The CRR Project I Further CRR Information I Contact Us
The Climate Ready Revegetation (CRR) Project aims to enhance the genetic diversity of selected native plant species. This is based on the understanding that increased genetic diversity is likely to help species adapt to climate change through natural selection over generations. The project emerged from a 2018 workshop hosted by Bowning Bookham Landcare’s Habitat Hops project that considered how to ensure that revegetation plantings survive into the future as the local climate changes. Since then the project has:
- undertaken analysis of the future climate tolerance of 80+ species and selected an admixture provenance strategy to guide sourcing of seed for the Yass Area;
- germination tested and then grown thousands of tubestock from seed sourced using an ‘admixture provenance strategy’ (or admix) that combines seed from both local and non-local plant populations;
- with the support of local landholders and volunteers 1729 tubestock have been fenced, planted and continue to be monitored in a trial planting to compare the survival of local and non-local plants of 3 species (Eucalyptus Melliodora/Yellow Box, Acacia Deanii/Green Wattle and Dodonea Viscosa/Slender Hop Bush);
- started seed collection training with a small group of local landholders;
- sourced ‘admix’ seed of 3 or more provenances (or locations) initially for 3 species for the trial and now 30+ species grown by the Landcare nurseries;
- worked with the nursery managers of the 4 Landcare Nurseries in the Yass Area Network to refine and standardise nursery practices and adopt use of ‘admix’ seed for the majority of plants grown in the Landcare nurseries.
The project has been undertaken by a small team of predominantly volunteers, from across the Yass Area Network Landcare groups as well as our Local Landcare Coordinator. The CRR project has been supported with seed funding for materials from the NSW Government and Michael King Grant Program and with advice from Dr Sue McIntyre, Dr Nola Hancock, Dr Linda Broadhurst (co-authors of the Climate Ready Vegetation Guide, see further information), Mrs Jacqui Stol and the AdaptNSW Team.
Refer to the further information page for more detail about the project and other useful references or contact us if you’d like to discuss the project, offer support to continue this work (we always need more seed for the nurseries, funding, resources and volunteers), seek advice, or request a guest speaker to share our learning and experience.