NEWS OF COMING EVENTS

There's plenty happening in the Gardens in July!

Dates to Remember

• The Photographic Group will meet on Friday 24 June at 10.00 in the Theatrette. The meeting will feature a presentation on bird photography by Graham Gall. All Friends are welcome, so if you wish to attend just turn up or contact a committee member at photo@friendsanbg.org.au.
  
  On right: New Holland honeyeater feeding on Banksia menziesii in the Banksia garden on a late autumn day (photographer: Steven Playford).
   
• The Nature Journaling Group will meet on Monday 4 July – weather permitting. If you wish to participate please email Lesley Page at lespage26@gmail.com.
   
• The Plant Science Group will be holding a talk on 11 July. Details will be sent to members of the Group. All Friends are welcome to join, so if you aren't already a member please email plantscience@friendsanbg.org.au.
   
• The Growing Friends are planning a plant sale on Saturday 27 August. If you are a plant lover then put this date in your diary!

New Council Member Needed

After nearly 6 years, David More has decided to step down from Council to spend more time on other matters. As well as Council duties, he has been the mainstay of our IT and Website teams and provided considerable assistance to various Friends groups. He has also supported the membership database, the Guides communications systems and the list continues. Council and all those associated with David appreciate the significant contribution he has made, and we wish him well.

We need another Friend to replace him on Council. Experience in IT and database development would be ideal, together with a willingness to contribute ideas and work with our various groups. The person taking on this role would work closely with a small team of people.

If you are interested, please send an email by 6 July to the President, Neville Page at nevpage@iinet.net.au or Secretary, Lynden Ayliffe at ayliffelynden@gmail.com.

MEGAfauna in the Gardens

The ANBG has arranged two different experiences for you and your family:

MEGAfauna: myths & legends – this will be held 1-31 July, 8.30 am -5.00 pm.

Pick up a map from the Visitor Centre to help you find megafauna, ancient plants and more.

MEGAfauna after Dark – this evening event will be held on 2, 3, 7, 8 and 9 July, 5.30 pm-8.30 pm.

This cultural event includes a local bunyip story and song by a First Nations storyteller Tyronne Bell, and a light supper at Pollen café.

Costs apply, numbers are limited and bookings are essential. For more information and bookings visit the Gardens website.

Special Talks about Megafauna

The Thursday Talks team has arranged two special talks in the Theatrette:

Dr Judith Field: ‘Last of Megafauna? Unravelling the debates around the Late Pleistocene Faunal Extinctions' - Friday 1 July at 12.30 pm

Associate Professor Judith Field, from University of NSW, will look at some of these animals individually to better understand their behaviour, diets and their place in the Australian environment and discuss why they may have been susceptible to a changing landscape climate and possibly a new predator. Find out more at the Friends website.

Reserve your place at https://www.trybooking.com/CAIGF

Dr Lyndall Dawson 'The bigger the better: was this true for the marsupial megafauna?' - Tuesday 12 July at 12:30 pm

Dr Dawson, palaeontologist and author, will talk about the ecological advantages that very large marsupial species may have had during the Pleistocene, and address the disadvantages of such a large size when humans came to share their land.

For more information and to reserve a seat, see the Friends website calendar entry.

Themed Walks: Ancient Plants and Animals

A look at the impact of geological change on Australia’s plants and animals. Join a free guided walk to see what the vegetation was like in the ages of dinosaurs and of the megafauna, and how it has changed over time.

Daily from Monday 18 July to Sunday 24 July 11am-12 noon. Meet at the clock near the bridge. No booking required for individuals, but groups of seven or more people should contact walks@friendsanbg.org.au a week before the planned walk.

Thursday Talks

Talks are held every Thursday at 12.30 in the Gardens Theatrette, and details can be found in Fronds and our website calendar. Just to remind you … this is the line up of speakers for the next few weeks:

23 June – Michael Mulvaney and Chris Davey – ‘Gang-gang nesting ecology’

30 June – Dr Liz Truswell – ‘Banksia: the fossil history of an iconic genus’

7 July – Con Boekel – ‘Local extinctions of birds from Canberra’s inner north nature reserves’

14 July – Professor Justin Borevitz – ‘Precision Landscape Regeneration’

21 July – Damien Wrigley – ‘Australian Seed Bank Partnership – Post Bushfire Recovery across the country’

Bookings are essential. They open on the Friday before the talk until Wednesday night or until seating limits are reached. Tickets are free but a gold coin donation on entry is appreciated to raise funds for the Gardens. Visit the Friends website calendar for more details.

Library Connect, June 2022

This month’s Library Connect (PDF, 808 KB) has the usual listing of new books, and a reminder to return all completed field notebooks.

People and Place: The Black Mountain Oral History Project

This talk will be presented by Dr Mary Hutchison on Wednesday 22 June 2022, 11:30am -12.30 pm in the Crosbie Morrison Building.

Many people have been involved in the conservation and promotion of the rich biodiversity on Black Mountain for decades, ranging from scientists to members of the public as citizen scientists and through park care activities. In 2021 the Friends of Black Mountain commenced a project to record the oral histories of nine of these people who have had significant involvement with Black Mountain since its declaration as a nature reserve in 1970. The aim is to celebrate and preserve their legacy in the conservation of the reserve.

Mary will introduce the aims and methods of oral history practice and present initial insights drawn from the progress of her interviews to date.

Bookings essential - please email your name and phone number to friendsofblackmountain@gmail.com or phone Linda (0437 298 711) or Julie (6251 6972). This is to comply with COVID-19 requirements and to let you know if there is a change at short notice.

Botanical Tour of Tasmania: 29 October- 5 November 2022

We are a member of the Australian Association of Friends of Botanic Gardens (AAFBG), and that network is organising this boutique tour of Tasmanian Gardens which Friends are welcome to join.

4 nights Launceston – 3 nights Hobart
This boutique tour to Tasmania explores the many and varied botanical, historical, culinary, and scenic offerings of this small but richly-endowed island state. Download the tour brochure

AAFBG e-ucalypt - June 2022

The latest issue of the Australian Association of Friends of Botanic Gardens (AAFBG) monthly email newsletter is available here.