The Yass Area Network of Landcare Groups won a Yass Council Community Grant to progress community networks and knowledge in the collection, cleaning, storage and sowing of local seed for the future.  This grant is managed by a team of Landcare volunteers who operate native plant nurseries in Murrumbateman, Yass and Bowning-Bookham. 

Grant funding has enabled the Yass Area Network of Landcare Groups to host a community focused Native plant identification and seed collection workshop at Bookham in September.  This event also included a field visit to the Box Gum woodland reserve adjacent to the Bookham Cemetery.  A second workshop lead by Nola Hancock from Macquarie University and Linda Broadhurst, CSIRO explained the concepts of the Climate-ready revegetation framework.  An electronic library of native plant identification material is being consolidated by Kath McGuirk President of YAN for future reference and training of interested community members.

Landcare nursery volunteers in the Yass region source native seed from Greening Australia Canberra or from established plants on members properties.  One of our goals of the “Seed for the future” project is to ensure that participating community members can identify and know how to source Climate-ready seed, which can then be used to sow and grow on in our regional Landcare nurseries.

To source local quantities of native seed we are now asking members of the Yass regional community to contact Kath McGuirk at kangiara@gmail.com if they have stands of the same plant eg 7-10 Eucalyptus blakelyi (Blakely’s redgum) preferably with accessible limbs to collect seed.  In relation to wattles if a landholder has for example 10 plus Golden Wattles on their property which are seeding Kath McGuirk from Yass Area Network of Landcare Groups is keen to hear from you to discuss if ripe seed can be collected.  All locally collected seed would be sown in one of the three regional Landcare nurseries.  Native seed from wattles or and understory plants, Eucalyptus trees which include Box, Stringy Bark, Ribbon Gum, Gum etc native forbes or waterway rushes are example of the plant groups that local seed is being sought.

If you don’t have a stand of trees or wattles but would like to find out more about your regional Landcare nursery or group email Kath McGuirk at kangiara@gmail.com.

Download Project information flyer

See below information on Eucalyptus blakelyi (Blakely’s redgum) and Acacia pycnantha Golden Wattle which is our national Australian floral emblem.  This is an example of plant specific profile information which is being consolidated to assist regional landholders and residential gardeners to identify plants on their property.

Acacia pycnantha Golden Wattle

Description: Medium shrub to small tree 10 m high with bright green sickle-shaped phyllodes to 14 cm. Large golden ball-shaped flowers occur in spring.

Distribution: New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.  This species is Australia's floral emblem.

Propagation: From scarified seed or boiling water treatment.

Cultivation: Very showy wattle. Fast growing in well-drained, sunny position with ample watering.

Special horticultural attributes:

• Frost hardy (will tolerate frosts to -7 C )