QTPN Flora Discovery Project

Flora Discovery Project: empowering conservation groups to conduct threatened flora surveys in Queensland

Plant Conservation Australia was selected as one of 2025’s Bank Australia community customer grant recipients, supporting the Queensland Threatened Plant Network (QTPN*) Flora Discovery Project. These grants aim to grow the impact of Bank Australia customers who are making a difference in areas such as nature and biodiversity, climate action, affordable and accessible housing and First Nations Recognition and Respect.

Six Flora Survey Training Workshops were held during 2025/26 to train community-based volunteer groups and citizen scientists in regional areas of Queensland to undertake targeted native flora surveys and fill key gaps in our knowledge of our threatened plants. The workshops built their capacity to conduct strategic and highly valuable surveys of rare flora, and assist in the long term planning, implementation and monitoring of recovery actions for these species.

Queensland is the most biodiverse state in Australia with over 14,000 species of native plants and plant-like species such as algae and lichens. Over 1000 of these plants are listed as threatened (under the Queensland Nature Conservation Act and the federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act), making up 78% of all of Queensland’s threatened species. Many of these plants are poorly known and under-surveyed. Without baseline data on their population sizes and health, it is very difficult to prevent their extinction.

Workshop attendees were equipped to:

1. Survey plant species with poor population data (especially critically endangered and endangered flora).
2. Record new threatened species populations (especially on recently acquired protected areas, many of which are under-surveyed).
3. Provide information on plant populations that can be used to improve/refine actions in Recovery Action Plans.

The workshops involved an initial 2-hour session providing an overview of threatened plant species in Queensland and covered such topics as establishing a species profile, survey tools, permits to collect specimens, key information to collect in the field, threatened plant survey proforma, collecting herbarium voucher specimens and standard threatened flora survey techniques (as per Queensland Herbarium guidelines). The remainder of the day was spent in the field demonstrating and conducting a real-life flora survey so participants gained practical experience implementing the survey techniques.

Workshop 1: Native Plants Capricornia
In August 2025, the QTPN hosted a workshop with Native Plants Capricornia and Capricorn Conservation Council in Rockhampton where participants headed out to Canoona to survey an unlisted Comesperma sp. (of which they found roughly 20 individuals). They also documented 60+ individuals of the vulnerable Hakea trinuera. A great day had by all, thanks to collaboration!

Workshop 2: Darumbal Land and Sea Rangers
In September 2025, the QTPN hosted a workshop with the Indigenous Land and Sea Rangers that manage Darumbal Country in Central Queensland. Rangers were taken through the status of Queensland’s threatened flora, how to establish a plant profile, an explanation of the key information to collect when conducting a plant survey, how to use field-based survey tools, when permits are required, how survey data can be used to conserve threatened plants and then conducted a survey which focussed on an Indigenous medicinal plant Exocarpos latifolius. Workshops with Traditional Owner groups provide incredibly important opportunities to build the skill sets they require to continue to manage and steward Country.

Workshop 3: Kingaroy Native Plants and Field Naturalists
Also in September, the QTPN hosted a workshop with Native Plant and Field Naturalist group members in the Kingaroy region northwest of the Sunshine Coast. This area is part of the Brigalow Belt and has suffered extensive clearing for grazing and agriculture. For the on-ground component, participants conducted a survey focused on one of the eight known populations of the endangered Zieria inexpectata. Since the workshop, they have located an additional Zieria population and organised a mini-bioblitz for Cherbourg National Park which is very poorly surveyed for plants.

Workshop 4: Mackay, QLD
In May 2026, QTPN hosted a workshop attended by local Native Plant Group members, Landcare, Mackay Council and local consultants. 15 attendees heard about the state of threatened flora in Queensland, discussed flora survey techniques and put one of these into practice in the afternoon field session. Many thanks to Mackay Botanic Gardens, Mackay Scouts and Bank Australia for supporting this event.

Workshops 5 & 6: Cloncurry and Camooweal regions
In June 2026, QTPN hosted workshops with the Traditional Owner Groups in the Cloncurry and Camooweal regions. These workshops covered basic plant ID techniques, how to establish a plant profile, key information to collect when conducting a plant survey, how to use field-based survey tools, when permits are required, and how survey data can be used to conserve threatened plants. These workshops have built a platform for additional training with these groups in 2026-27 with a particular emphasis on describing and managing culturally significant plants (especially medicinal and bush food species).

* The QTPN was launched in 2024 to facilitate a collaborative approach to threatened plant recovery in Queensland. Contact QTPN Project Manager Paul Donatiu for more information.

Banner image: Participants at a Flora Survey Training Workshop in the Capricornia region in the field, identifying and recording an unnamed Comesperma species in the Canoona region. Credits: All photos Paul Donatiu

Thank you to Bank Australia for supporting this project. Read more about their 2,117 hectare conservation reserve in Western Victoria, which is home to 251 native plant and 283 native animal species, and protects significant Mallee and Wimmera ecosystems.