Seed collection in the Bull Creek Range has been in full swing over the last few months, thanks to Grassroots Grants funding from the Hills and Fleurieu Landscapes Board and support from the Goolwa to Wellington LAP.

Members of the Prospect Hill Bushland Group (PHBG) have been working closely with experts to create insurance seed banks of rare or declining species. These precious seeds may one day help prevent local extinction caused by catastrophic fires and climate change.

Through a number of site visits and workshops led by Dan Duval from the Seed Conservation Centre and Ben Simon from GWLAP, the group learned how to identify, collect seeds and propagate some of the region’s most threatened plants, including the nationally endangered Clover Glycine, and several species of rare orchids.

Under the guidance of Phil Druce from Blackwood Seeds, local landholders have spent many hours learning how to identify, collect and prepare seeds from a wide range of understorey species, providing a valuable resource for future propagation projects aimed at bolstering existing populations.

For more details, check out the group’s Instagram Page (@prospecthillbushlandgrp) Instagram Page or contact them on their website (prospecthillbushlandgroup.org).

This project is supported by the Hills and Fleurieu Landscape Board’s Grassroots Grants Program, and is funded by the landscape levy.

During December, organza bags were placed over branches to capture ripening seeds, giving local bushland a somewhat festive appearance.

Learning seed collection and propagation techniques under the careful guidance of Dan Duval from the South Australian Seed Conservation Centre.

Organza bags placed over seed pods of the Nationally Endangered Clover Glycine.

A close-up look at Clover Glycine seeds.

Seed cleaning in action. Phil Druce from Blackwood seeds with one of the group’s youngest members.