DISCLAIMER: Please note the views expressed in articles are not necessarily the views of BGANZ Ltd We aim to encourage a broad range of articles
Feedback and comments on the magazine and articles are welcome Please email: secretariat@bganz org au
ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF COUNTRY:
BGANZ acknowledges the traditional owners of country throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures, and to Elders past, present and emerging
Rebecca Harcourt, Managing Editor
FeatureInterview
Michael Harvey, a lover of natural history focused on the relationship between science, people and culture
COVER: The Western Australian Botanic Garden, Kings Park, Perth
Credit: BGPA
A botanic garden’s strategy for ex situ conservation in a
Emma Dalziell, Research Scientist (Adjunct), Kings Park Science, and Research Fellow, University of Western Australia; Sue McDougall, Director, Western Australian Botanic Garden and David Merritt, Principal Research Scientist, Kings Park Science Kings Park and Botanic Garden, Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority
FeatureArticles
Raising Rarity: Workshopping meaningful conversations on community-based outreach at the 8th Global Botanic Gardens Congress, Singapore, 2024
Megan Hirst, Russell Larke, Matthew Henderson, Marie Velthoven and Ben Liu, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria
Ex situ conservation of Titan Arum Amorphophallus titanum
Matt Coulter, Senior Horticulture Curator Nursery Operations, Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium of South Australia
Accelerating and amplifying species recovery the Pine Mountain Grevillea case study
Megan Hirst, Tara Hopley and Laura Simmons, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria
Amy Downie, Horticulturist and Curator, Grey Garden Escarpment, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria
Editorialinsights
Rebecca Harcourt, Managing Editor
Welcome to Issue 63 of THE BOTANIC GARDENer Some of you may realise that the theme of this issue, Botanic gardens – people and plants for a sustainable future, is the same as that of the 8th Global Botanic Gardens Congress, held in Singapore in August 2024 We chose this theme not only for its important message, but to encourage those
members that presented at the Congress to turn their presentations into articles for a wider audience. We received five such articles, all of which illustrate the vital role botanic gardens play in conserving and protecting at-risk species, as well as some of the innovative approaches our members are taking to fulfil this role.
The first article, from Emma Dalziell and colleagues, Kings Park and Botanic Garden, explains their internal ex situ conservation strategy, which will ensure the effective and sustainable preservation of Western Australia’s unique flora The Raising Rarity team at Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria (RBGV) then outline an outward-facing community-based plant conservation outreach program In the third article, Matt Coulter from Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium of South Australia (BGSHSA) details the creation of a meta-collection for the Titan Arum, or Corpse Flower; an exceptional species in more ways than one. The conservation management of the endangered Victorian Pine Mountain Grevillea is described in an article by RBGV’s Meg Hirst, Tara Hopley and Laura Simmons In the last of these five articles, Amy Downie from RBGV enthusiastically describes her journey into escarpment horticulture to preserve endangered cliff-dwelling species, which involved a steep learning curve (pun intended)
Our Feature Interview is with Michael Harvey, Director at BGSHSA. Michael’s previous experience at the interface of science and public engagement in museums has prepared him well to lead the three gardens that make up BGSHSA As Michael says, ‘a botanic garden is, in effect, an outdoor natural history museum’, with many of the same challenges and opportunities
This issue also contains a report from Thomas Mehlhose, recipient of the 2022 BGANZ Professional Development Award; an introduction to new member, Stony Range Regional Botanic Garden; a review by Matthew Nicholson of a book about the underground world of the often misunderstood but fascinating fungi; an article from Paul Swift, outgoing Chair of BGEN, on an innovative way to turn internal guidelines into public-friendly messages; and all the latest news from the BGANZ CEO, Cassandra Nichols.
I’d love to hear your feedback on this issue! Email me at media@bganz org au
I live and work on the land of the Garigal Clan of the Wannanginni Guringai people. I acknowledge them as the ancestral custodians of Bulbararing, Allagai and Tdjudibaring and pay my respects to their elders past, present and emerging.
Rebecca Harcourt interviews Michael Harvey, Director at Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium of South Australia
Michael grew up on the northern beaches of Sydney and loved biology, history, English and visiting the Australian Museum. He went on to combine these interests in a career working at the interface of science and public engagement in museums. I chatted to him in his current role in which he continues to work at this interface, although his office is now often outdoors among living exhibits.
You have a background in museums. Both museum and botanic gardens need to continually attract an audience – what skills and or knowledge do you bring to the gardens in designing programs to actively engage audiences?
After studying animal biology and science communication, my first museum job was at the Australian Museum in Sydney where I was a junior information officer, which essentially involved receiving public inquiries that came to the museum. It was interesting because it put me in direct contact with the public very early in my career and left me with a good sense of audience interests, and a grounding in public understanding of science
I discovered that in the museum sector there is an amazing diversity of work at the interface of science and public engagement. This is because museums, especially natural history museums, are significant research organisations that play a very important role in collections-based research – as do botanic gardens They've also got a strong remit for creating quality public engagement, as well as creating spaces that people simply want to spend time in In many ways that parallels botanic gardens.
I spent a couple of years at the British Council working in the science communication program, which led to connections with the science and museum sector in the UK and to a job in London at the Natural History Museum (NHM) It is such an amazing museum, where I worked with world-class collections, architectural spaces and world-class people. It also gave me a very strong sense of just how strong the museum sector in Australia is as well – someone with a background at the Australian Museum was a credible candidate for a role at the NHM I spent seven years there, working in public engagement programs, online, on site and developing plans for future exhibitions
Michael Harvey
After those seven years in London, it was time to come home. I was lucky enough to get a job back at the Australian Museum, as Head of Exhibitions, and then moved to a role as Assistant Director at the National Maritime Museum In both cases, my role was shaping the way in which the museum was engaging the public. After eight years at the Maritime Museum, an opportunity came up at the Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium (BGSHSA) in Adelaide It had never occurred to me to work in a botanic garden but on reflection a botanic garden is, in effect, an outdoor natural history museum Botanic gardens have many of the same challenges and many of the same opportunities as major natural history museums.
Hintze Hall Grand Staircase, NHM, London Credit: Peter Coughlan, Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2 0
Here in Adelaide, we have a collection, collections-based research and beautiful spaces that people like to spend time in We also have an education program, heritage buildings and even our own museum, the Museum of Economic Botany The more I thought about it, the more it seemed a very natural next step, and I've absolutely loved it.
In another parallel with museums, here in Adelaide, as in many botanic gardens, we don’t just have living collections We also have a collection of art and cultural objects and, of course, the very significant preserved flora collections in our herbarium
In a museum, if you want to change the exhibitions, you have a lot of work to do. The advantage in botanic gardens, however (so long as your horticultural team are as good as our people are!) is that we get an amazing new display with every change of season.
Wittunga Botanic Garden contains a collection of water-wise plants from Australia and South Africa
The Museum of Economic Botany, which opened in 1881, in the Adelaide Botanic Garden
You are currently hosting an exhibition of glass artworks from the internationally renowned artist Dale Chihuly. What role do you think events like this play in helping people connect to plants and nature? How important are they for gardens in getting people through the gate?
Dale Chihuly creates amazing outdoor glass sculptures and, due to his lifelong fascination with architecture, gardens and glasshouses, he and his studio in Seattle have a long history of working with botanic gardens. In 2005, Kew Gardens hosted a major Chihuly exhibition, which I was lucky enough to experience I saw what this exhibition achieved for the garden, in terms of inviting you to experience the garden through new eyes, and in a new way. On a purely practical level, I also saw the sheer number of visitors that a major international art project attracted to the garden
A couple of years ago we were looking for projects to entice audiences, old and new, to the gardens. Like many other botanic gardens in recent years, we had explored artistic collaborations, night time experiences and programs with light, but the idea of doing a day and nighttime project with an international artist on a global scale was an extremely enticing one We made a successful case to the State Government for financial support for the project The Office of the Tourism Minister was looking for projects that would reach out beyond South Australia and have an economic knock-on benefit to the city in terms of tourism, increased business activity and a boost for the nighttime economy It was this coming together of opportunity in terms of a government that was looking to invest in major tourism draw cards and that history in the Chihuly studio of working with botanic gardens Allied to that was the fact that the studio had never presented a major gardens project in Australia before, so it was an appealing prospect for it as well We needed government support, as entry to the gardens and the exhibition is free Chihuly exhibitions are normally ticketed to cover their costs, so this was very unusual, and I am sure it is one of the factors that's driven our extraordinarily high visitation at a time when people are aware of cost-of-living issues.
A major strategic intent for us was to reposition the gardens, its relationship with the city and the community of Adelaide, and indeed the tourist market – to say that a beautiful botanic garden in and of itself is a spectacular asset for a city.
We've seen over half a million visitors to the exhibition in the three months we've been open, with about 15% of these coming from outside the state Of course, the work that the team in the gardens put in to prepare the garden was something on the scale of which we've not done for a very long time. All the garden teams stepped up and did a fantastic job. The horticultural team brought the gardens to a very high pitch of excellence, knowing that we had the eyes of the nation and indeed the world on us
Visitors enjoying Chihuly’s Blue Crystal Tower 2024, Adelaide Botanic Garden
The Chihuly studio did a field visit abo year before the installation to work ou pieces would work in our garden and they should be sited. The glasshouses fundamental to the exhibition and Ch personally fascinated by them. Our te worked with the Chihuly team to plan schemes to complement each artwor represented a tonne of additional wor teams across the garden, including ou programs, education, fundraising and management teams. They have all rise challenge and delivered a world-class that’s just wonderful to see.
When we talk about half a million visit actually mean half a million visits beca suspect there are people that are com more than once This builds upon the that botanic gardens are places you go to habitually Urban green spaces, and access to them, are incredibly important in an increasingly urbanised world Part of that access is welcome – making sure people are aware that the garden is here, av free, and putting ourselves front visitor space in Adelaide I suspe regular visitors who love the gard know them well, but there are st people in Adelaide for whom it's go to the botanic gardens And w create that habit.
While most sculptures were part existing collection, there were a were specifically created for the Botanic Gardens exhibit We've h extraordinarily good fortune to h support the purchase of one of t the chandelier in the Palm House specifically made for this site an part of our permanent collection fantastic legacy of this project and will make it a draw card for a long time to come.
We're very lucky in Adelaide in that our garden is just 15 minutes’ walk from Rundle Mall, which is the main shopping and business centre. It's a very accessible garden and so a big part of the reason why we pursued this project was about reinventing the garden's relationship with its community, and we're seeing that The number of people that are not simply going from artwork to artwork but are spending the day exploring the whole garden is absolutely what we were hoping to see. As one of the Chihuly team pointed out, one of the beauties of this project is that garden lovers are discovering a new art form and art lovers are discovering the garden.
Do you have any advice for other gardens if they wanted to hold similar events?
Events in gardens are always a delicate thing, because of course you've got the remit to care for the garden and so must be careful in the way events are planned. We'd spoken with the directors of other botanic gardens who had hosted Chihuly shows who were able to assure us that the studio is very experienced at working with botanic gardens, with a high degree of understanding of their needs and constraints In part it is about picking the right collaboration and finding something that will work, remembering that what might work outside a garden may not work inside one.
One piece of advice I would share is to develop an outward-looking focus to find the collaborations that are going to work in terms of catching the public imagination, but that will also work with the collection in the botanic gardens. That's very important.
In addition, we couldn't have done this without building a very strong relationship with government We’d delivered a series of big projects leading up to this that demonstrated our capability, as well as gradually increasing our in-house skills We had a track record with the Illuminate Adelaide festival since 2021, and over 30 years of working with the WOMAdelaide music festival. Over the last 3.5 years since I've been the director the team has been on a journey of being able to create collaborative public events that complement the botanic gardens while applying the right risk management to protect them My advice would be to try different iterations of a solution, tweaking them as you go, rather than trying to find the ‘perfect’ one first time Try small events, that you are familiar with, first
Nearly all major events will be in partnership with an external entity, so building capability at working in partnership is something that also needs practice. There's that balance between being an accommodating partner but not too accommodating There's knowing clearly what things are going to work for you strategically but also being mindful that your partner has their strategic needs and plans as well Finally, there is certainly some truth in the saying that ‘fortune favours the prepared’. I think when we did have the fortune to have a government that was going to be supportive of the Chihuly project, we'd put ourselves in a place where we could make the most of that.
Another piece of advice is to take advantage of high visitation – when you have high visitation, how can you ensure that you're making the work that you do more visible? Here, we have a seed orchard to provide seeds for either collection or preservation in the South Australian Seed
Conservation Centre, or for distribution to community groups We've put a lot of work into making the seed orchard publicly accessible, with signage that explains what it is and what it's doing and talks about the fact that we're doing so in connection with schools and communities We try and show some of the ‘behind the scenes’ work and have ambitions to do more. For example, I think there's more we could do in terms of communicating that the building I’m in, the herbarium, has got a very significant scientific role to play.
The theme of this issue is Botanic gardens – people and plants for a sustainable future. Tell us about your thoughts on this, and the approaches you are taking to achieve this?
Coming back to that parallel with museums, botanic gardens are complex, multifaceted organisations I have a presentation I sometimes give to community groups called Not just a pretty garden and it's about the fact that botanic gardens are serious scientific organisations with a very important role to play in botanical research and conservation Our herbarium and collections-based research absolutely underpins understanding of the status and history of species. We provide core information about the identity and distribution of plants in ecosystems. The botanic gardens are part of the seed banking partnership, building expertise in seed preservation and germination We’re then using this knowledge to effectively repopulate areas where there is ecological loss Again, this is a hugely important part of what we do This is where we act as part of a network of botanic gardens, whether through a formal partnership like those we have with BGANZ and with the Australian Seed Bank Partnership or the fact that scientific research and conservation-based research is of its nature collaborative and crosses organisations of different scale We also work with other state organisations, local community groups, other governments and other government agencies here in South Australia
A wonderful example of how the skill set in a botanic garden can help at a global level is the work our horticulturists, especially Matt Coulter, are doing on Amorphophallus titanum It’s an endangered species and is not native to Australia, but Matt has become expert at germinating and growing its specimens. We now have the biggest collection of A. titanum in the country and one of the largest in a botanic garden worldwide One of the plants that Matt germinated
We underpin a huge amount of biological work in the same way that a museum of natural history does with its zoological collections and that's a very important part of the role we play.
The Threatened Plant Seed Orchard
has recently flowered at Geelong Botanic Gardens and attracted thousands of visitors both on site and online. So, Matt’s a very proud grandfather! [See Matt’s article in this issue].
Of course, there's the economic sustainability question that as an organisation, we also need to be mindful of the fact that while government funds a lot of what we do there is always so much more to do than we have as part of our state grant in aid. There's an ongoing effort to supplement government funding from a range of different sources and some of those are from our public program, some from research grants and indeed, as we've talked about, sources like sponsorship and philanthropy We've got this ongoing drive to try and extend what we do, as well as looking after the economic sustainability of the organisation
How do you think botanic gardens can drive the message that we need plants for survival and wellbeing?
There's an interesting project that our education team has created called Project Space Botany, which is a digital program on an iPad that works in the garden It asks students to think about the challenges of growing plants on Mars, and invites them to consider the following: plants are fundamental to human existence, so if you're in a landscape that doesn't have an ecosystem what are the things you need to do to create one? The intention is to get them thinking about both the importance of plants but also the challenges of what it takes to create a viable, green ecosystem.
This is a program that aligns beautifully with the fact that South Australia has just launched a new ARC Centre for Excellence, Plants For Space. As the centre develops, there will be some real opportunities for us in the public engagement space. That's thinking about the future. But conversely, many of our programs have a very strong ecological message, whether it's our educational program, which is driven by botanical science, or our Museum of Economic Botany, which has a rolling program of small art exhibitions, many of which have a conservation and sustainability message running through them This is a thread that connects a lot of our programming. The publicly accessible seed orchard I mentioned previously talks very strongly about the importance and retention of genetic diversity and that every species loss is something to be to be fought against and challenged
The Project Space Botany program, on iPads for use out in the garden
We also need to find different ways to reach audiences and deliver our messages For example, creating educational content then finding different ways to use that content is a very effective approach. In Adelaide, we received a State Education Department grant to digitise our education programs (the BGSHSA Learning Hub) to make them more accessible to schools that couldn't visit on site.
Another example is the renovation of our 16-year-old Mediterranean Garden It was created as a waterwise garden intended to demonstrate gardening for the Adelaide climate, which is essentially a Mediterranean one
The Mediterranean Garden in the Adelaide Botanic Garden
The idea was to demonstrate plantings that work in our climate The renovations have allowed us to rewrite the interpretation materials about gardening sensitively to the climate This is another example of how even in our living collection, we can drive a very strong conservation and sustainability message.
Any final thoughts?
As somebody who moved to this sector just under four years ago, I’ve been blown away by the diversity, skills and dedication of the people who work in botanic gardens They are incredibly passionate and incredibly knowledgeable, and I've been privileged to be part of the network of botanic gardens directors around the country as well. I think the model that most of our botanic gardens have free entry is a wonderful resource for the country and it's been a fantastic thing for me to discover
From L to R: Spring in Mount Lofty Botanic Garden; Wittunga Botanical Garden Playspace; the International Rose Garden in Adelaide Botanic Garden All image credits: Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium of South Australia, unless otherwise indicated
Emma Dalziell, Research Scientist (Adjunct), Kings Park Science, and Research Fellow, University of Western Australia; Sue McDougall, Director, Western Australian Botanic Garden and David Merritt, Principal Research Scientist, Kings Park Science. Kings Park and Botanic Garden, Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority
Ex situ living collections include whole plants or plant germplasm plant material that can be used to propagate plants, including tissues, seeds and pollen These collections are created using the wide range of techniques and technologies available to collect, store, study and use the plant materials. For botanic gardens, ex situ collections form not only a conservation function, but are also the basis of display gardens, plant breeding and education programs. These education programs aim to encourage the wider public to appreciate plants and the role they play in our ecosystems The collections are supported by scientific research that underpins the ‘how to’ in terms of their collection, storage and use, and that informs the management and conservation of the natural environment. Ex situ collections directly support the survival of plant species and communities in the wild by providing propagation material for ecosystem restoration, and for the reintroduction or translocation of individual species
TheWesternAustraliancontext
Western Australia is renowned for its rich and diverse flora, with a high level of endemism among the more than 16,000 taxa of plants and fungi found across the state The Southwest Australian Floristic Region, located in the southwest corner, is particularly species rich. This global biodiversity hotspot (Myers et al., 2000) is home to over 7,000 species, of which almost 80% are endemic. Unfortunately, many of Western Australia’s plant species and communities are at risk from a myriad of threats including habitat loss, invasive species, introduced pests and diseases, and changing climate and fire regimes There are now more than 440 threatened plant species and many threatened ecological communities in Western Australia As a result, there is a pressing need to increase conservation capacity and actions for the flora of Western Australia.
Kings Park, including the Western Australian Botanic Garden (WABG) is managed by the Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority (BGPA) It occupies a 400-hectare site, perched on a scarp to the west of the central business district of Perth. The site was first gazetted as a recreation precinct over 150 years ago and officially opened as Perth Park in 1895 The area was later renamed Kings Park in 1901. The site includes the botanic gardens (18 ha), a series of parklands and amenity areas (110 ha) and a block of remnant Banksia woodland, which is considered an Endangered ecological community (Department of the Environment, 2024).
The Western Australian Botanic Garden showcases over 4,000 species of unique and diverse Western Australian native plant species Credit: BGPA
The WABG was officially opened in 1965. One of its main aims was to cultivate the diverse Western Australian flora through taxonomic and regionally specific displays. Kings Park is uniquely placed to contribute to the ex situ conservation of Australia’s flora given its long history and focus on the conservation and display of Western Australia’s iconic native flora
HistoryofexsituconservationatBGPA
Seeds of Western Australia’s native plants have been collected and banked at Kings Park since the early 1960s, originally for the purpose of propagating plants for display in the WABG
The original intent of displaying native plants was to encourage the public to develop an appreciation for the local biodiversity, leading to support of its conservation. In the early 1990s, the Conservation Biotechnology group was formed, supplementing the seed banking program with tissue culture, cryogenic storage and orchid seed and fungi collections. These collections were established principally to conserve and propagate threatened plants, where seeds are scarce and only a few individuals remain in the wild, as well as for the mass-production of difficult to propagate species for restoration.
In the early 2000s, a partnership with the Millennium Seed Bank Project (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK) increased the focus on collecting and banking seeds for biodiversity conservation.
The Western Australian Seed Centre Kings Park has been collecting and storing seeds of Western Australian native species since the early 1960s. Currently, the collection holds seeds of almost 4,000 species.
Credit: Eugenie Au
Additionally, seed collections from within BGPA’s own managed lands increased to support revegetation and restoration of these remnant bushland areas
Today, the ex situ collections at BGPA encompass the nursery and WABG living collections, which hold almost 4,000 species of Western Australian native plants, the Western Australian Seed Centre (Kings Park), which holds 14,000 collections of seeds of almost 4,000 native species, the tissue culture and cryogenic storage collection containing some of the state’s most threatened species including many orchid species, and a collection of mycorrhizal fungi associated with Western Australia native orchids These collections support the continual development of the WABG, the management and restoration of the natural bushland, plant breeding, scientific research and education programs.
Astrategyforexsituconservation
With the long history of ex situ conservation at Kings Park, the large and diverse collections and the increasing need to accelerate ex situ conservation actions to respond to the growing number of at-risk species, it was timely to develop a strategy for the ex situ program. Reflecting on the collection achievements to date was a priority to guide the development, management and use of collections going forward The strategy is a call to action and provides a framework for identifying new opportunities to increase the synergies and collaborations between conservation, science and education programs, highlights the role that botanic gardens play in ex situ conservation and emphasises the building of partnership to achieve conservation goals.
The strategy has four focus areas, each with principles that align with strategic priorities and management plans within BGPA and that are outwardly focused to ensure that BGPA is contributing to national and international biodiversity programs and targets:
The horticultural team is working to expand Kings Park’s collections of Western Australian native species
Credit: Sue McDougall
Kings Park’s new Ex Situ Conservation Strategy was developed to reflect on our collection achievements to date and guide the development, management, and use of our collections going forward Credit: BGPA
FEATURE GARDEN
Conservationandcollectionsmanagement
The overarching aim is to identify, collect and maintain collections of important Western Australia native plant species. However, with so many at-risk species, how are they prioritised? The sheer diversity of the Western Australian flora and the current and emerging threatening processes to species and plant communities necessitates the development of a prioritised Collections Plan Historically, many of BGPA’s collections have been collected with a focus on botanic garden display and plant development Developing a contemporary, prioritised, Collections Plan that considers biodiversity conservation in the context of local, national and international conservation objectives, and that services BGPA’s strategic priorities, is the priority; for example, BGPA is looking to expand or develop collections of:
threatened, vulnerable or at-risk species or (ecological communities), including species that are potentially susceptible to emerging threats in Western Australia, such as Polyphagous
Shot-Hole Borer Euwallacea fornicatus and Myrtle Rust Austropuccinia psidii species endemic to Western Australia species with wide distributions, by making collections from multiple provenances plants from BGPA’s own managed lands, to ensure we have adequate stocks of seed to implement future restoration programs species of economic importance, including bushfoods and crop wild relatives
The core function of BGPA’s ex situ collection is to maintain high-quality germplasm that can be used for species conservation or restoration and to support the research programs that underpin the collection.
We will focus on the quality and representativeness of our collected germplasm to ensure adequate material is available for testing and use, as well as the curation of the collections including germination and viability assessments for all new collections. An updated, prioritised Collections Plan, rigorous quality control protocols and bestpractice storage techniques will ensure our collections are ready to support future restoration and research initiatives.
Improving seed collection, handling and banking practices will ensure that high-quality germplasm is available for future conservation, restoration or research.
Credit: Eugenie Au
Scienceandinnovation
Kings Park Science undertakes research into native plant biology and ecology to support the conservation and management of Western Australia’s unique biodiversity and ecosystems. The program aims to deliver innovative science that underpins the collection, curation, storage and use of germplasm to secure Western Australia plant species and to restore degraded ecosystems. The new strategy focuses on improved coordination across the disciplines of seed science, cryobiotechnology and orchid conservation to advance our research into germplasm storage (including seed storage behaviour and longevity, cryogenic storage of seeds, tissues and fungi) and propagation biology (including optimising seed germination, understanding dormancy mechanisms, developing and improving tissue culture protocols) of Western Australian native species
The Saving Seeds in Storage project, for example, is a multidisciplinary and collaborative project with the University of Western Australia and other partners focused on identifying seeds performing poorly in storage and investigating new technologies and alternative methodologies to assess seed viability to improve our estimates of seed use-by dates. Part of this project is also focused on identifying so-called ‘exceptional species’ that have limited potential for storage via conventional seed banking (Martyn Yenson et al , 2023), and assessing alternative methods for long-term germplasm conservation of the species
Kings Park scientists are working to identify species with seeds that do not store well in the seed bank or lose viability quickly once banked
The Kings Park Science cryobiotechnology program conducts innovative research into the micropropagation and cryogenic storage for some of Western Australian most threatened plant species Credit: Eugenie Au
Credit: Laura Skates
By integrating research in seed science, cryobiotechnology and orchid conservation, Kings Park Science is addressing critical gaps in our knowledge about the storage and propagation of Western Australia's native plants This targeted approach not only enhances our ability to store and use seeds with greater success but also ensures that even the most challenging species, such as those with poor storage performance or exceptional species, are not left behind.
Displayandeducation
Our new ex situ conservation strategy aims to improve the visitor experience to the Western Australian Botanic Gardens by providing active engagement with conservation projects through innovative presentation and storytelling Credit: BGPA
particularly within the WABG, with the aim of attracting and engaging visitors while increasing their understanding of Western Australia’s unique native plants and the threats they face. This focus area is designed to connect the public with nature through immersive and educational experiences
One of the key initiatives is the development of more interactive displays and thematic gardens within the WABG.
These displays will not only showcase the beauty and diversity of native flora but also highlight the importance of conservation efforts. By integrating storytelling and interactive elements, visitors will learn about the ecological significance of different plant species and the challenges they face in their natural habitats
The BGPA is also committed to building partnerships with local schools, universities and community groups to expand their educational outreach. By collaborating with these institutions, we aim to create a network of conservation advocates who can help spread awareness and knowledge about the importance of preserving Western Australia’s native plants.
The ex situ conservation strategy recognises the vital role that partnerships and community engagement play in achieving long-term conservation goals. By fostering collaborations and involving the community, we aim to promote a collective effort towards preserving Western Australia’s unique flora; for example, we are committed to broadening and deepening partnerships with local, national and international organisations These collaborations include working with other botanic gardens, conservation agencies, universities and non-governmental organisations. By sharing knowledge, resources and expertise, these partnerships help to strengthen conservation efforts and ensure the sustainability of ex situ collections. Recognising the importance of cultural heritage, Kings Park actively engages with Traditional Owners and incorporates Indigenous knowledge into conservation practices Through our ex situ conservation strategy, we are seeking to further enhance this collaborative approach to ensure that cultural considerations are integrated into our conservation programs and foster a more inclusive conservation community.
Partnershipsandcommunity Indicatorsofsuccess
The success of Kings Park’s ex situ conservation strategy will be measured through a variety of indicators that reflect the impact and progress of their efforts. Key indicators include thediversity and usability of ex situ collections, thenumber of successful plant reintroductionsinto natural habitats and theengagement levels of the communityin conservation activities Additionally,increased public awarenessandeducation outcomeswill be tracked through visitor feedback and participation in educational programs
The WABG will celebrate its 60th anniversary next year, and the ex situ conservation strategy ensures that our efforts are effective, sustainable and continue to contribute to the preservation of Western Australia’s unique flora over the next 60+ years
For a copy of our ex situ conservation strategy, click here or use the QR code on the right
Further reading Australian Government. (2024). Banksia Woodlands of the Swan Coastal Plain ecological community. Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. http://www.environment.gov.au/sprat
Martyn Yenson, AJ, Sommerville, KD, Guja, LK, Merritt, DJ, Dalziel, EL, Auld, TD, Broadhurst, L, Coates, DJ, Commander, L, Crawford, AD (2023) Ex situ germplasm collections of exceptional species are a vital part of the conservation of Australia's national plant treasures Plants, People, Planet, 6(1): 44–66 https://nph onlinelibrary wiley com/doi/10 1002/ppp3 10421
Myers, N, Mittermeier, RA, Mittermeier, CG, da Fonseca, GAB, Jennifer, K (2000) Biodiversity hotspots for conservation priorities Nature 403: 853–858
We are in a global biodiversity crisis, with numbers of threatened plant species continuing to rise Despite significant conservation work to safeguard both individual species and plant communities in Victoria, over 1,550 flora species remain under threat of extinction in this state alone The persistently high number of threatened species, and the continuing addition of species to federal and state threatened species lists, indicate a need to reimagine how we approach conservation
Timely questions are whether existing plant conservation programs are sufficient to address current global environmental challenges and whether increasing the level of community engagement and understanding can support greater change.
At Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria (RBGV) we work with an array of threatened Victorian species covering plants, fungi and allied organisms (e.g., slime moulds), investigating, researching and developing species recovery plans and actions
To increase the level of public awareness and engagement in local plant conservation and the work we do, we are actively developing a community outreach arm. We call this approach
Raising Rarity: a community-based plant conservation outreach program. It is a collaborative venture redescribing the way in which plant conservation can be addressed within a botanic garden setting and beyond This approach has direct involvement from targeted community sectors and its aim is to achieve sustainable plant conservation solutions
The program is multidisciplinary, harnessing the experience and skills of conservation horticulturists, plant science staff and community educators in its delivery (Hirst et al , 2023)
Megan Hirst, Russell Larke, Matthew Henderson, Marie Velthoven and Ben Liu, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria
At the 8th Global Botanic Gardens Congress (8GBGC), RBGV ran a Raising Rarity Workshop to connect organisations working in similar community outreach programs. The RBGV Raising Rarity team encouraged all attendees to reflect on their current plant conservation initiatives, and together as a group, explore how we could improve programs in favour of positive plant conservation outcomes. Ben Liu, our workshop facilitator, introduced Russell Larke, Matthew Henderson, Marie Velthoven and Meg Hirst, who each gave a short presentation on a key component of the Raising Rarity project. This provided the opportunity for attendees to understand our project as well as provide context as to what we wanted to achieve within the workshop
RaisingRarity:theconcept.PresentedbyRussellLarke
Russell introduced the program, reflecting on its inception with the phrase, ‘everything begins with a new idea’. He shared how early conversations focused on the need to connect the public with the stories and conservation of threatened plant species. While current conservation
Colleagues from Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria at the 8th Global Botanic Gardens Congress (8GBGC), Singapore, August 2024.
Raising Rarity tour held at the RBGV Cranbourne discussing the conservation of rare and threatened Victorian plants
The Raising Rarity project seeks to engage the wider community. Four distinct sectors have been identified:
Home gardeners: to foster individual contribution and connection to plant conservation 1
Regional botanic gardens: to serve as community hubs for conservation education and plant preservation 2
3.
Local government: to promote policies that encourage biodiversity and conservationfriendly urban planning
Schools: to educate and inspire the next generation of conservationists 4
By targeting these sectors, Russell highlighted that we can foster a more inclusive and participatory approach to conservation that ensures a broader and more sustained impact.
Onegardenatatime.PresentedbyMatthewHenderson
Matt has extensive experience specialising in the cultivation of rare and threatened species He spoke of the public’s interest in growing these species, the drive to fulfil this interest and to get these plants on retail nursery shelves. Utilising Victoria’s most beautiful, rare and threatened species, Matt spoke about how these plants can become ambassadors of plant conservation, not unlike the Wollemi Pine Matt stressed that everyone has a part to play in conservation, beginning in their own home garden (or balcony or shared green space) using rare plants as bridges to connect the Victorian public to Victorian plants The process to market will take time, as species are trialled to ensure they will be successful as home garden plants. This involves identifying species with horticultural potential the ability to propagate and grow consistently through RBGV in-house and industry trials, before commercial release
Matt believes a successful experience in growing rare and threatened plants in a home garden can truly spark a positive change.
Matt finished his presentation by asking the audience to imagine a rare plant growing in every home garden, with many selections available at their local nursery. This caring act of cultivating a rare species within the home garden invites people to be part of something much bigger than their backyards.
Potted Brachyscome tadgellii on sale at the Raising Rarity Plant Sale, RBGV 2022
Following on from Matt, Marie introduced a pilot project with the City of Melbourne (CoM), a local government in one of Australia’s largest cities, proving to be an exciting and challenging venture outside the RBGV gates. The CoM approached RBGV about growing Raising Rarity plants in their green spaces The CoM wanted to broaden the mainly amenity-based purpose of their city gardens and streetscapes to include the provision of a meaningful contribution to Victorian plant conservation efforts Following initial discussions, a comprehensive Threatened Plant Living Collection Plan (Larke et al., 2023) was developed between CoM and RBGV to ensure proper consideration is given when selecting, establishing, maintaining and interpreting rare and threatened species for display in green spaces (maintained by the CoM) To begin this pilot, it was necessary to establish which beds were due for renewal and what areas would be best for growing these rare species Approximately 4,200 garden beds across the CoM were assessed and rated based on the percent of shrub layer ground coverage, diversity of species, weed cover, mulch condition, infrastructure condition, plant health and overall garden condition and appearance
This is the first of hopefully many more collaborations with councils across Victoria to help them implement their own threatened plant plan, expand the diversity of species used in their green spaces, introduce the community to a new suite of native plants from their area, and create a unique identity for the city via a connection to their natural surroundings Once assessed, selected and planted out across the city, these collections will (ideally) be used to provide material for the Raising Rarity schools programs running in their area, urban research on plant biodiversity with colleagues from the University of Melbourne, as propagation material for habitat restoration, and to generally reduce collecting pressure on the wild populations that are currently used for all these purposes. Marie ended her presentation noting it is not a dream to think that in the (not too distant) future, every council could have a threatened plant plan customised for their region and outreach requirements, which would facilitate connections with the stakeholders involved in the Raising Rarity program, and create a unique self-sufficient engine; evolving and reshaping the program as they see fit for their own community's needs.
Marie hosting a Raising Rarity tour
Theconservationgeneration.PresentedbyMeganHirst
Rosedale Primary School has been instrumental in the program's success as we develop curriculum to match the year level of students involved On the left is Matilda showing a bud on Grey Billy-Buttons Craspedia canens On the right are three Rosedale students at Won Wron State Park, assisting in a C canens community survey with La Trobe Valley Field Naturalist Club and RBGV staff in the hope of finding plants using historic herbarium records
Children of the present and future generations will bear the cost of climate change and therefore must be involved in decision-making through climate literacy education. Meg spoke about the Raising Rarity school outreach program, which embeds conservation education and action into a hands-on approach The program has recruited students to grow and care for a rare species that occurs (or did so historically) close to their school
The Raising Rarity school partnership begins by students attending a Conservation Workshop, hosted at RBGV Cranbourne. Here the students are introduced to the rare species they will grow and care for Students then plant out their rare species into raised plots at their school with the help of the Raising Rarity team, and begin to monitor growth, flowering time and record soil pH and moisture levels These actions are informative for their plots' health and how the species behaves under cultivation. Through careful monitoring, the students harvest seed from their plants and ensure their safe passage to the RBGV Seedbank. Each year we celebrate each student’s achievements with a Celebration Day, like a graduation event, but with plants Currently the program is working with six schools on two threatened Victorian species We look forward to increasing student engagement and awareness while addressing the extinction risk of local rare and threatened species through meaningful school involvement and education.
FEATURE ARTICLES
Groupdiscussion.PresentedbyBenLiu
Following on from the presentations, Ben led the Q&A section of the workshop in a forum-based style, exploring how attendees conducted their own outreach programs and identified obstacles that may impede their progress The key questions as part of this workshop were:
What do you believe are the most crucial elements to a successful community conservation engagement program?
What are the main challenges in developing community conservation engagement programs?
How can we measure the success of a community conservation engagement program, and what indicators should we consider?
Results from this workshop are currently being analysed to establish guidelines for botanic gardens wanting to develop community conservation engagement programs It is expected that these results will be available early in 2025 and workshop participants were encouraged to keep up to date by joining the RBGV Raising Rarity email list.
Concludingremarks
The overall aim for Raising Rarity is to be selffunding, directly generating revenue to support program development and implementation. Open discussion through the facilitated workshop has provided a greater understanding of the challenges in community outreach It was notable these challenges did not impede the overall enthusiasm participants had for community outreach programs.
Our workshop provided a memorable and rewarding experience for us, the facilitators, and has generated new friendships and networks with our enthusiastic workshop participants, whom we thank for generously sharing their insights and overall contributions on community outreach in botanic gardens
From left to right, members of the Raising Rarity Team; Ben Liu, Megan Hirst, Russell Larke, Marie Velthoven and Matthew Henderson at the 8GBGC, August 2024. All image credits: RBGV
For further information on our project, please email raising rarity@rbg vic gov au
Further reading
Hirst, MJ, Arnott, J, & Larke, RA. (2023). Raising Rarity: creating meaningful and sustainable conservation outcomes through community-based outreach.Sibbaldia: The International Journal of Botanic Garden Horticulture, 22 https://doi org/10 24823/Sibbaldia 2022 2000
Larke, R, Hirst, M, Williams, NSG and Arnott, J (2023) City of Melbourne Threatened Plant Living Collection Plan Report for the City of Melbourne https://mvga-prod-files s3 ap-southeast4 amazonaws com/public/2024-05/threatened-plant-living-collection-plan pdf
Matt Coulter, Senior Horticulture Curator Nursery Operations, Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium of South Australia
The Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium of South Australia (BGSHSA) offers staff several opportunities for professional development through scholarships and bursaries. One such opportunity is the Audrey Abbie bursary, which I received in 2024 to attend the 8th Global Botanic Gardens Congress (8GBGC) in Singapore Bursaries such as this offer many benefits and one of the main ones is the opportunity for networking. The bursary allowed me to meet face-to-face with others involved in my area of research, which is the ex situ conservation of the endangered aroid, Titan Arum Amorphophallus titanum.
For the past 17 years I have been managing a research project on A titanum, which is endemic to Sumatra and listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species and with CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species)
There are less than 1,000 plants left in the wild.
Collections Supervisor, United States Botanic Garden, Washington and Matt Coulter (right) We have been collaborating on A titanum curation and research over the last 10 years and were able to meet in person and discuss the future in creating a meta-collection of A titanum around the world, in particular ex situ conservation Credit: Stephen Jones
At the 8GBGC there were many presentations on the genus Amorphophallus, and on A titanum Topics discussed including taxonomy of the genus, conservation of species in situ and associated issues, and the next steps in its ex situ conservation, including the creation of a metacollection. The species is described as an ‘exceptional’ species as it cannot be conserved using 1
1 An individual plant or defined group of plants grown for agreed conservation outcomes across multiple organisations and locations to maximise genetic diversity and reduce risk of loss (RBGV, 2022)
Stephen Jones (left),
conventional seed banking methods The creation of worldwide pollen banks that botanic gardens can access is therefore crucial to its conservation. However, the most important topic addressed at the congress was the genetic variability of the current collections around the world. A recent study compared the relationships of individuals through pedigree analysis. Many institutions supplied leaf material for DNA analysis and samples from six BGSHSA genotypes were also included The results suggested that in many countries genetic variability within collections is low, probably due to the swapping of material and/or pollination of related individuals. However, in some countries, including Australia, there appears to have been introductions of material with small genetic differences. This means that in future we will be able to cross-pollinate individuals with these recorded differences, unlike previously where individuals were crossed without a full understanding of any potential genetic relationship This information is important as it relates to the creation of a meta-collection for A titanum, and pollen collection and storage is an important process in making such collections as genetically diverse as possible.
TheuniqueandcomplexreproductivebiologyofA.titanum
A. titanum has the largest unbranched inflorescence known in the plant kingdom and what looks like a single flower is in fact hundreds of flowers making up the inflorescence.
Like all arums, the inflorescence contains a spadix, which extends in the middle, and a surrounding spathe (modified leaf) In the Titan Arum the spadix is most often a creamy yellow colour but can vary to almost pink depending on its natural distribution The spathe when unfurled is dark maroon in colour The spadix can grow to more than 3 m tall, and the spathe can extend to over a metre wide. The true flowers are extremely reduced and there are separate male and female flowers, approximately 400–500 of each, located at the bottom of the spadix. Female flowers are active as the spathe starts to unfurl (which happens in the afternoon of the day that it opens) and into the night The next day the male flowers become active, and the pollen is released, however, the female flowers are no longer receptive, preventing selfpollination. For successful pollination and fertilisation, cross-pollination is necessary. For crosspollination to occur in the wild, pollen needs to be transported from another flower that may be kilometres away. The species has evolved a foul smell that it produces in pulses when flowering. This smell mimics the odour of the rotting flesh of a dead animal, attracting carrion-loving insects that visit and transport pollen between inflorescences
Providing the ideal conditions for successful pollination and fertilisation are essential for the formation of viable seeds. At BGSHSA, we had the opportunity this year to manually crosspollinate two genetically different plants that produced inflorescences that flowered two days apart, the ideal timing for successful pollination in their natural habitat The initial results from our cross-pollination have been very encouraging, with more than 900 seeds harvested BGSHSA has partnered with the United States Botanic Garden in Washington, D.C to run a trial over 12 months using around 500 of the seeds that were harvested. In general, seeds from rainforest species with fleshy fruits, like A titanum, cannot be stored in a seedbank as they do not survive the drying process used The trial will compare storage at the two temperatures over time
Every week 15 seeds from each batch of cold-stored and warm-stored seed will be sown to investigate the influence of time and temperature as a factor in seed viability Our partner garden in the USA will be replicating the same trial to determine if we both obtain similar results The remaining seed from our pollination event will be made available to botanic gardens around the world that are interested in having A. titanum in their collections. This will be done through our Material Transfer Agreement process and procedure.
Towardsameta-collectionofA.titanum
Left image: The cross-pollination process, where pollen is applied to all female flowers on the A titanum inflorescence
Credit: Debra McDavid
Right image: Fully formed infrutescence of A titanum from crosspollination
Credit: Matt Coulter
BGSHSA will lead the meta-collection in Australia as our collection is the largest single-site collection here. In 2006, we received wild-collected seeds from Sumatra, which we germinated and grew on. The likelihood of receiving subsequent wild-collected material is remote due to A. titanum’s Endangered listing. Vegetative propagation of A. titanum by leaf cuttings has been reported, however, little data on specific techniques or methods and environmental parameters have been published In 2013 nursery staff at the BGSHSA Nursery performed some trials to develop propagation methods and protocols.
The trials proved very successful and more than 100 new plants have been propagated using these protocols, making this collection the largest in Australia and one of the largest in a botanic garden worldwide.
The next step towards a meta-collection of A titanum is to create a consortium of interested parties. Many of these attended the 8GBGC and an initial meeting was held to discuss what is needed in moving forward. The importance of collecting and storing pollen from around the world was highlighted, with reference to pollen from unrelated individuals as noted in the recent pedigree analysis
Acknowledgments
I am very grateful to the Board and senior leadership team of BGSHSA for the opportunity to attend the 8GBGC. It highlighted the importance of being part of the worldwide group of gardens curating these A. titanum collections, as well as our contributions to the conservation of this species through our ex situ conservation program More importantly, it emphasised the crucial next steps we need to take towards conserving this rare and unique plant species
References
Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. (2022). Melbourne Gardens Living Collections Plan 2022–2042, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, Melbourne. https://www.rbg.vic.gov.au/media/i25hn5w1/rbg251-livingcollections-plan-15-06-23 pdf
Longitudinal section of A. titanum seed, showing total fill of seed. Credit: Dan Duval, SA Seed Conservation Centre
Megan Hirst*, Tara Hopley and Laura Simmons, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria
*Megan presented the following talk on behalf of Tara and Laura at the 8GBGC Singapore in a workshop entitled Accelerating and Amplifying Species Recovery to achieve Target 4 and Goal A and facilitated by Michael Clifford of Reverse the Red Coalition, C Cowell of Botanic Gardens Conservation International and K J Mileham of the International Union for Conservation of Nature Species Survival Commission, Australia The workshop explored tactics and actions botanic gardens can implement to advance and achieve global species recovery and conservation
Background
In the southern hemisphere summer of 2019–2020, the ‘Black Summer’ bushfires burned approximately 1.5 million hectares in eastern Victoria, impacting several hundred plant species listed as threatened under Australian and Victorian legislation. The post-fire responses of many of these species were unknown, highlighting large knowledge gaps in plant conservation science but also triggering emergency actions to assess the recovery of species and prevent the decline and extinction of endemic species Many state government agencies and non-government organisations were involved in field surveys and conservation actions to assess and assist the landscape-scale recovery of Australian ecosystems affected by fire. However, for the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria (RBGV), it also led to increased coordination and collaboration and a sharing of skillsets and knowledge held by a wide range of staff This has created positive actions in the RBGV promoting species conservation and management, with the overarching aim to halt species extinction FEATURE ARTICLE
The Pine Mountain Grevillea Grevillea jephcottii was already on the radar of the RBGV due to its national endangered listing prior to the 2019–2020 ‘Black Summer’ bushfires that burned more than 95% of its range (Fig. 1). Post-bushfire, we had to determine what actions would best support the conservation management of this species and what activities the RBGV could best contribute to G jephcottii is an obligate seeder, needing fire to regenerate in the wild Therefore, we suspected that post-bushfire the entire species population may only be represented by a soil-stored seedbank and hopefully, by seedlings recruiting from this seedbank in the months following the fires. Of real concern was the risk of another fire in short succession
in the landscape before seedlings postfire reached reproductive age, and multiple years of seeding allowed for the soil seedbank to be replenished. Four conservation activities were determined as most critical for this species:
field surveys of seedling emergence, the presence of any unburned populations and any threats to therefore determine the risk of extinction 1 long-term storage of seed in the Victorian Conservation Seedbank 2 conservation genetics studies through analysis of leaf samples from individuals across the range 3. propagation and development of a representative ex situ living collection. 4
There were no previous seed collections banked in our Victorian Conservation Seedbank, which operates as Victoria's primary facility for the safeguarding of the state’s plant biodiversity Field surveys located two unburned populations, and at one of the two unburned sites, the team collected 20 seeds (Fig. 2). Given this small and precious
collection of seeds, we could not attempt our standard seed testing protocols prior to storage and could not perform germination optimisation It became evident the team needed to monitor remaining wild populations and make other propagation collections to ensure high-quality ex situ living collections, to act as an insurance collection for the short term, with potential use as a seed orchard if necessary
This led to the development of an ex situ living collection strategy, which involved our conservation genetics team (Fig. 3) assessing the genetic diversity and structure of 13 wild populations to inform collecting plans Genetic analysis from leaf samples, from either adults or seedlings depending on whether sites were fire-affected, revealed eight geographically defined genetic clusters The geographically defined genetic clusters showed a strong split between two mountains, indicating restricted gene flow and highlighting the importance of preserving the species from across its range. To conserve genetic diversity effectively and efficiently it was important that each of these genetic clusters was represented ex situ
Armed with the knowledge of the eight genetic clusters, the horticulture team were able to prioritise the sites to collect cutting material from, with multiple individuals from each geographic cluster collected to maximise genetic diversity. The team found many seedlings after a post-fire survey, which indicated a healthy seedbank prior to the bushfires
Figure 1 L: close-up of the endemic Victorian Grevillea jephcottii. R: seedlings growing in rocky habitat post-fire. Credit: Tara Hopley, RBGV
Figure 2 Two of the 20 G jephcottii seed collected at one of the unburned sites
Credit: Bob Hare, RBGV
Cutting material was collected from targeted multiple individuals from each cluster resulting in a more complete representation of the species genetic diversity conserved in the RBGV Living Collections In time, seed will be collected and assessed from these living collections, as we continue to monitor wild populations with the view to collect seed for long-term storage in the Victorian Conservation Seedbank.
Information has been shared with on-ground management, and we are mindful of the need to monitor ex situ collections and continue to monitor wild populations going forward Using this integrated approach to inform our activities both on the ground and for ex situ plant conservation can have its challenges, however, with limited time and fluctuating resources having a framework involving science, conservation horticulture and on-ground management is having a positive effect on further flora conservation work at the RBGV
Preventing the extinction of Victoria’s threatened flora is a collaborative project involving staff from the RBGV, La Trobe University, the Australian National University (ANU) and the Australian Network for Plant Conservation (ANPC).
Figure 3 RBGV scientists assessing a burned patch of G jephcottii at the Lookouts Track, Burrowa-Pine Mountain National Park, where leaf samples and plant material were collected for conservation genetics and nursery propagation for ex situ living collections Credit: Laura Simmons, RBGV
FEATURE ARTICLES
The project is based at the RBGV, bringing science and conservation horticulture together in consultation to halt the extinction of 24 endangered or critically endangered Victorian plant species over a 3-year period from 2023–2026.
A key component of our project is identifying where the knowledge gaps exist within each species’ life cycle and evaluating the key threats to each species. This allows us to prioritise which of the following eight conservation activities are needed to ensure the most appropriate conservation work is performed for each target species:
1. seed, spore, rhizobia and mycorrhiza collection
threat assessments, field surveys and community surveys
2. conservation genetics
3
4 pollination studies
germination trials to optimise techniques for difficult to grow species
5 development of permanent ex situ living collections
6. establishment of new populations through propagation using genetically diverse individuals to populate a new site with their essential symbionts and pollinators present
8
7. disseminate findings through community workshops
Our project aligns with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework in relation to Goal A (Convention on Biological Diversity [CBD], 2022, p. 8) and Target 4 (CBD, 2022, p. 9), which specifically address the critical importance of establishing strategies and subsequent on ground actions towards positive species conservation and management outcomes
Acknowledgments
We thank Michael Clifford for the invitation to show our work, and for his helpful comments throughout the process Preventing the extinction of Victoria’s threatened flora is a team effort involving the following colleagues: Tara Hopley, Laura Simmons, Russell Larke, Alex McLachlan, Andre Messina, Rebecca E Miller, Daniel Ohlsen, Holden Sayers, Noushka Reiter (NR), Mandy Thomson and John Woodward (RBGV); Linda Riquelme, Ryan Phillips and NR (La Trobe University); NR (ANU) and Jo Lynch (ANPC) It is funded by the Victorian Government Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action Nature Fund and the following project partners: RBGV, ANU, La Trobe University and ANPC We thank Bob Hare, an integral RBGV volunteer and colleague for his generous contribution to RBGV science and research.
References Convention on Biological Diversity. (2022, 19 December). Decision adopted by the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity CBD/COP/DEC/15/4 Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. https://www.cbd.int/doc/decisions/cop-15/cop-15-dec-04-en.pdf
FEATURE ARTICLE
Takinghorticulturetonewheights
Amy Downie, Horticulturist and Curator, Grey Garden Escarpment, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, Melbourne Gardens
At the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria (RBGV), we are encouraged to be brave, creative and adventurous, to think outside the square about new and alternative garden management practices Our floating islands, escarpments and many other collections expand on conventional horticulture and find ways to utilise our unconventional sites
Inspired by this, I found myself reassessing my own underused sites, daring to explore the challenging, exciting and somewhat uncharted path of escarpment horticulture. This multifaceted style of curation has many layers including abseiling and climbing to access and manage steep garden areas, hosting ex situ collections on inaccessible sites, or scaling large cliffs in habitat to help monitor and/or protect threatened and endangered species
The Grey Garden Escarpment is steep and rocky; a small cliff face located on the boundaries of our botanic gardens and is one of its highest points This is a significant site for the Traditional Owners of the land, the Wurundjeri-willam of the Woi-wurrung, and would have been an important viewing point for them, with extensive views looking over the Birrarung (Yarra River) to the northern landscape beyond.
The Grey Garden Escarpment is composed of mudstone and shale and plays host to a wide diversity of cliff-dwelling species including a valuable conservation collection This is an exceptional site and unlike other spaces, it requires a different approach when practicing horticulture at heights.
My journey into escarpment horticulture started nearly three years ago with my Team Leader, Tim Uebergang With little to no climbing, abseiling or Working At Heights experience between us, we wondered how we could manage this underutilised space We needed to physically access the site to carry out our basic horticultural duties, and this required creating an abseiling system While abseiling is not a new concept by any means, doing it on a site like ours turned out to be quite uncommon Amy Downie, abseiling on the Grey Garden Escarpment. Credit: Amy Downie
Tim and I attended multiple Working at Heights courses, which were necessary and useful, however, we found that our learnings did not completely correlate with what we needed.
Tim Uebergang abseiling at Mt Macedon
Credit: Amy Downie
Amy Downie and Tim Uebergang abseiling on the Grey Garden Escarpment at the RBGV, Melbourne Gardens
Credit: Amy Downie
In the end, we recruited our talented arboriculture team including our arborist Peter Berbee, who has over 30 years’ climbing experience. Using a combination of arboriculture, abseiling and Working at Heights techniques, Peter created a unique climbing system from scratch that was specifically tailored to our site Our climbing system has expanded to include the use of ropes, prussiks, carabiners, slings, pulleys, belays and anchor points, plus much more, all paired with a variety of applicable knots This system, unlike many others, allows us to not only abseil down the escarpment but also climb back up. It is important to note that this system is ever evolving. We are always looking for ways to improve or simplify this method and recently switched from a single rope system to a double rope system.
Tim and I have now been accessing and managing the escarpment for the last 18 months, with a focus on weed and plant control, soil stabilisation, erosion control, and expanding our opportunities for further planting, with conservation as our goal. Treading lightly, we have been watching how the previously undisturbed escarpment has reacted to our presence.
Excitingly, we have discovered what seems to be a unique and thriving ecosystem! Button-quails were found nesting under some rocks, and we have spotted native Blue-banded Bees, which had not been seen for some time at Melbourne Gardens.
For this reason, it is important that Tim and I cause as little disturbance as possible on the escarpment, to allow this wonderous ecosystem to continue.
Obviously, a site like this does not come without challenges. Perhaps the most complicated challenge we continuously face is trying to find a balance between erosion and weed control. In the initial stages, we prioritised weed removal on the escarpment Unfortunately, we quickly learned that the more weeds we removed, the less stable the soil became and in turn the more soil we disturbed, the more weeds grew. This problem was the beginning of many discussions around erosion and weed control on the escarpment.
I learned of a potential solution while attending the 8th Global Botanic Gardens Congress in Singapore. I attended a wonderful talk by Jesiree Elena Ann Bibar from De La Salle Philippines, who discussed the use of a coconut fibrebased textile that acts to improve soil stability and prevent erosion short term, allowing newly planted specimens time to grow their roots for long-term soil stabilisation. We are currently trialling a similar method with jute mat in selected places and will monitor this over the short term to understand the potential benefits It is vital that we find a way to manage this conundrum, as aside from hosting the Grey Garden Collection, the escarpment also hosts specimens from seven of our other living collections and is also an important site for the ex situ conservation of endangered species
Due to its unique natural growing environment, the Grey Garden Escarpment has allowed us to host rare, threatened and endangered species from all around the world. Not only does the escarpment replicate their natural living conditions but it also provides protection from theft due to its innate inaccessibility
Jute mat trials on the escarpment.
Credit: Amy Downie
We initiated a trial planting on the Grey Garden Escarpment over two years ago to test the suitability of the environment, as well as our ability to provide adequate maintenance for planted species The species initially trialled included Dudleya anthonyii, a threatened species from Baja California, as well as critically endangered species from South Africa
I am excited to share that we have had great success, with the trialled specimens already displaying significant growth and adapting swiftly to the site. Each are an incredible example of nature's resilience, and the innovative techniques plant species have evolved to survive in difficult environments.
The natural habitat for some of these species are rocky gorges and cliff faces Due to the similar conditions to our site, and given the favourable growth, we are discussing opportunities where we can do more for the conservation of these species, such as stewardship programs. It is our responsibility to try new methods to protect and preserve these threatened species I am certain, through collaborative efforts and distribution of knowledge, we can make a significant difference Next to be trialled on the escarpment are some indigenous and native species including Snowy River Westringia Westringia cremnophila, a vulnerable species of shrub that was wild collected from the Snowy River on a joint expedition undertaken by the Science and Horticulture Divisions of RBGV
Our early success motivates us with the potential of hosting ex situ collections of other endangered cliff-dwelling species While training and learning how to access the Grey Garden Escarpment, I had the opportunity of visiting and traversing some large, naturally occurring cliff faces in habitat. I want to highlight the wonder and awe of experiencing a naturally occurring escarpment The diversity of vegetation displayed on cliff faces is vast, and growing in some of the most impossible of places. One of our many goals is to preserve these wonderful cliff-dwelling species in their natural environment, and it is important to remember that these are often the last population of these species Our desire moving forward participating in field trips to learn more about these incredibly resilient species, taking steps to preserve and protect them, however necessary.
Silver Snow-Daisy Celmisia tomentella growing on an escarpment at the Alpine National Park Credit: Tim Uebergang
At the 8th Global Botanic Gardens Congress, I was also privileged to meet with Ben Nyberg, GIS and Drone Program Coordinator from National Tropical Botanical Garden in Hawaii, who is paving the way with drones to help monitor and collect the seed of threatened and endangered Hawaiian species Drone technology is progressing rapidly, and drones now have mechanical arms and bags to help collect seed from precarious places This technology is something we are excited to explore.
I would love to leave you with this final thought: escarpment horticulture is essential for the future of cliff-dwelling species. I encourage you to reassess your underutilised sites, your cliff faces and your escarpments. Think outside the square (or above it!) and explore unique or unconventional ways of horticulture. Be creative! Be adventurous! Don't be vertically challenged. There could be a species on the brink of extinction closer than you think.
This remarkable journey over the last few years would not be possible without the collaboration and support of my wonderful team at Melbourne Gardens; my team leader and climbing partner Tim Uebergang, Acting Executive Director Clare Hart, the Arboriculture Team, and Aaron from Melbourne Climbing School Without them this would not have been possible
Further reading
La Vigne, H, Charron, G, Rachiele-Tremblay, J et al. (2022). Collecting critically endangered cliff plants using a drone-based sampling manipulator. Scientific Reports, 12(1):14827, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-17679-x (erratum https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-21945-3)
Da-Zhong, G, Min, H, Kang-Ning, J, Shu-Xin, Z et al (2024). A new approach to surveying cliff-dwelling endangered plants using drone-based nap-of-the-object photography: A case study of Clematis acerifolia. Global Ecology and Conservation, 49, e02769, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2023.e02769
BGANZ
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POLLINATING GREAT IDEAS
HowIlearnedtolovetheWollemi
Thomas Mehlhose, Horticulturist, Kershaw Gardens Nursery, Rockhampton Regional Council
ABGANZProfessionalDevelopment Awardreport
I am the Nursery Team Leader at the Kershaw Gardens Nursery in Rockhampton, which supplies plants to the local parks, botanic gardens and street tree programs. It also provides local endemic seedlings to revegetation contractors, who are funded by various not-for-profit entities such as Fitzroy Basin Association and Capricornia Catchments
In 2022 I was awarded a BGANZ Professional Development Award to shadow the nursery managers at the Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan nursery and the National Herbarium of New South Wales. The goal was to return to our humble regional council nursery in central Queensland with some new skills and useful information. My main focus was to help Rockhampton Regional Council (RRC) achieve the lofty goal of implementing a comprehensive database of botanical specimens within the Rockhampton Botanic Gardens and Kershaw Australian Native Gardens, beginning with the Kershaw Gardens Nursery.
I was extremely fortunate to be granted access to the behind-the-scenes activities within the two facilities, and to learn firsthand from the gracious and knowledgeable industry experts within Here are some highlights from and reflections on my two-week visit in February 2023
The National Herbarium of NSW and PlantBank
The Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan (ABGMA) holds the prestigious title of being Australia’s largest botanic garden, spanning over 1,000 acres south-west of Sydney It boasts a collection of over 4,000 species and is also home to the National Herbarium of New South Wales and the Australian PlantBank.
The Nation Herbarium of New South Wales is one of the largest herbariums in Australia and houses more than 1 million specimens, including several important historical specimens, such as 800 plant collections made by Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander during Cook’s expedition in 1770.
The Australian PlantBank is a state-of-the-art, award-winning facility and is a significant member of the Millenium Seed Bank Partnership, the largest ex situ plant conservation program in the world, coordinated by Kew Botanic Gardens This international partnership extends across the globe, with over 2 4 billion seeds in storage collectively
Inside the PlantBank I was able to observe the science in action, from the tissue culture lab to the deep freezers. The seed storage facility was fascinating. Walking into the short-term storage cold room set at 4°C was a real blast and quite invigorating. It was probably in my best interests that I wasn’t given the opportunity to step inside the long-term storage freezer set at –20°C
Many rainforest species have seeds that are incalcitrant to freezing because of their high fat content, so are kept as tissue culture specimens and cryogenically frozen at –196 °C. I was not allowed near the cryo-chamber.
An interactive education space open to the public at PlantBank
Inside the seed storage facilities
I witnessed several experiments, from light and temperature variation germination trials to using liquid nitrogen and a special machine to map and measure the energy volatility within a macadamia seed as it ruptures It releases a spike of energy as it approaches freezing temperatures. Experiments such as these will help us better understand and improve long-term storage possibilities for these types of rainforest species in the future
Back outside to where I was possibly less of a danger to myself, I was humbled yet again by the generous and knowledgeable people who work at this prestigious institution I was given the opportunity to see first-hand how the nursery is managed and how the plant database dictates and aids the intersection between the scientific and the practical
I also had the opportunity to assist the Botanical Records Team in the stocktake of one of the garden beds outside PlantBank using GPS markers It takes a whole team of smart cookies to keep the botanical database up to date and accurate
The nursery at ABGMA not only provides beautiful native stock to the botanic gardens but also houses crucial experiments and propagation programs for rare and threatened species, run by the scientists and botanists working across the way at the Herbarium and the PlantBank This is where the IrisBG database system really shines in keeping track of the genetic heritage, original collection details and the extensive notes on individual specimens, from propagation to the eventual GPS location of plant-out within the gardens or elsewhere Each individual plant is assigned an accession number, linked to the database that will accompany it for life, and beyond.
POLLINATING GREAT IDEAS
Tools of the trade in the seed lab and germination testing in progress
Grafting Grevillea and Hakea with the knowledgeable ABGMA Nursery crew Hopefully,
mine are still alive!
GPS stocktaking at ABGMA Notice the prostrate form of Wollemi Pine Wollemia nobilis at our feet
The critically endangered W. nobilis is propagated from seed, cuttings and tissue culture as well as air-layering, also known as marcotting Each specimen can be traced back to its parent tree in the original surviving pocket of 46 adult individuals in the Blue Mountains, some of which are estimated to be between 500 and 1,000 years old
In 2005, Phytophthera cinnamomi was found in the wild population of Wollemi Pine. This discovery sparked a race against time to find a way to prevent the spread of the disease The use of phosphonate basal painting has been shown to trigger an immune response within the tree and improve recovery outcomes The nursery provides the strict environmental controls required to collect data from these important experiments and the IrisBG database is a crucial tool in this research. The Plant Pathology Team is documenting data from years of research to increase the resilience of the Wollemi Pine
One whole end of the greenhouse is devoted to W. nobilis
collection and pollarding
The fight in this battle does not stop here, however, with an active propagation campaign sending thousands of specimens to botanic gardens and retail nurseries around the world to preserve the Wollemi’s ancient genetics. The crates in the images above were waiting to be packed and are destined for the USA. The individual accession numbers travel with them across the globe
Only 100 km from Mount Annan, at the beautiful Mount Tomah Blue Mountains Botanic Gardens, stand the very first of the Wollemi to have been propagated and planted in the ground, among Coastal Redwoods Sequoia
L: A shipment of W nobilis ready to be packed and shipped to the USA R: a plant with an individual accession number
1 This is a propagation technique that involves girdling a branch on the parent tree down to the central hardwood and then wrapping it in a coir or peatmoss ball, which encourages adventitious rooting at the distal cut surface
Seed
of W. nobilis
POLLINATING GREAT IDEAS
sempervirens and Giant Sequoia Sequoiadendron giganteum Approaching 20 years old, these specimens were a magnificent sight and an unexpected high note to this already stellar experience.
Finally, I would like to express my gratitude and humble appreciation for the wonderful opportunity afforded me through the generous support and hospitality of ABGMA, and to BGANZ for awarding me the scholarship.
Team members across all three locations were all incredibly welcoming and generous with their time and expertise I feel particularly grateful for the opportunity to work with the talented people in the Herbarium and the Seedbank and witness the beautiful intersection between the scientific and the practical that makes the facilities at ABGMA so impressive
The experience has been truly invaluable for me; a wealth of inspiration and a particular highlight in my career thus far I look forward to working towards the excellent standards of horticulture I witnessed within this organisation, and I hope to one day pay this gift forward with as much substance and grace as I received during my stay at ABGMA
On behalf of myself and the Nursery Team at Rockhampton, thank you to everyone involved.
Wollemi Pine in the Mount Tomah Blue Mountains Botanic Gardens Note the unusual – and unique –bark on the tree in the right-hand side of the image All image credits: T Mehlhose
Stony Range Regional Botanic Garden of Australian Bushland is nestled in the beachside suburb of Dee Why, a green oasis amongst medium density housing It was opened in 1961 for the ‘Promotion of Native Flora and Fauna’ and declared a botanic garden in 2006. As a member of BGANZ it now joins other likeminded groups, sharing information and opportunities.
The Range has spectacular Hawkesbury sandstone outcrops with winding natural tracks and hard surface paths suitable for all abilities. It has both native vegetation and indigenous flora from other areas of Australia, which are labelled for identification purposes in keeping with its status as a botanic garden Leaflets are provided with information about the uses of various species including ‘Find me’ leaflets for children, with magnifying glasses provided for closer inspection
The introduction of plants from outside the local area has always depended on their suitability for the various microclimates that exist within the Range and the aesthetics of the area chosen Records are kept of all plantings including those of local significance and conducted walks and bush activities are given to children and community groups culminating in a Spring Festival each year
Within the Range, various areas have emphasised different plant groupings with Hawkesbury sandstone, primitive and bush food areas as well as collections of species The Rainforest, with trees and ferns from rainforest areas around Australia, is a cool haven in the heat of summer, and, with the new boardwalk, a place to sit and
Winding trails through sandstone outcrops and the rainforest and ferns offer a cool haven during summer
relax An open area by the pool has seating and an undercover area ready for entertainment or just relaxing The nearby BBQ area leads to a circular wheelchair-friendly Sensory Track encouraging the use of all five senses.
In 2001 the Federation Cascades were created, falling from the upper reaches of the Range down a natural watercourse to provide moisture and coolness to the surrounding areas and water where birds can bathe
Two areas have been set aside especially for nature play – a Magic Circle Area where children can make banksia men, help build a Dragon’s Nest or decorate a fairy house Next to the BBQ area there is a Secret Hideout Area where they can build a cubby house, climb a rope ladder or walk along a rope bridge An upper path also leads to a Bird Wheel to guess various bird calls and a Photo Frame for taking a souvenir photo of the visit.
A volunteer-run nursery is open on a Tuesday morning and Saturday afternoon where the public can purchase tube stock of healthy native plants
With support from the Northern Beaches Council, a team of dedicated volunteers have turned Stony Range into a bushland haven and respite from the busy world outside.
Come and visit!
Winding trails through sandstone outcrops and the rainforest and ferns offer a cool haven during summer All image credits: Stony Range Regional Botanic Garden
Reviewed by Matthew Nicholson, editor, Notes from the Nursery
I decided to read this book when I heard the author, Alison Pouliot interviewed by Richard Fidler on his ABC radio program Conversations in 2023, just after it was published I was first intrigued by the front cover, which features an image of Ghost Fungus Omphalotus nidiformis taken by the author, who has spent decades studying and documenting fungi across various continents in both hemispheres. She is an ecologist with a deep passion for mycology
Pouliot is also the author of The Allure of Fungi (2018), in which she explores how fungi have nearly disappeared in the context of the Australian ecological consciousness, and Wild Mushrooming – A Guide for Foragers, with Tom May, (2021), shortlisted for the Indie Book Awards, 2022 and longlisted for the ABIA Book Awards 2022: Small Publishers’ Adult Book of the Year
She has since written another book, Meetings with Remarkable Mushrooms – Forays with Mushrooms Across Hemispheres (2023) Pouliot has a PhD in ecology and a keen interest in photography, with some of her photos featured in her books.
In Underground Lovers – Encounters with Fungi, Pouliot includes several pages devoted to terminology and provides a species register and a glossary, additions which prove helpful to non-specialists, and make the book accessible to the general reader The book comprises stories of her day-to-day life as an academic botanist, anecdotes from visits to international mycology conferences across the globe, and stories of people she’s met and interviewed on field trips.
Pouliot recounts the reactions of ordinary people she encounters These give the reader a glimpse into the general ignorance of some on such an important part of our ecosystem. It also emphasises her passion for making complex knowledge, such as how forests are interconnected, accessible to the public.
In the 10 chapters, Pouliot recalls being ‘enchanted by the bush’ (p 9) as a child, where ‘[e]ntering a forest sparked an immediate sense of excitement’ She recounts conversations she had in her later career while mushrooming in locales as diverse as Olympic National Park, Washington, with mycologist Lee Whitford, and in British Columbia, where a forest ecologist ‘revealed the remarkable extent of fungus-mediated relations and exchanges between trees’ (p 29) In a subsequent trip to Iceland to examine lichens, she writes about how the deceptively named (this moss is in fact a lichen) Iceland Moss Cetraria islandica is ‘known to
contain a mild antimicrobial compound and a demulcent’ (p 33)
While walking through Lily Pilly Gully on Wilsons Promontory she finds ‘something I’d never encountered…an exquisitely beautiful and delicate thing, resembling a similar looking fungus with the whimsical name of the little ping pong bat’ (p 176) This turned out to be a pest fungus, brought to Australia from Madagascar and parts of southeast Asia by human vectors Pouliot is a good storyteller. She uses this story to later acquaint the reader with the way some Landcare groups ‘have recognised the importance of including fungi’ (p. 230) in their land restoration philosophy. This is an encouraging sign, which hopefully other groups will also recognise, as books such as this continue to be written and read
Pouliot documents a discussion in Iceland with a ranger/photographer who at first approached her angrily because he’d thought she had camped illegally in the carpark overnight. After she explained that she’d arrived early from elsewhere, they ‘engaged in a long and disturbing conversation’ (p 188) He told her of his battle to put enough boardwalks around the Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon to protect the fungi and lichen ‘from Instagram-obsessed tourists’ (p 188), and how he was ‘greatly concerned’ (p 188) about the damage they were doing to the local ecologies and soil underfoot. Evidently the concern for the protection of the ecology of the canyon had taken ‘a profound personal toll’ (p. 191) on the man and he ‘lamented the lack of infrastructure necessary to protect’ (p 189) vulnerable ecologies –‘we can’t build boardwalks fast enough to cope with the stampede of Instagrammers’ (p 189)
Pouliot devotes a chapter to the importance of women as keepers of cultural heritage (as is the case in so many cultures globally) and particularly of fungal lore ‘Witches abound in the common names of some fungi across languages’ [p. 196), she remarks, while commenting on European folklore, which ‘is rich in associations between witches and fungi’ (p 196) The Italians know the Red Cage fungus Clathrus ruber (a type of stinkhorn) as Witch’s Heart, for example, as do the French The French, Italians, Swedes and Icelanders ‘refer to a circle of mushrooms as a fairy ring but also as a witch’s ring’ (as do Australians!) (p. 197).
In some Balkan countries, mushrooms were ‘assembled as amulets’ (p 197) to ward off witches Poliout recounts the barriers encountered by women in the attempt to (re)gain access to scientific knowledge while relating having ‘heard about the prestigious Linnean Society of London’, at which she ‘was thrilled to have been invited to speak on fungal conservation’ (p 205) How far things have progressed!
Underground Lovers – Encounters with Fungi is published by NewSouth Publishing, an imprint of the University of New South Wales
The Russian and Slavic witch Baba Yaga flys in a mortar wielding a pestle. She is often associated with mushrooms, especially Fly Agaric Amanita muscaria Illustration for the Russian fairy tale Vasilisa the Beautiful by Ivan Bilibin, 1900 Image: public domain, via Wikimedia Commons 1
are mucilaginous substances that can relieve pain and inflammation of the mucous membranes
Paul Swift, Education & Partnerships Specialist, Auckland Botanic Gardens and Chair of BGANZ’s Botanic Gardens Engagement Network (BGEN)
Auckland Botanic Gardens has a very detailed set of internal Plant Collection Guidelines. They provide principles and practices that guide the development, management and enhancement of the plant collections and horticultural services that support them They also provide direction for the documentation, curation and maintenance of collections and enable all staff to share a common understanding of the role and purpose of the gardens.
While these guides are crucial for the field team of horticulturalists, they also have a section that outlines the role and direction of the gardens in general This helps us to articulate what makes us a botanic garden as opposed to us simply being a spectacular park or open space full of beautiful flora within the wider Council’s portfolio of destinations The guidelines outline five overarching categories: recreation, health, education, conservation and research and this is where the Plant Collection Guidelines get more interesting for me in my role as Education and Partnership Specialist here at the gardens
While reading through the document I had an epiphany and realised that our five internal pillars could, and indeed should, be expanded on and shared with our 1 million annual visitors. Educational theory (Ausubel, 1968) identifies these pillars as advanced organisers – signalling topics and themes that the visitor may encounter while enjoying the gardens.
So began the process of taking these pillars from our internal guidelines and turning them into messages to share with everyone in the Huakaiwaka visitor centre, our spectacular centre, which opened in 2005.
Education and Participation, a pair of the new eight pillars
With a bit of imagination and word-smithing the five pillars were expanded into eight: Conservation & Research, Health & Wellbeing, Education & Participation, and Recreation & Inspiration
The Huakaiwaka visitor centre has a series of large physical pillars that are central to the architecture of the building These structural columns provide the perfect backdrop on which to share the nonphysical pillars with visitors as they enter and orientate themselves to the gardens. Colour coding each set of pillars also offers us the ability to take these messages out into the garden
The idea is that a visitor will begin to recognise that signs and interpretation panels in orange are related to Health & Wellbeing while signage in green is related to Conservation & Recreation.
Ideally, we want our visitors to think, ’Wow, I had no idea that the gardens did all this amazing work, isn’t it wonderful!’. We want the visitors to become our promoters and help share the important work we do and the role that we play in connecting people with plants, while also reinforcing the role
Top - A graphic representation of the pillars on display Bottom - the test installation of the pillar wraps All image credits: Auckland Botanic Gardens
a botanic garden plays in enhancing health, wellbeing, education, participation, recreation, inspiration, conservation and research
We are currently in the process of testing the installation of the pillar wraps and hope to have them in place by January 2025.
Further reading Ausubel, D P (1968) Educational psychology: a cognitive view Holt, Rinehart and Winston: New York
Editor’s note: Paul Swift will be leaving Auckland Botanic Gardens at the end of December 2024 and stepping down from his role as Chair of BGEN We thank Paul for his contributions to BGANZ over the years and wish him all the very best as he relocates to Dunedin.
Botanicnews:fromhomeandabroad
Cassandra Nichols, CEO BGANZ Ltd.
8thGlobalBotanicGardensCongress
The 8th Global Botanic Gardens Congress took place in Singapore from August 6 to 9, 2024. The Congress convened over 700 experts and professionals from botanic gardens worldwide to reflect on the theme ‘Botanic Gardens: People and Plants for a Sustainable Future ’
It was excellent to see so many of our members both attending and presenting Participants engaged in discussions on innovative approaches for botanic gardens to fulfil their missions in research, conservation, education and outreach. The event also emphasised the critical role of botanic gardens in addressing global biodiversity loss and climate change.
Notable highlights for me included: one of the greatest roles is for botanic gardens to carry forward the world’s current floral biodiversity and prevent extinction the incredible examples and discussions of botanic gardens involved in ecological restoration, including reintroducing forests that have been missing for 1,000 years. the utilisation of botanic garden expertise to codevelop the Global Biodiversity Standard (GBS), ensuring restoration and carbon projects are maintaining and enhancing biodiversity and the potential for Australian and New Zealand gardens to lead the assessment of GBS projects in our region we need to work through legislative and biosecurity barriers that prevent sharing of plant material for conservation and create global meta-collections of threatened and rare plants, just like in the zoo world.
Many people remain largely unaware that there even is illegal trade in plants and consumers don’t realise their purchases could be contributing to the poaching of plants and undermining legitimate livelihoods – yet global exports of flora are worth five times more than global exports of fauna.
Regarding the host city – it couldn’t have been a more appropriate place for a people- and plantthemed conference: the second greenest country in the world, planting millions of trees since their independence, aiming to enhance ecological resilience and initially, to create a ‘Garden City’. A subtle, but oh so meaningful change, the vison now is to create a ‘City in a Garden’. Such an inspiration!
A highlight of the Congress for BGANZ was the live demonstration of the beta version of the Living Collections Toolkit held during a workshop convened by Andrea Proctor, Tessa Kum, Peter Symes and me The toolkit was received with much vigour and excitement, and comments were made on how incredibly useful the tool looks Even large gardens, such as Cambridge and Kew, have expressed interest
BGANZCongress
The next BGANZ Congress will be held in November 2025 in Canberra Visit https://www bganz org au/2025-bganz-congress-2/ for details The call for abstracts is now open and will close on 30 April 2025.
Advocacy
As a peak body for the industry, it is important we begin to build relations with government and have a voice on topics which impact our industry In the past 6 months we have: met with the Threatened Species Commissioner and her team in Canberra to discuss how botanic gardens can help achieve the Threatened Species Action Plan and in particular, the importance of a national plant database met with the Assistant Secretary, Plant Health Policy Branch to discuss the relevance of botanic gardens to biosecurity and potential collaborations made our first submission to government (to the New Zealand Ministry of Primary Industries) on its proposed changes to the importation of nursery stock into New Zealand attended the Australian Federal Government’s invitation-only event (the Nature Positive Summit). More than 1,000 global leaders and experts from about 50 countries attended including environment and climate ministers, corporate leaders and representatives from environmental groups, Indigenous Peoples, scientists and community leaders Delegates explored critical matters relating to increasing investment in nature and repairing and restoring natural environments.
BGANZAwards2024
In December we were delighted to announce the winners of the 2024 BGANZ Awards The calibre of applications this year was incredibly high and there was a diverse array of projects submitted making it a tough job for the judges! We thank every applicant for their time and effort put into the awards.
The winners were: Professional Development Award, Meg Hirst (Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria) Early Career Award, Juan Lucas (Botanic Gardens of Sydney).
An additional award was granted to a regional garden finalist, John Carabott from Macedon Ranges Shire Council (responsible for Kyneton, Gisborne and Malmsbury Botanic Gardens).
Special mention is given to:
Professional Development Award: Peter Berbee, Acacia Stevenson, Praful Umaretiya and Chantelle Doyle.
Early Career Award: River Foster, Alec Trakas and Simon Berry.
BGANZ–IrisBGPartnership
We are excited to announce a new partnership that will provide excellent value for our members. In December we partnered with IrisBG The partnership includes a BGANZ member offer, in which all active BGANZ members are eligible for an advantageous discount on IrisBG licenses and services. The special discounts are based on your membership tier. Visit https://irisbg.com/BGANZ benefit-p.aspx for details.
We look forward to collaborating with the team at IrisBG!
BGANZhasanewlook!
After 20 years it was time for BGANZ to refresh its brand, creating something that reflects the work we do and which would be recognisable to those outside the membership. We worked closely with a digital design company to create our new look, and we thank our Board, Member Committee and numerous members from across Australia and New Zealand who contributed to the design
The logo represents a combination of a network hub + flowers of the New Zealand Rātā and Australian Myrtaceae.
A new colour palette with greens, oranges, yellow and sand represents both countries and fonts have been designed to match our tone - professional and approachable We hope you like the new look and feel as much as we do!
A new website is also underway, which will be much more user friendly and provide better access to resources It will include a member portal and a member directory We hope to release this in March, so stay tuned!
