Coming soon…

Formed in 2016, Friends of the Forgotten Woodlands Inc. (FoFW) have worked collaboratively with Landcare volunteers, academics, Catchment Management Authorities, government landowners and managers to ensure the survival of the few remaining remnant populations of Banksia marginata, Allocasuarina verticillata and Bursaria spinosa across the VVP.

Through a range of traditional and innovative on-ground activities FoFW have propagated and planted over 45,000 plants over 150 different VVP sites. All propagation has been from remaining remnants. Not all previous remnants still survive! Thousands have been GPS recorded and GIS mapped thus ensuring an accurate and ongoing record for future seed collecting and restoration activities. Several special Seed Production Areas (SPA) have been established for all 3 species. 2080 Climate Matching has been part of the’ SPA Guidelines’.

FoFW has always understood the important role of science to underpin practical activities. Committee members include academics who have guided our decisions to initiate relevant research and our on-ground practices. Genetic studies of VVP remnant banksias, Banksia remnant Drought Tolerance research and SPA genetic mixing are such examples.

Forums and other Information sharing activities have also been central.

Over the past 10 years, FOFW has achieved a lot. There have certainly been many challenges and obstacles along the way but also lots of learnings. We look forward to sharing our story.

Many of Victoria’s threatened plants occur on private land, including species and habitats that are poorly represented within the public reserve system. Protecting these places is therefore essential to preventing further loss. Private land can also provide important locations for threatened plant recovery, including translocations and reintroductions. This presentation will explore the role of Trust for Nature’s conservation covenants and owned reserves in protecting threatened plants and their habitats. Drawing on examples from across greater Melbourne and surrounding regions, it will examine what long-term protection can make possible, from safeguarding remnant vegetation to supporting active recovery programs. One example is the conservation and translocation of Rosella Spider-orchid, Caladenia rosella, undertaken through collaboration between Traditional Owners, landholders, Trust for Nature, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, government agencies, local government and the Australian Native Orchid Society. This work demonstrates that successful threatened plant conservation depends not only on suitable habitat, but also on enduring relationships, shared knowledge and coordinated action. The presentation will consider how private land conservation can complement the public reserve system, strengthen connections across fragmented landscapes and create secure places in which threatened plants can persist and recover. It will also reflect on the importance of working closely with landholders, whose long-term stewardship is central to protecting some of Victoria’s most significant remaining plant populations.

The Black Summer bushfires of 2019–2020 prompted many studies into how fire affected native plants, including the Tiny Spyridium (Spyridium cinereum), an endangered species listed under Victoria’s Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act. In Victoria, the species occurs in two widely separated regions: far East Gippsland and the Grampians. We used this geographic separation to compare the genetic diversity of populations in the two regions. We also examined the genetic differences among plants regenerating on four coastal headlands south-west of Mallacoota, all located within 11 kilometres of one another.

The species regenerated strongly after the fires, and genetic analyses found no clones – meaning the regeneration is from seed. There were clear differences between the East Gippsland and Grampians populations, and distinct genetic groupings among the four coastal headlands, despite their close proximity. Overall, genetic differences between regions were substantial, while differences among the coastal headlands were moderate. Genetic diversity was lowest at Bastion Point, the site closest to Mallacoota, and highest in the two Grampians populations. However, estimated levels of inbreeding were lowest at Bastion Point and highest in the Grampians.

These findings have helped guide conservation seed collection. Particular attention has been given to Bastion Point, where nearby human activity increases the risk of disturbance. Because the coastal populations are regenerating well after fire and each headland has a distinct genetic profile, we recommend that seed collected from different headlands be kept separate rather than mixed.

There are currently 916 plant species listed nationally as either endangered or critically endangered – a considerable proportion of the approximately 24,000 native Australian plant species, of which 85% are endemic to the continent. While not all of them are at imminent risk, 35 species are already extinct. Is enough being done to ensure we do not lose more? Working across land tenures and in partnership with Traditional Owners, land managers, and community groups, Threatened Species Conservancy strives to deliver on-ground conservation action to reverse the decline of our most threatened plants and animals, championing small and non-charismatic species that tend to be left out from priority lists, but are important components of local ecosystems.

One such species is the critically endangered Ballantinia antipoda (Southern Shepherd’s Purse), a tiny annual herb of granite outcrops threatened by invasive weeds, habitat destruction, and fire. Threatened Species Conservancy leads an ongoing collaborative effort to recover this unique plant through translocation and habitat restoration works. The translocation was possible thanks to funding from the Australian Government through the Saving Native Species program, but the capacity to continue this work and deliver more similar projects is undermined by limited funding opportunities at the state level.