Welcome to Wombat Forestcare
Young Powerful Owl, Ninox strenua
(photograph by Gayle Osborne)
Wombat Forestcare is a community group dedicated to protecting and enhancing the natural ecosystems of the Wombat Forest and surrounding areas.
The Wombat Forest contains a diverse range of native plants and animals, including a number that are listed as rare or threatened, such as Powerful Owl and the Wombat Bush Pea. As well as these natural values, the Wombat is a significant water catchment area, giving rise to six rivers.
Wombat Forestcare engages in a range of activities. These have a strong focus on community involvement and education, and include undertaking flora and fauna surveys. We also enjoy the social aspect of a forest group, with picnics and bushwalks for people who love being in the bush.
Wombat Forestcare would like to acknowledge the ancestors and descendants of the Traditional Owners of this country.
We acknowledge that they have been custodians for thousands of years and continue to practice and renew a unique culture.
We acknowledge their living culture today and its importance in the life and future of central Victoria.
News
September newsletter now available
(Added: 2024-09-24)
We hope you enjoy the September issue of our newsletter. Many thanks to our contributors and proof readers.
Wombat Forestcare v. VicForests
(Added: 2023-12-21)
Wombat Forestcare has sought an injunction in the Supreme Court alleging insufficient surveys for threatened species in various logging coupes. The focus shifted to the Silver Queen coupe in the Wombat State Forest, where an interim injunction was granted due to serious questions raised by Wombat Forestcare. However, on the eve of the court hearing for the injunction, VicForests claimed their surveyors had found nine nationally endangered Mountain Skinks in the Silver Queen coupe. Despite earlier assertions of comprehensive surveys, VicForests is now facing an extended injunction based on the presence of Mountain Skinks.
VicForests contends that removing storm-fallen logs is crucial for fire risk reduction, arguing potential habitat loss and biodiversity threats in case of a fire. Wombat Forestcare's expert witness, Associate Professor Grant Wardle-Johnson, disputes these claims, emphasising the negligible impact on fire risk and potential adverse effects of log removal. Wombat Forestcare’s claim has been expanded to include additional forest areas, such as Mount Cole, Pyrenees, Cobaw, and Enfield State Forests, with a directions hearing set for February 5.
Wombat Forestcare expresses gratitude to their pro bono legal team but highlights the need for further financial support to fund essential expert reports. They stress the importance of these reports in substantiating their case and encourage donations to ensure a robust legal defence.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/
You Me and Biodiversity
(Added: 2023-09-27)
The Mountain Skinks of Victoria with Anna Senior
Anna Senior is a terrestrial ecologist with a background in environmental and threatened species management. She is passionate about the conservation of lesser-known species, particularly reptiles. Anna will talk about the conservation biology and ecology of some of Victoria's rarest lizards: Guthega Skink, Mountain Skink and Swamp Skink.
The presentation will be followed by afternoon tea and the Wombat Forestcare AGM
Where: Trentham Neighbourhood Centre
When: Saturday 7th October 2023
Time: 2pm - 4pm
Please book via TryBooking: www.trybooking.com/CLQIT
Salvage by VicForests in proposed National Park
(Added: 2022-04-26)
Over 100 people walked into a logged area of the Wombat State Forest to express their opposition to a destructive salvage operation. Photograph by Sandy Scheltema
The Wombat Forest community is outraged that VicForests have commenced an industrial scale salvage operation in the Wombat State Forest, in an area that is part of the proposed Wombat-Lerderderg National Park.
What you can do:
Contact the Premier and c.c. Minister Thomas and call on the Premier to intervene to immediately to halt this VicForests' operation and to create the promised parks.
You may have other members of parliament that you wish to include.
Posted letters are very effective, so firstly email and if possible print and post.
Office of the Premier
1 Treasury Place
Melbourne, Vic 3002
jacinta.allan@parliament.vic.gov.au
The Hon. Mary-Anne Thomas
Member for Macedon
PO Box 39, Gisborne, VIC 3437
mary-anne.thomas@parliament.vic.gov.au
wombat salvage.mov from tristan pierce on Vimeo.
The Great VicForests Log Grab in the Wombat Forest
Last June a massive storm event occurred in the Wombat State Forest causing thousands of trees to fall in parts of the forest.
A few weeks later the Victorian State government tabled a response to the Victorian Environmental Assessment Council (VEAC) Central West Investigation in parliament and promised that the Lerderderg State Park and Wombat State Forest would be combined to form a new Wombat-Lerderderg National Park and a series of smaller regional parks. This followed a two year investigation by VEAC that found the Wombat Forest had very high conservation and ecological values, including providing critical habitat for over 40 threatened flora and fauna species.
Following the storm VicForests saw an opportunity to undertake a log grab before the Wombat Forest became a National Park, and without any community consultation listed 175 salvage logging coupes, over 80 of which were in the proposed National Park. Under pressure from VicForests and the logging industry the Dan Andrews Labor government allowed this log grab to proceed, without any consideration for the environmental impacts.
New Wombat-Lerderderg National Park
(Added: 2021-07-23)
Wombat Forestcare welcomes the state government’s announcement of three new National Parks for central west Victoria. The Wombat-Lerderderg National Park, Mount Buangor National Park (near Beaufort) and the Pyrenees National Park (near Avoca) as well as conservation and regional parks will be created.
Although this is a wonderful outcome, the government has allowed VicForests to continue to harvest "commercial firewood coupes" in the Wombat Forest and to continue to harvest sawlogs at Mt Cole and the Pyrenees until 2030. Read our analysis of the government’s announcement in the July issue of the Wombat Forestcare newsletter.
The Victorian Government tabled its response to the VEAC central west forests investigation on 24 June 2021.
Read the government's response.
Resilience of the Wombat Forest
(Added: 2021-05-25)
Wombat Forestcare was pleased to host a talk by Prof Stephan Arndt, University of Melbourne regarding the “Resilience of the Wombat Forest” For those interested in forest and climate science. The presentation is 40 minutes.
Grow wild: Gardening to sustain wildlife in the Hepburn Shire
(Added: 2020-04-01)
Available for purchase at Paradise Books, Daylesford and Trentham Post Office
Conservation values of the Wombat Forest and Mount Macedon Landscape Zone
class="feed_date">(Added: 2017-08-03)
Wombat Forestcare received funding through The Wilderness Society’s WildCountry Small Grants Program to undertake an assessment of the conservation values of the Wombat Forest and Mount Macedon Landscape Zone.
Read the second draft of Part One of this report
Part Two will be available shortly
Wombat Forest and Macedon Ranges Fungi Guide
(Added: 2013-03-18)
The Wombat Forest is a hotspot for the diversity of fungi. Hundreds of species have been documented from the familiar mushroom to the more bizarre forms of those shaped like corals, cups, clubs, jellies, lattice balls and even starfish!
Wombat Forestcare is promoting the importance of this group of organisms through a new guide – ‘Fungi of the Wombat Forest and Macedon Ranges’. The guide has colour photographs of 108 of the more familiar local species as well as information about identification.
To obtain a copy of the guide either send a cheque for $7- to Wombat Forestcare, 715 Little Hampton Road, Glenlyon, 3461 or pay this amount into our bank account Wombat Forestcare Inc, Bendigo Bank, Account no 149488678, BSB 633 108 and email info@wombatforestcare.org.au to say you have done this. Please do not forget to include your postal details.
Fungi Guides are on sale at
- Paradise Book Shop, 46 Vincent Street, Daylesford
- Daylesford Visitor Information Centre, 98 Vincent Street, Daylesford
- Aesop's Attic Bookshop, 70 High Street, Kyneton
Visit our fungi page for great images of 102 Fungal Species of the Wombat Forest.
Conservation values of the Mt Cole and Pyrenees landscape
(Added: 2010-10-16)
Wombat Forestcare in conjunction with the Wilderness Society, Ballarat Environment Network and Bendigo District Environment Council have released a report ‘that investigates the natural heritage values of the Mount Cole and Pyrenees Range in Victoria’s central-west, and assesses current threats to the area’s wildlife and habitats.
The report was funded by the WildCountry Small Grants Program.