VIC Field Trip: Revisiting Native Silviculture Systems & Reforestation – Tanjil Bren & Toorongo Plateau

Date: Saturday 8 November | Time: 9:30am – 4:30pm
Meeting Point: Noojee Heritage Centre (Railway Station Precinct) – 405-415 Mt Baw Baw Tourist Rd, Noojee, 3833
Please note the program is still being finalised and times may change.

About:
The Forestry Australia VIC Branch invites you to explore the outcomes of major native forest silvicultural initiatives conducted in the Noojee Forest District in the late 1980s–1990s, and their relevance to forest management today.

The field trip will visit a silvicultural systems trial site near Tanjil Bren and an area of the Toorongo Plateau reforested after bushfires. Forest researchers, practitioners, and contractors involved in these projects, past and present, will share their insights.

Meal Options / Details:

  • Lunch: BYO lunch, drinking water & picnic chair if possible.
  • Optional Dinner:  At own expense. Toolshed Bar & Bistro, 38 Loch Valley Rd, Noojee, 3833 . Please indicate in the registration form if you plan to stay for dinner.

Transport:
Self-drive – 4WD/AWD required. Car-pooling can be arranged from Noojee. Please indicate in the registration form:

  • if you can take passengers (and how many)
  • if you require a car-pool from Noojee

Equipment:
Wear sturdy footwear and clothing suitable for all weather. Bring a hard hat and high-vis vest if you have one; extras will be available.

PROGRAM (subject to change)

9:30am: Meet at Noojee Heritage Centre (railway station replica). Coffee and morning tea available for purchase from Heritage Gifts and Coffee. Arrange car-pooling.

10:00am: Depart Noojee for the Silvicultural Systems Project (SSP) site on Regnans Rd near Tanjil Bren (approx. 30 min). Google Maps link, HERE.

10:30am: Arrive at the “Summit” adjacent to the shelterwood site on Regnans Rd.

  • Forest researchers, practitioners, and contractors will share experiences from the active phase of this project. Present-day researchers revisiting the experiment 37 years later will discuss its implications, including relevance for active management in this forest type.
  • SSP Objective: Test whether a balance between economic and environmental concerns could be achieved with silvicultural systems other than clearfelling. Budget limited the study to eucalypt regeneration, operational safety, and cost-effectiveness.
  • Measurements were conducted for eight years post-treatment, then discontinued until 2020. A new University of Melbourne study seeks to understand variability in stand structure and composition across treatments, and how they influenced non-timber values such as carbon sequestration, water use, and habitat features.

1:00pm: Depart SSP for Toorongo Plateau

1:30pm: Arrive at Toorongo Plateau

Lunch & Discussion:

  • Bushfires in 1926, 1932, and 1939 affected eucalypt and rainforest across more than 1,000 hectares, leaving open grassy areas and wattle scrub.
  • A significant reforestation project (late 1980s–mid-1990s) has led to impressive outcomes, though the pathway to success was complex. Hear directly from the foresters, crews, and contractors involved.

3:30pm: Depart Toorongo Plateau

4:15pm: Arrive back at Noojee

Suggested Accommodation:
You don’t need to stay overnight for this one-day trip, but if you’d like to, please organise your own booking. Cabins are available at Toolshed – give them a call on 03 5628 9669 or visit , toolshednoojee.com.au

Registration (Inc. GST):
Forestry Australia member: $10 | Non-members: $25 | Forestry Student Australia member: $0
*Please be sure to log in to your member account to get the discounted member prices.
Registrations close: Wednesday 5 November

To register, click HERE