Recently, a small team gathered to mix Climate Ready seed for another exciting year of sowing and growing plants for local revegetation. Over 280 packets of seed were handled on the day!
These seeds came from a wide variety of provenances across NSW, Victora, and Queensland, with the aim of enhancing the genetic diversity of the 40 species on YAN’s Climate Ready nursery list. Greater genetic diversity gives local plant populations the best chance to adapt to a changing climate over successive generations.
The seed has been distubuted to YAN's three nurseries - Murrumbateman Landcare Nursery, Yass Landcare Nursery, and Bowning-Bookham Landcare’s Wattle Valley Nursery – as well as the Alexander Maconochie Centre’s nursery. Most of the seed will be sown this spring, with the resulting seedlings available for planting in autumn 2025.
Four new local species will be grown in the nurseries this year: Calytrix tetragona (Common Fringe Myrtle), Dianella revoluta (Black-anther Flax-lily), Einadia hastata (Berry saltbush), and Pultenaea spinosa (Grey Bush-pea).
Calytrix tetragona (Common Fringe Myrtle) is one of the new species on the Climate Ready nursery list this year. Left is the seed, above are the flowers (flowers photo: Australian Plants Society)
The annual Climate Ready seed sorting day is the culmination of meticulous work which includes assessing species for future climate resilience, identifying suitable seed provenances, sourcing seed from commercial retailers, testing germination, and maintaining detailed records of all activities.
Seed sorting requires concentration and coordination and typically takes the team most of the day to complete. However, it is also a great opportunity to catch up, enjoy a shared lunch, and this year, we were treated to a delicious homemade fruit cake.
If you’d like to get involved with one of YAN’s nurseries or the Climate Ready Revegetation Project, please contact us at [email protected]
Written by Sonya Duus, Climate Ready Revegetation Project Officer.
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This project has been assisted by the NSW Government through its Environmental Trust. Landcare Australia Michael King grants enable us to purchase seed from diverse provenances.
