Oct 7, 2020 | News
The ANPC is working with Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, Friends of Grampians Gariwerd – FOGGS and Australasian Native Orchid Society – Victorian Group to save the threatened Thelymitra mackibbinii from extinction, thanks to funding from the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning. Thelymitra mackibbinii has less than 60 naturally wild plants remaining in the Wimmera district of Victoria. So far, two exclusion fences have been constructed to protect plants from grazing kangaroos, wallabies and rabbits. Surveys for any new plants and to identify the species’ pollinator (a native bee) have also been undertaken by community volunteers. Further surveys and pollinator baiting will be undertaken this Spring, before re-introducing 400 seedlings in winter 2021. Read more.
Oct 7, 2020 | News
The deadline to submit articles for the APC summer issue is fast approaching. There is no specific theme for with articles on any plant conservation topic welcome. The APC editor is encouraging submission of articles describing plant and ecological community responses to fire. For more information on submitting articles please visit this web page or email the APC editor Heidi Zimmer. The submission deadline on 1 November 2020.
Sep 18, 2020 | News
ANPC Project Managers, Martin Driver and Lucy Commander will be using their expertise to help with the fire recovery efforts through Project Phoenix: native seed for bushfire recovery. Greening Australia is leading this strategic program to build and secure native seed and plant supply for restoration after the devastating Black Summer bushfires. Learn more here.
Sep 18, 2020 | News
The FloraBank Guidelines, for best practice native seed collection and use, are getting a long-awaited update. The update is part of the Healthy Seeds project, which is being funded by NSW Government, through its Environmental Trust. The project commenced late 2019, and so far, 12 of the 15 modules have been drafted by a diverse range of experts. These modules are currently being reviewed by people across the world. For more information, see the new FloraBank page on the ANPC website or contact the Project Manager, Dr Lucy Commander.
Sep 18, 2020 | News
The threatened Caladenia audasii has fewer than 8 plants left in the wild. Over the last three years, the ANPC has been working with Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria Friends of Grampians Gariwerd – FOGGS and Australasian Native Orchid Society – Victorian Group to save it from extinction, thanks to funding from the Victorian Government’s Biodiversity Onground Action Program. An exclusion fence has been built at one site to protect plants from grazing, seed has been collected and sown for propagation, and surveys undertaken to look for any new orchid plants. Pollinator baiting has also been carried out to identify the orchid’s pollinator which is critical to manage the ecology of this species. The final stage of the project will be the re-introduction of 200 Caladenia audasii seedlings in winter 2021. Read more.
Aug 5, 2020 | News
New interview with Dr Lucy Commander (tw: @lucy_commander), a restoration seed ecologist who has spent over a decade undertaking scientific research with the mining industry to improve mine restoration. Lucy was also the lead editor of the Australian Network for Plant Conservation’s Guidelines for the Translocation of Threatened Plants, published in 2018, and is currently Project Manager for the update of the Florabank Guidelines for best practice native seed collection and use, with Australian Network for Plant Conservation and partners. In this conversation, Lucy talks about her interest in singing and gardening, restoration seed ecology, and her work as an editor on the Florabank Guidelines for best practice native seed collection and use. Watch here.
