Good news from the Mallee. Promise!
Garland Lily (Calostemma luteum)
This nature diary is all about the things in our Mallee backyard that I think are awesome. I hope you think so too! This is me, trying to save the world one little patch of habitat at a time. To be honest, this blog is my motivator to keep learning and doing, and a way to connect with you, share, and hopefully inspire. Good news only, promise!
Fiona xx
Latest
The Mallee Looper is a native caterpillar that is eating its way through thousands of hectares of Mallee Woodlands in Victoria and South Australia. Here is what we learnt this year.
Raakajilm will never be the same after a fire on 9th January 2026, but two months later we are seeing signs of recovery. We’ve had some very welcome rainfall and the support of many friends.
On the 9th January 2026 a bushfire burnt 160 hectares of the Raakajilm conservation property, plus hundreds of hectares in Hattah Kulkyne National Park.
In September 2025, we hosted a field day on Raakajilm searching for the Silky Swainson-pea (Swainsona sericea). What a day it was - fully booked and wait-listed. Who knew there were so many plant nerds in the Mallee! And we solved the rhizobium mystery!
The Swainson-peas are beautiful plants, difficult to propagate and mostly threatened in Victoria. In the Mallee we have several species, including: Small-leaf Swainson-pea (Swainsona microphylla); Silky Swainson-pea (Swainsona sericea); Dwarf Swainson Pea (Swainsona phacoides); and Hairy Darling-pea (Swainsona greyana).
We are excited to announce … there’s a wetland on Raakajilm!
This beautiful one hectare area will be seasonally wet, with a smaller permanent pool forming a drought refuge for wildlife. A wetland like this offers many opportunities to establish insurance populations of rare plants and a completely different bird-watching experience.
It’s that time of year when Gazanias start flowering and we notice them creeping their way into bushland areas. These plants may be colourful but they are a real menace. It frustrates me that they are not listed as a weed in Victoria so they can still be sold in nurseries. Luckily, I’m not the only one concerned.
The wonderful folk at Meridian Maps have just released the third edition of the Hattah-Kulkyne Map Guide. And we’re in it!
We were happy to help with some of the content, including adding in the Raakajilm conservation property and Jesse’s Track.
In May 2025, we asked our friends at MYCOmmunity and Fungi4Land to show us how to do fungal restoration properly
When you are working with Year 8 students, there is so much mileage that comes with using that phrase. The expression on their faces is priceless when you whip out a pair of giant, white cotton bloomers and wave them about 😊. But there’s a serious message.
Some of our soils are not healthy. We are missing the decomposers.
In May 2025, w set up camp on the Raakajilm conservation property in the Mallee of north-west Victoria: Latji Latji Country. Camping, yoga, drawing with nature, restoring a wetland, delicious food … we had a great time.
We have invited a few emus to live on Raakajlim. Job description: “Eat, walk and poo”. And now we have giant Quandong-filled poo all over the place!
