Dandarrga Native Nursery
This project aims to establish:
1. A working native plant nursery in Dorrigo, staffed by volunteer Landcare members,
2. A training facility in Dorrigo to host workshops and provide consultation and advice on propagation, seed collection and bush regeneration with local rainforest species.
3. A local food seed bank and community gardens, as Dorrigo Seed Savers
Sep - Dec 2017
A series of working bees began in September 2017 to finish a roofed greenhouse, build compost bays, clear weeds and create garden beds at the Dorrigo Showground Nursery.
The Nursery opened Dec 11th, with a 6 month lease on part of the site.
By February 2018, volunteers had together logged 900 hours on site, matched by about 800 hours of behind-the-scenes volunteer administration, and spent about $1000 improving the facilities.
45 native species were for sale or under cultivation in the renovated shade house.
July 2018
We have been receiving emails, calls and visits from landowners with offers to visit areas where local species are in seed, with seed itself which we have propagated, with plant specimens they would like identified, and with encouragement and support for the project.
We hold weekly Rainforest ID sessions on Fridays 10 - 11am, where we learn how to use a Key Guide, and discover many new botanical terms for parts of plants.
Market stalls at our local markets, festivals and agricultural show have generated interest and fruitful connections for further collaboration with native plant nurseries, plant experts, landowners and local gardeners.
The shadehouse now has 75 local native species, and over 3,000 plants. A shade tunnel has been built to house the plants as they are tubed and potted on. A 'how-to-build-it' video is under development, and will be used at a workshop on Native Species Propagation and the uses of Poly Tunnels.
Landscaping of the site is ongoing. The addition of garden beds, to provide vegetable and herb seed stock for the Dorrigo Seedsavers, will further improve the site over the Spring and Summer.
On Free Food Fridays every week, a wide range of local food is on display to share.
The Nursery plans to propagate a range of non-hybrid varieties of vegetables, fruits and herbs in the coming year in collaboration with the Dorrigo Seedsavers. We would like to hold future workshops on food growing, food processing and preserving, composting and seedsaving.
March 2019
Eighteen months on, we are really getting into our stride. Over 100 native species now grow under shade cloth. Download a stocklist (pdf)
Dorrigo Seed Savers meet every week to tend garden beds, grow seedlings and process seed.
The nursery site is now full of productive gardens.
Our shade tunnel is full of trees.
See a short video on the building of the tunnel, on our Youtube channel.
