Banking seeds is a wonderful way to invest in a healthy future.
Importantly, a lot of people can contribute to the accumulation of “funds” and whole communities can benefit from the returns.
The Wirrabara Seed Bank is an outstanding example of foresight, commitment and care for the environment by ensuring the survival of native species that thrive in particular soil types and regional climatic influences.
The seed bank is owned by the Northern and Yorke Natural Resources Management Board with Rural Solutions SA and Greening Australia managing the “deposits” and “withdrawals” of seed from a vast range of species.
Paul Slattery, a member of the Board’s Upper North NRM Group and a Board funded Greening Australia Bushcare Support Officer, manages the seed bank with great passion.
More than 500 kilograms of seed is stored in an old stone building owned by the Wirrabara Progress Association in the main street of the town.
The seed has been collected by Greening Australia staff and local contractors, as well as volunteers from Landcare groups and dedicated individuals in the community.
Once collected, the seed is cleaned, sealed in plastic bags and carefully filed. Through planting projects, the focus is on restoring natural growth of trees, shrubs and understorey plants, including grasses.
Greening Australia provides technical expertise and assistance, including plant identification, revegetation advice and education.
“With the partnership between the Board and Greening Australia, we have established a working bank of seeds from which we are making regular deposits and withdrawals,” Paul Slattery said.
“If kept in good conditions, the seed of many species will remain viable for a long time. We believe, for example, that in the natural environment acacia seeds can still germinate up to 40 years after they have fallen.
“Through this seed bank and planting programs, we are trying to restore biodiversity by replacing the species that we have lost and the damage inadvertently caused over a long period of time.”
Rare Find
Paul Slattery recently discovered one of the world’s most endangered plants on a roadside near Laura in 1999. The Spiny Daisy was thought to have been extinct, but since Paul found the plant a number of new populations of the species have been located.
The Spiny Daisy Recovery Program now prospers through a supporting partnership of the Northern and Yorke Natural Resources Management Board, the Department of Environment and Heritage, local Councils and volunteer members of the community.