Mark those calendars and keep the 13-17th October free because the ANPC will be holding the 14th Australasian Plant Conservation Conference (APCC14) in Toowoomba, Queensland.
We’re looking forward to seeing you all in the Garden City!
Keep checking our newsletter and social media channels for updates when more information becomes available.
There is a need for horticulturists and practitioners managing Myrtle Rust susceptible collections to collaborate, share ideas and workshop problems.
To address this the ANPC, UNSW and the BGANZ Collections and Records Management group (BCARM) are collaborating to co-ordinate a quarterly series of informal virtual get togethers, commencing in February 2024.
This series will be exclusively focused on practical aspects of managing and maintaining a conservation collection of Myrtle Rust susceptible species and will have an open forum structure. The series will be open to any practitioners across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand managing collections impacted by Myrtle Rust including local council nurseries.
As part of customising the content and schedule we are seeking your feedback in this short survey.
The first session “Fundamentals of managing a Myrtle Rust sensitive collection” will be held on 22 February 2024 at 2pm Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT).
For more information about Myrtle Rust visit the dedicated ANPC resource page.
We hope to see you there.
Beyond the Guidelines: designing resilient, persistent plant translocations.
This workshop was held on 16 November 2023 as part of the 3rd International Conservation Translocation Conference held in Fremantle, Western Australia.
It focused on aspects of planning and practice that can improve the likelihood of establishing healthy, resilient and recruiting plant populations, that will persist over the long term. The talks included practical examples of sourcing seed or other germplasm types, selecting recipient sites (macro and microsites), post planting management techniques and genetic health assessments. They also addressed creation of populations that are resilient to disturbance. The sessions covered the following 3 themes:
– pre-translocation
– planting
– post-translocation.
Download the flyer and program here
Recordings from the workshop are available on the ANPC Youtube channel here
Download or purchase the ANPC’s Translocation Guidelines here
In collaboration with the Centre for Ecosystem Science, UNSW, the ANPC held ‘FLORA AFTER FIRE – winners, losers and lessons‘ via Zoom webinar on Wednesday 16 August 2023.
This free online symposium was focused on the post-fire recovery of native vegetation.
A range of speakers covered three themes:
1/ plant and fire relationships
2/ impacts and observations (case studies)
3/ lessons and actions moving forward
Speakers from across Australia discussed plant and fire impacts, with special emphasis on Black Summer impacts and recovery. Topics and speakers included:
Recordings of the presentations will be available soon!
Myrtle Rust threatens an estimated 350 Australian plants, killing new growth, buds and flowers, meaning severely impacted species can no longer reproduce. Worst affected species will disappear from the wild. Myrtle Rust is having such a devastating impact on some native plants, that scientists, community groups and First Nations groups in Australia and New Zealand are working together to devise an Australasian response. In June 2023 over 100 experts from around the globe met in Sydney to share knowledge in the inaugural Australasian Myrtle Rust Conference, supported by the Australian Network for Plant Conservation.
Download the Summary of Proceedings of the Australasian Myrtle Rust Conference here [PDF link]
Attendees were buoyed by the breadth of work and dedication to preventing Myrtle Rust extinctions. They were simultaneously unanimous in the sentiment that stronger leadership, greater coordination, and long-term funding were the crucial missing elements. Priority next steps include improved sharing of resources and of research and its outcomes, and refining priority species and actions for conservation efforts to maximise the involvement of researchers, communities and land managers.
Several key themes emerged from the 50 presentations given during the conference, giving rise to potential simultaneous directions to tackle Myrtle Rust incursions and extinctions:
International guest speaker Dr Richard Sniezko from the US Department of Agriculture Forest Service, presenting on developing disease resistance tree populations for restoration. Credit: Dan Turner
ANPC’s Annual General Meeting will be held on Wednesday 15 November 2023, from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm (Australian Eastern Daylight Saving Time) in the Dickson Room, Australian National Botanic Gardens, Clunies Ross St, Acton, 2601 and via Zoom.
An email has been sent to all ANPC members with links to the draft Agenda and 2022 Minutes, along with a nomination form for the following committee positions which will be declared vacant at the meeting: President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Ordinary members (6 positions). Be sure to check your spam folder if you can’t see the email.
All financial members are encouraged to attend in a voting capacity to ensure we reach a quorum, and to hear about what the ANPC has achieved over the last year. This includes individual members and representatives of organisational members. To check your membership status, please contact the office.
Please RSVP to the Secretary at by Wednesday 8 November 2023. This will greatly assist us in preparing a successful AGM. You will receive the Zoom link after you have RSVP’d.