Grassy Talks

Talk 24: Oh, Savannah

April 4, 2025

We often think of historical western Victoria as treeless grassland. But much of it was savannah, with many types of trees scattered across the landscape, including many non-Eucalypts. These woodlands have almost all been cleared.

Dr. Steve Sinclair brings together historic and contemporary evidence to build a picture of these savannah woodlands. Steve will dive into their ecology, decline and efforts to restore them.

Steve is a Senior Scientist at DEECA’s Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research (ARI), and a member of the Friends of the Forgotten Woodlands. 

Talk 23: Grassland orchids

March 4, 2025

The 23rd Grassy Talk on the wonderfully complex world of grassland orchids was presented as a special live only presentation by Dr Noushka Reiter, Senior Research Scientist in Conservation at the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria.

Noushka’s research unravels orchids’ unique associations with mycorrhizal fungi, pollinators and habitat. She leads the Garden’s Orchid Conservation Program.

The presentation included unpublished information that was included in the live presentation as a special treat. Due to this unpublished research, we are not able to share this month’s Grassy Talk with you at this time.

In the meantime, please visit the Orchid Conservation Program at RBGV.

Talk 22: Looking to the Future

February 4, 2025

In the first Grassy Talk for 2025, Professor John Morgan discusses where we should be focusing our efforts for grassy ecosystem conservation and restoration. 

John is one of Australia’s foremost grassland ecologists, and has been influential in grassland conservation policy and action for many years.

Talk 21: Seasonal Herbaceous Wetlands: bursting into life

November 5, 2024

Seasonal Herbaceous Wetlands are almost invisible, until enough rainfall coaxes them back to life. When revived, they burst on the scene with rare plants and wondrous creatures, many of which have dormant for years.

Dr Michelle Casanova has a profound understanding of these glorious ephemeral patches. She co-nominated the community under the federal EPBC Act for this amazing ecological community which is now listed as critically endangered.

Talk 20: Fire in grasslands

November 5, 2024

High diversity in native grasslands on the Victorian Volcanic Plain occurs where fire has been historically frequent. But the elements that created a culture of regular grassland burning are changing.

How do we make sure burning continues? How do we approach grassland conservation on farms that lack a burning history over the past century?

Dr Ben Zeeman is going to help us navigate this complex area. Ben is a plant ecologist and Senior Biodiversity Officer at Glenelg Hopkins Catchment Management Authority.

Talk 19: Soil and ecosystem restoration

October 1, 2024

Get the dirt on soil health! Kim Deans runs through a soils-focused, whole of system approach to restoration. Kim discusses soil health, above and below ground succession, weed management and the effects of fire and herbicide.

Kim is a holistic agricultural extension professional with over 30 years of experience and has worked with agricultural businesses navigating processes of change and transition.

Talk 18: Grasslands of the Wimmera

September 3, 2024

Head west with Dr Joshua Hodges to get an understanding of what makes the Wimmera grasslands distinctive.

Joshua is a fire and grassland ecologist. They previously worked for the National Seed Bank, where their research focused on the role of fire in promoting seedling emergence in grasslands and grassy woodlands. After moving to Natimuk in 2023, Joshua committed to raising awareness of the Wimmera’s often-overlooked grassy ecosystems and the threats they face.

Talk 17: Growing great Kangaroo grass

August 6, 2024

Kangaroo Grass is a keystone species, but surprisingly difficult to grow efficiently. Enter Dylan Male, an agricultural scientist passionate about the integration of science and traditional knowledge to improve agricultural systems. 

Dylan’s recently completed University of Melbourne research supported DJAARA – the traditional owner group representing the Dja Dja Wurrung people of central Victoria – to develop Kangaroo Grass into a contemporary seed crop. In this grassy talk he shares his PhD findings on seed sowing and harvest timing, weed control and ecotype selection. 

Talk 16: From patch to landscape: Plains-wanderer conservation

July 2, 2024

The Plains-wanderer is an elusive and remarkable grassland icon. Dr Dan Nugent, Bush Heritage Australia reserve manager and ecologist, knows more about them than almost anyone.
 
Lucky for us, Dan’s happy to share his experience and knowledge of 15 years of restoration and conservation research.

Talk 15: 25 years of grassland protection

June 4, 2024

Trust for Nature protects thousands of hectares of Victorian grassland across Victoria. Doug Robinson, their Chief Conservation Scientist reveals some of his insights from the last 25 years.

Talk 14: Metro’s rail grasslands

May 7, 2024

Ben Roberts from Metro Trains tells us how Metro is implementing their Biodiversity Management Plan, caring for the many grassland biosites they’re responsible for, and updates us on an exciting direct seeding trial right now underway.

Talk 13: ‘Inch flora’, Prof. John Morgan

April 9, 2024

One of Australia’s leading grassland ecologists Professor John Morgan (La Trobe University) gives our next Grassy Talk on a favourite subject of his – ‘inch flora’

Tiny annuals, some ‘inch-flora’ are 100,000+ times smaller than a Mountain Ash!

Talk 12: Rock the mighty Victorian Volcanic Plain

March 5, 2024

Emeritus Professor Dr John Webb (La Trobe University) reveals what underlies our great grassy land – the geology and geomorphology of the Victorian Volcanic Plain.

Cue stony rises, lava flows and heavy clay soils!

Talk 11: Grassy Eucalypt Woodland Talk

February 2, 2024

Trust for Nature‘s Ben Cullen‘s Grassy Talk on Grassy Eucalypt Woodlands. We were promised that 1200 hectares of this critically endangered ecosystem would be protected as part of the Melbourne Strategic Assessment, but more than a decade later almost none has been protected. In a shift of strategy away from Public Acquisition Overlays, Ben is leading efforts by Trust for Nature to use covenants to secure the long term protection of Grassy Eucalypt Woodland in the north of Melbourne.

Talk 10: Inverterbrate Pollinators in our Grassy Plains

November 7, 2023

Allison Menzies will give us the buzz on pollination in our grasslands – from forester moths to flower wasps, small black beetles to leafcutter bees. Her current Latrobe Uni Masters project is looking at invertebrate pollinators of five key floral plants at Illabarook Grassland Flora Reserve.

Talk 9: Merri Creek Grassy Talk

October 3, 2023

Ann McGregor and Michael Longmore from the magnificent Friends of Merri Creek and Merri Creek Management Committee will talk about how these twin organisations got to be so fabulously effective at protecting and restoring the Merri and beyond – and bringing in so many people. They have been truly instrumental in creating change.

Talk 8: Victoria’s Golden Sun Moth: The challenges and complexities of managing a cryptic invertebrate

September 5, 2023

Graham Jury is an Ecologist with TREC Land Services. Last year he completed a knowledge synthesis on the Golden Sun Moth for Trust for Nature, incorporating scientific literature, industry reports and stakeholder interviews. He has a passion for invertebrate conservation and has a decade’s experience in grassland conservation across Melbourne and Victoria.

Talk 7: Gardening with Grassland Plants

August 8, 2023

Talk 6: The Friends of Grasslands’ Experience

July 4, 2023

Friends of Grasslands, the Canberra-based grassland conservation organisation which commenced in 1994, has exceeded expectations, but its vision and approach remains simple. The FoG model now used by many groups is almost self-evident. It is based on volunteers focused on an ecosystem approach, using simple but sound governance principles, learning through visits to grassland sites, workshops, on-ground work, communication of ideas and experience, and experienced-based advocacy, while developing partnerships and networks. This all flows from opening ourselves to nature, learning from First Nations people management of country and encouraging good science and research. It also requires us to unlearn many of our preconceived ideas, prejudices and fears of nature. While this may seem overwhelming and complex, a group of a few open-minded people can create a new beginning. We will briefly explore a short potted history of FoG where we can see how these lessons have been learnt.

Geoff Robertson is a former economist and statistician, who has worked many years in Canberra and internationally, and has extensive experience in many conservation groups. He has been privileged to have close relationships with a number of first nations people. He is a former long-term president of FOG, a former co-owner of a conservation property of Garuwanga, and has been an active innovator in creating grassland projects and initiatives.

Talk 5: Fat-tailed Dunnarts

June 6, 2023

Dr Emily Scicluna discussed all things Fat-tailed Dunnart: ecology, conservation status, skulls, behaviour, threats… and what needs to occur to conserve this species. The Fat-tailed Dunnart is the last small marsupial of the grasslands – and a mighty predator. Emily is the force behind the recent listing of “Dunnies” as Vulnerable under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act, and they are now included on the Threatened Species List in Victoria. Loss of their native grassland habitat, as grazing becomes replaced by cropping, has been a major factor in their decline.

Emily recently completed her PhD at La Trobe University and is now a Research Associate at The University of Melbourne, specialising in carnivorous marsupial conservation. Within her PhD project, Emily investigated a number of key aspects of Fat-tailed Dunnart (Sminthopsis crassicaudata) ecology, captive breeding, characterisation of personality, cognitive ability, skull morphology and reintroduction success. Her questions revolved around what changes occur during captivity that might influence reintroduction success later.

Talk 4: Offsets: The Good (Yes!), the Bad and the Intricacies

May 2, 2023

Lincoln Kern on Offsets: the Good (Yes!), the Bad, and the Intricacies. Lincoln is Managing Director of Practical Ecology, and has been at the coalface of grassland conservation for 20 years. 

Talk 3: The Striped Legless Lizard – A Short History?

April 4, 2023

Our third Grassy Talk, The Striped Legless Lizard – A Short History? is delivered by researcher and academic Megan O’Shea. Striped Legless Lizards are endemic to Australia and pre-date the arrival of snakes. What do we know about them and why are we concerned about them in 2023?

Megan currently heads up The GREEN Lab @ Iramoo project at Victoria University which focuses on Grasslands: Research, Education, Engagement and Nursery (GREEN). Megan’s work has focused on Striped Legless Lizards, Spiny Rice-flower, and restoration, management and community engagement in grasslands of the Werribee-Keilor Plain. 

Talk 2: A New Grassland for Royal Park

March 7, 2023

For our second Grassy Talk, researcher and academic Katherine Horsfell will takes us through the successful direct seeding recreation of a grassland along the Gatehouse Street edge of Royal Park (one million seeds, 27 species, six surface treatments!), and what her research could mean for the future of grassland restoration.

Talk 1: The Pimelea spinescens story

February 7, 2023

Dr Debbie Reynolds, Pimelea Conservation Officer with Trust for Nature, speaks about the iconic grassland Spiny Rice-flower (Pimelea spinescens).