Happy new year to you all. Welcome to the February 2015 edition of the new look ANPC News. Enjoy.
From the ANPC Team.
ANPC activities and news:
Make one of your new year's resolutions to help promote and improve plant conservation in Australia!
Join the ANPC this year and your fees will help us implement our Orchid Conservation Program and run workshops on topical issues such as seed supply and provenance, amongst many other things. Membership also entitles you to receive the quarterly Australasian Plant Conservation, Australia's top bulletin for those involved or interested in plant conservation, as well as discounts at our conferences, workshops and forums. Click here for more information and to join the ANPC.
Small-leaved Kunzea (Kunzea parvifolia) flowering in the endangered grassy box woodlands of Mount Majura nature reserve, Canberra. (J. Lynch).
Native Plant Provenance Issues in a Changing World. Does it Matter?
This series of six half-day workshops across NSW, organised by the ANPC in conjunction with NSW Local Land Services and funded by the NSW Environmental Trust, will be delivered by plant genetic experts and experienced native plant seed specialists during May 2015. If you work in natural resources management, revegetation / restoration, conservation, are involved in seed collection, nursery production, landcare or are just interested in working with our declining native plants in an ever changing world, these workshops are for you. The importance of “provenance” is about knowledge - knowing where plant seed came from, the site and situation it grew in, and the type and form of the plants, is all important to the usefulness and value of the seed. It is also important in conserving the genetic integrity of local native vegetation. Workshop dates and locations will be notified soon. Register your expression of interest by contacting Martin Driver, ANPC Project Manager - by phone on 0400170957 or email.
Sieving Miljee (Acacia oswaldii) seed for propagation and revegetation. (M. Driver)
Orchid Conservation Program update.
The ANPC has now partnered with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne to deliver the Orchid Conservation Program which aims to save South East Australia’s unique and threatened orchids. This program is currently the only means by which these orchid species can be propagated in sufficient numbers to significantly reduce the threat of them becoming extinct in the wild. The program focuses on the management, ex-situ propagation and reintroduction of threatened orchids. The new orchid conservation laboratory has now opened at the Gardens, to propagate and grow the threatened orchids for reintroduction projects. Click here for more information.
The endangered Tawny Spider-orchid (Caladenia fulva). (N. Reiter)
Saving the federally listed Metallic Sun-orchid and Wimmera Spider-orchid from weed invasion
The ANPC has partnered with Parks Victoria in a DEPI Communities for Nature grant to save the endangered Metallic Sun-orchid (Thelymitra epipactoides) and Wimmera Spider-orchid (Caladenia lowanensis). A significant population of both species exists within the Kiata Flora and Fauna Reserve (FFR) near Nhill in western Victoria, however they are under threat from invasion of Perennial Veldt Grass (Ehrharta calycina). This project aims to protect the plants within the reserve from becoming extinct through weed control. This work will also benefit the federally Endangered but less rare Greencomb Spider-orchid (Caladenia tensa) located within the Kiata FFR. The effect of the weed control on the vegetation and the orchid colonies within the reserve will also be monitored.
ANPC Website
ANPC office staff are currently in the final stages of developing the new ANPC website which will be launched soon. This will allow us to go 'on-line' for memberships, publications and workshop registrations, and greatly reduce our administrative costs. It will also help us better showcase threatened plants and plant conservation projects from around Australia. ANPC Public Fund donations are helping cover the costs of setting up the website, however more funds would be very much appreciated. To make a donation either use the relevant box on the membership form when you join the ANPC or renew your membership, or download the ANPC Donation Form here. And a big thank you to those who have already donated over the last twelve months.
Contribute your news!
ANPC News is where the ANPC shares news about plant conservation. If you have some news that could be of interest to the readers of ANPC News, please email it to the office making sure to put "For ANPC News" in the title. Please note:
1. Keep your news item concise, preferably one paragraph, and provide a link that readers can click for further information.
2. Attachments can't be included in news items. If you have a flier, publication or other document you want people to look at, please upload it to your own website and provide the link in your news article.
3. We only publish material that is of direct relevance to plant conservation.
4. We are unfortunately not able to publish everything we receive.
5. We reserve the right to edit news contributions without the permission or review of the author.
Other items of interest:
AABR walks and talks
20 Feb - Tour of Penryn Estuary, Sydney South
13 March - Tour of Mt Annan's woodland restoration and plant bank
18 April - Tour of Scheyville National Park trials for rehabilitation using fire
Click here for more information.
Cooma Weeds Conference 2015
A Weed Management for Conservation symposium will be held on 13 October 2015 as part of the 18th NSW Weeds Conference in Cooma. Early bird registrations now open and call for abstracts closes 27 February. Click here for more information.
8/2/15
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