 2018 Report Dom Dom Fungi Foray Murrindindi Scenic Reserve  

After very low rainfall in February, March and April, this was the driest foray we have ever experienced in this area, which is usually bristling with fungi at this time of year. However, the dozen or so enthusiasts from the FNCV Fungi Group and SEANA were pleasantly surprised to discover that a few fungi were Read more…

On a beautiful sunny Autumn morning I met with members of various Field Naturalist’s clubs by the suspension bridge at Murrindindi Scenic reserve, not far from Kinglake. This walk was part of the recent SEANA get-together held in late April. As no really good rain had fallen for months there was not a lot of Read more…

Leaders:  Alison & Peter Rogers   On both Saturday and Sunday an all-day excursion to Mt Arapiles was held.   Travelling from the Little Desert Lodge the convoy had their first stop at Mitre Rock.  A brief overview of the history, geology, vegetation types, flora and fauna of the Mt Arapiles-Tooan SP was provided here.  Read more…

On the last morning of the campout there was the usual choice of field trips, including Lake Pertobe, Hopkins River Mouth and Thunder Point area. This was followed by lunch beside Lake Pertobe. 1. Board walk near Hopkins River Mouth. 2. Looking for birds on the Hopkins River. Photos: Denis Hurley. 3. Pickering Point. Photo: Read more…

Joan Shanahan is a life meber of th Warrnambool Field Naturalists Club. She has been Secretary or Treasurer for 14 terms over 30 years. This has been a wonderful contribution to the Club, made even more worthy by her being highly capable in carrying out her administrative duties. She organized end-of-year dinners, was a Committee Read more…

Ian Robert McCann was born on July 4, 1914. At times he worked as Assistant Town Clerk (Stawell), cost accountant (G.J. Coles), as a poultry farmer, and Tourist Promotion Officer (Stawell). Ian’s interest in natural history began in the Middle East, where he served during the 1939-45 war. Ian became interested in the studies of Read more…

Early days. Ellen was born on Prospect Station near Seaspray where her father was manager. While she was still a baby the family moved to a bush block on the Sale/Seaspray Road, then when Ellen was six her father bought a farm at The Heart by the Latrobe River, and there she grew up with Read more…

Tom Hyland is a life member of the Warrnambool Field Naturalists Club. He served as President five times and has been Vice President and a member of the Committee on many occasions. He has always contributed enthusiastically to proceedings of the Club. He has a great love of the countryside and could always come up Read more…

Mary Griffith has served five times as President of the Warrnambool Field Naturalists Club and has held a position on the Committee for many years. Mary’s passion for the natural world has helped grow membership from residents in Port Fairy. Mary’s life membership of Warrnambool FNC inscription : In appreciation of her valued contribution to Read more…

Society for Growing Australian Plants. Ted Errey was a foundation member of The Society For Growing Australian Plants (SGAP), and one of its stalwarts and also a most knowledgable member. He served as president and was an expert on all things to do with propagation, growing and promoting native plants. His contribution was recognised by Read more…

Ray Bradfield called a public meeting in February 1976, for the possible formation of a field naturalists club in Castlemaine. The meeting was very well supported, and Ray was elected as the Club’s first president. Ray’s service to the Castlemaine Field Naturalists Club was but one aspect of a life of many years of community Read more…

The Western Victoria Field Naturalists Clubs Association started on August 20, 1960 at the inaugural meeting, convened by Wimmera FNC. and held at Halls Gap. In 1996 the WVFNCA merged with the Victorian Field Naturalists Clubs Association. In 2003 the VFNCA was renamed the South-east Australian Naturalists Association (SEANA). A provisional list of officers and Read more…

Vicroads Edition 6: map: 29B8, page 593 S2 Location: The walk begins at Jacka Park, High St (in Calder Hwy). Follow the path beside Nardoo Creek. Cross Reef St and continue to to Tantalla St. Turn right along Tantalla St, and right along Hospital St. Walk through the caravan park. The reservoir is on ther Read more…

Vicroads Edition 6: map 30 E4 (E3, F3). Location: The park is 5km north of Mitiamo, and approx 65 km north of Bendigo. The road to Sylvaterre passes through the park. The Park has two main sections The cypress-pine forest and granite outcrops. The grassland plains to the north east of the park. These notes Read more…

Vicroads Edition 6: map: 44H3. Location. The Cascades are on the Coliban River, and are signposted on the Metcalfe-Malmsbury Road, on the outskirts of Metcalfe. What to do Look for potholes in the granite rocks bird watch have a picnic beside the river. The Coliban River. The Coliban River rises near Trentham on the Dividing Read more…

Vicroads Edition 6: Map 554 A9-J5 Location.There are at least four sections. Downstream of the weir. Walk from the car park close to the west end of Barnes Blvd. The Wimmera River eastwards from the weir to the Western Hwy Bridge. Access from Barnes Blvd. The wetlands on the west side of the Botanic Gardens. Read more…

Vicroads Edition 6: map: 44F9 Location: Harcourt North Reservoir is on Barkers Creek. It has frontages on McIvor Road and on the Harcourt North Road. What to do look for water birds. Look in the deeper water near the dam wall, and in the shallow water at the edges walk around the reservoir, if the Read more…

Vicroads Edition 6: Map 59E2, 628 H4 Location. Turner St, Castlemaine. From the Castlemaine Post Office, drive north (towards Bendigo) and turn right along Turner Street to the park entrance. What to do walk along some of the tracks through the park follow the nature trail bird watch have a picnic at the picnic tables. Read more…

Vicroads Edition 6: Map 58H5. Location. The most accessible deposits are beside the Newstead -Creswick Road, where the road passes through the Strathlea Forest. The rounded stones and gravels contrast with the Ordovician strata that are exposed elsewhere. What to do Look for the Permian tillites in the road cutting and in the farmland to Read more…

Vicroads Edition 6 maps: 76F2, 565 T5, 566A5. Location: Driving west from the city centre, turn right into Pleasant Street and continue to the lake foreshore. Wendouree Parade circles the lake. Drive to the west end of the lake and the botanic gardens, where there is ample parking. What to do: look for water birds Read more…

Field Naturalists’ Club of Ballarat hosted the South East Australian Naturalists Association autumn camp in Ballarat on the weekend of 13-16 March. Seventy naturalists from 13 Field Naturalists Clubs around Victoria attended. Visitors came from Portland, Warnambool, Timboon, Geelong, Castlemaine, Bendigo, Alexandra, Melbourne, Ringwood, Latrobe Valley and Sale. Naturalists went on excursions, led by local Read more…