A Leafy Day in Dereel
Our August field trip was led by BJ Johnson, an orchid enthusiast who teaches a course at the Ballarat U3A on native orchids. We saw the leaves of many species of orchids, and were excited to find a few in flower as well.
We visited 3 sites in Dereel, starting with an area by the Lagoon which suffered a bushfire at the end of February this year. Our path extended into unburnt areas of the H27 bushland reserve. Highlights included Varied Sitellas, Small Gnat Orchids and a Slaty Helmet orchid in flower.
After lunch back at the Dereel Community Hall, where a female Scarlet Robin was seen, we drove to the H26 bushland reserve where we explored 2 different sections. Afternoon highlights included a large patch of Earthstar fungi, the "vegetable caterpillar" Drechmeria gunnii, and finally a Veined Helmet orchid flowering.
You can see all the observations made on the field trip by clicking here.
Many thanks to BJ for a fascinating and informative field trip!
