Download June 2008 to September 2008 Calendar of Events.

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FNCV Updates
We get many invitations to environmental events and conferences here at the office that we just can’t get to you quick enough in the FNN. Also, in spite of good planning sometimes meetings and excursions are cancelled at the last minute and in the past we have had no way of informing the club at large. In reponse to this, a new web-based forum was recently set up through the Yahoo Groups Network to increase the speed with which we can communicate with each other. We’ve had a great response so far from those who’ve signed up so I’m reminding everyone else to get online and sign up too!

When you sign up to FNCV Updates, you will receive regular notices informing you of relevant seminars, projects and events. Go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/fncvupdates/ and follow the links. 
This is a moderated group available to members only so remember to include either your member number or your full name so I can identify you!  Hope to see you online soon! Any questions, please call Mimi in the office.

If you queries about any of the events listed below these are the people to call:
Bat Group:                              Megan Davidson AH 9380 5062
Botany:                                    Karen Muscat - MOB 0411 219 940
Fauna Survey Group:             Sally Bewsher - AH 03 9752 1418
Geology Group:                      Rob Hamson - AH 03 9557 5215
Microscopy:                            Ray Power - AH 03 9717 3511
Marine Research Group:       Leon Altoff - AH 03 9530 4180
Juniors:                                    Wendy Clark - AH 03 9877 9266
TIG:                                         Alan Yen - AH 03 9722 1665 MOB 0409 194 788
Fungi Group:                           Arthur Carew - AH 03 5968 4505

Calendar of Events Jun 2008 to Sep 2008

June

Sun 1st - Fungi Group
Fungal Foray - 10.30am Devilbend Park, Tuerong (MEL 152 J3). Meet at the Graydens Road picnic area. Contact: Arthur Carew.

Mon 2nd – Fungi Group
See FNN for details. Contact: Arthur Carew.

Tues 3rd - Fauna Survey Group
Ecological Impacts of Sambar Deer in East Gippsland. Speaker: Rohan Bilney. Deakin University. Contact: Ray White.

Sat 7th – Mon 9th - Fauna Survey Group
Survey of preserved bushland. Dookie Bushland, near Shepparton. Bat trapping if conditions favourable. Contact: Russell Thompson.**

Tue 10th – TIG
Insect threats to Australia. Speaker: Antonette Sindik (Australian Quarantine Inspection Service). Contact: Alan Yen (0409 194 788)

Sat 14th - Botany/TIG combined meeting.
10am to 12noon Museum Victoria Forest Gallery and live animal support talk and behind the scenes tour. *Note: this excursion is limited to 15 people. Contact: Sue Bendel.

Sun 15th – Fungi Group
Fungal Foray. 10.30am Dom Dom Saddle (MEL 610 S12). Contact: Arthur Carew.

Wed 18th – Bat Group
Grey-headed flying-fox count. Meet at Yarra Bend Golf Course carpark Mel 2D G7 at 4.45pm. RSVP by e-mail or phone Megan Davidson.**

Wed 18th – Microscopy Group
The modern microscope and its different forms. Speakers: Peter Beech, lecturer Deakin Uni, & Philip Taylor, Confocal Microscopy Unit Manager Deakin Uni. Contact: Ray Power.

Thurs 19th – Botany Group
Plants of Tanzania. Speaker: Mary Gibson. Contact: Sue Bendel

Wed 25th – Geology Group
Grampian (Gariwerd) Ranges Geology Revamped - an example of modern geoscientific methods. Speaker: Ross Cayley, Geoscience Victoria. Contact: Rob Hamson

Fri 27th – Juniors’ Group
See FNN for details. Contact: Wendy Clark

Sun 29th – Fungi Group
Fungal Foray - 10.30am Blackwood (MEL 609 E11). Meet in the car park of Garden of St Erth in Simmons Reef Road. Contact: Arthur Carew.

July

Tues 1st - Fauna Survey Group
“Hi Vallee”. Hear about our FSG March survey adventures in West. Aust. Contacts: John Harris or Sally Bewsher

Sun 6th – Fungi Group
Fungal Foray - 10.30am Greens Bush, Baldry Crossing (MEL 254 G6). Contact: Arthur Carew.

Mon 7th – Fungi Group
See FNN for details. Contact: Arthur Carew.

Thurs 10th – Botany Group (note 2nd not 3rd week)
Reconstructing wildflower grasslands. Speaker: Dr Paul Gibson Roy. Contact: Sue Bendel

Sat 12th Fauna Survey Group
Equipment day/social at clubrooms – 10.30am. BYO meat & something to share. Contacts: Sally Bewsher or Russell Thompson

Mon 14th – Marine Research Group
Speaker to be announced. See FNN for details. Contact: Leon Altoff

Wed 16th – Bat Group
Grey-headed flying-fox count. Meet at Yarra Bend Golf Course carpark Mel 2D G7 at 5.00pm. RSVP by e-mail or phone Megan Davidson.**

Wed 16th – Microscopy Group
Members Night. Contact: Ray Power

Sun 20th - 2 pm General meeting
'Blandowski's Mammals - clues to a lost world. Dr Peter Menkhorst

Sun 20th – Botany Group
Weedspotters Alert field trip with Annie Lamb. Details in FNN. Contact: Annie Lamb

Sun 20th – Fungi Group
Fungal Foray 10.30am Emerald Lake Park, Emerald (MEL 127 J4). Proceed to car park (do not cross lake). Parking fee will be payable. Contact: Arthur Carew.

Wed 23rd – Geology Group
Earthquakes. Gary Gibson (formerly of the Seismology Research Centre) will update us on seismic activity in Australia and show how earthquakes have helped shape the landscape, with particular reference to Victoria. Contact: Rob Hamson

Fri 25th – Juniors’ Group
See FNN for details. Contact: Wendy Clark.

August

Mon 4th – Fungi Group
See FNN for details. Contact: Arthur Carew

Tues 5th Fauna Survey Group
Small mammals, reptiles & fire in heathy woodlands of S.W.Vic. Julian Di Stefano & Anne Miehs. School of Forestry & Ecosystem Science. University of Melbourne. Contact: Ray White.

Sat 9th Aug 10-12 am T.I.G
The Museum Victoria entomology collections Talk & behind the scenes tour Contact: Alan Yen (0409 194 788) Note: this excursion is limited to 20 people.

Mon 11th – Marine Research Group
Speaker to be announced. See FNN for details. Contact: Leon Altoff

Tues 12 – T.I.G.
There is no talk on this talk in lieu of the talk & excursion on Aug 9th.

Wed 13th – Bat Group
Grey-headed flying-fox count. Meet at Yarra Bend Golf Course carpark Mel 2D G7 at 5.15pm. RSVP by e-mail or phone Megan Davidson.**

Wed 20th – Microscopy Group
Phytorremediation – a talk about the ability of plants to absorb heavy metals and other toxins from the soils. Jason Major from Gene Technology Information Service, Melbourne University. Contact: Ray Power.

Thurs 21st – Botany Group
Conservation status of the Victorian flora: a progress report on the current review based on IUCN Red List categories and criteria. A powerpoint presentation by David Cameron. Contact: Karen Muscat

Sun 24th – Botany Group
Threatened species population monitoring and site survey: Pomaderris vacciniifolia (Round-leaf Pomaderris) in the Castella area. Excursion led by David Cameron. Contact: Karen Muscat

Sat 23rd – Sun 24th Fauna Survey Group
Survey of Stradbroke Flora Reserve. South Gippsland. Contact: Sally Bewsher.**

Wed 27th – Geology Group
Who Killed Australia's Giant Marsupials? Speaker: Dr Matt Cupper, Melbourne University. Contact: Rob Hamson

Fri 29th – Juniors’ Group
See FNN for details. Contact: Wendy Clark.

September

Mon 1st – Fungi Group
See FNN for details. Contact: Arthur Carew.

Tues 2nd Fauna Survey Group
Latrobe Uni Wildlife Sanctuary- Its development & future. Speaker: George Paras. Contact: Ray White.

Mon 8th – Marine Research Group
Speaker to be announced. See FNN for details. Contact: Leon Altoff.

Wed 10th – Bat Group
Grey-headed flying-fox count. Meet at Yarra Bend Golf Course carpark Mel 2D G7 at 5.30pm. RSVP by e-mail or phone Megan Davidson.**

Wed 17th – Microscopy Group
Microscopy techniques for examing mycorrhizael associations . Speaker: Magali Wright –– Melb University. Contact: Ray Power

Thurs 18th – Botany Group
Peas and interesting native plants of South Gippsland. BYO pea flowers (and dissecting microscope if you have one) to workshop and examine their key identification features. Speaker: Jenny Porter. Contact: Sue Bendel

Sun 21st - Botany Group
Enjoy the flowering plants and diversity of the Wonthaggi Heathlands. The 5km circuit is through sheltered woodlands, heathlands and coastal scrub. A small section of track may be soft sand. Leader: Jenny Porter. Contact: Sue Bendel

Wed 24th – Geology Group
Tectonic Controls on Large-scale Landscape Processes in Australia. Sara Jakica of Melbourne University shows how her research in the Eucla Basin, Lake Eyre region and Darling Escarpment of WA relates to the tilting of the Australian continent. Contact: Rob Hamson

Fri 26th – Juniors’ Group
See FNN for details. Contact: Wendy Clark.

Sat 27th- Fri 3rd - Fauna Survey Group.
Wandown Flora & Fauna Reseve Swan Hill/Robinvale area. Contact: Sally Bewsher.**