Welcome to the March 2026 issue of our quarterly magazine, ParkWatch.
In this issue we take a look at the state of nature protection in Victoria. We examine the rejection of expert advice in the Central Highlands; the devastating staff cuts gutting the management of our parks and protection of wildlife; ask who’s protecting our marine national parks; and the shocking proposals to abolish Victoria’s key nature institutions. These are decisions with lasting consequences for the parks and wildlife we love. Now is the time to stick up for nature, and we report on the movement taking form to turn the tide.
We also explore the aftermath of recent bushfires across Victoria’s parks and the wildlife caught in their path; report on a renewable energy project that’s a good idea in the wrong place; and give a mixed scorecard for the Melbourne Strategic Assessment.
We take an in-depth look at the perils and pitfalls of advocating for nature online in 2026. In the tangible, mud-on-your-boots world of people helping nature, we visit Organ Pipes National Park — the state’s smallest national park, with Melbourne’s oldest friends group — tucked away on Melbourne’s north-western fringe. Plus much, much more!
We hope you’ve enjoyed the last of Summer and the ever-changing wonders of nature as we meander into Autumn, when our fungi quiz will start to come in handy!
Cover image: Golden-scruffy Collybia (Cyptotrama asprata), Bunyip State Park, Bunurong Country (Credit: Meghan Lindsay)
Download this edition as a PDF
Read this edition as an e-mag:
If you enjoyed this read and want to be kept up to date about more nature issues in Victoria – subscribe to our email updates.
ParkWatch is even better read in its print version – become a VNPA member and receive the hard copy magazine by post four times a year. Find out more here.