Fin Whale washed up dead near Warrnambool - 6 October 2014
A fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) washed up dead on Levy's Beach near Warrnambool on 17 September, 2014 will be prepared for use in the museum's collection More »
2014 Archived News
Public consultation regarding the EPBC Act Listing of Natural Damp Grasslands of the South East Coastal Plain Bioregion ecological community - 1 September 2014
On behalf of the Threatened Species Scientific Committee (the Committee), the Australian Government Department of the Environment (the Department) is undertaking public consultation on the assessment of Natural Damp Grasslands of the South East Coastal Plain Bioregion. This ecological community is being assessed as a potentially threatened ecological community under Australia's national environmental law, the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (the EPBC Act). It is proposed to recommend this ecological community for listing as critically endangered. The period of consultation closes on 19 September 2014 More »
Petition to review conservation status of Wellsford Forest - 14 July 2014
Petition to review the conservation status of the Wellsford State Forest (near Bendigo). The Wellsford Forest Conservation Alliance (WFCA) is concerned about the significant detrimental impact of timber harvesting and the continuing decline and degradation of the ecological values of this remnant of the once widespread Box-Ironbark forests of Victoria. As a consequence, WFCA has established this petition as part of its ongoing campaign. More »
New species of bat named after Victorian scientist
A new species of bat has just been described and it's been named after Lindy Lumsden at the Arthur Rylah Institute. More »
Whale season begins in Victoria - 12 June 2014
The first sightings of Southern Right Whales and migrating Humpback Whales occurred on 23 May at Portland and Port Fairy. Southern Right Whales were also sighted at Logan's Beach, near Warrnambool on 26 May. These sightings mark the start of the whale watching season in Victoria.
Captive-bred Orange-bellied Parrot released in Tasmania sighted in Victoria
A female Orange-bellied Parrot has been observed on private property on the Surf Coast in atypical OBP mainland habitat from late morning of 29th April to early afternoon of 2nd May feeding on Seaberry Saltbush (Rhagodia candolleana), a species previously unrecorded as an OBP food plant. The bird was observed again on the morning of the 7th May. She is one of the captive-bred birds released at Melaleuca in November 2013 and certainly helped the cause by producing five young in the 2013/14 breeding season in the wild. Further to this, in captivity in 2012/13 she produced three young at Taroona, Tasmania. "Blue L", by the band on her left leg, was hatched in captivity in the 2011/12 breeding season at Taroona. Another amazing part of this story is that this bird is bred from stock that has been in captivity for 5 generations - and been released and migrated to the mainland! "Blue L" was last seen at the feed table at Melaleuca on 15th April. Story from Craig Morley, Bellarine Landcare http://www.bellarinelandcare.org.au/ More »
Invasive toad sighted at Sunbury
The Asian black-spined toad, a prohibited pest in Victoria, has recently been sighted in Sunbury as reported by . Hayley Mackie Conservation Coordinator, Environment at Brimbank City Council. More »
Native fish strategy for Murray-Darling online view
Special Issue: The Native Fish Strategy: Bringing native fish back. Ecological Society of Australia and Wiley have published this supplement with financial support from the Murray-Darling Basin Authority, Department of Environment and Primary Industries (Vic) and NSW Department of Primary Industries (Fisheries) More »
SWIFFT video conference - Marine Wildlife
Video conference featuring Marine Wildlife with 3 guest speakers and linking up 17 locations across Victoria. More »
Spot-tailed Quoll
Spot-tailed Quoll detection dogs More »