Forestry Corporation has delivered alpine and white ash seed collections to the award-winning Australian PlantBank at the Australian Botanic Garden at Mount Annan, strengthening conservation efforts for some of the state’s most vulnerable forest species.

The seed handover marks another milestone in a long-term program to safeguard state forest ash forests following the 2019–2020 Black Summer bushfires.

Alpine ash (Eucalyptus delegatensis) and white ash (Eucalyptus fraxinoides) are obligate seeders, meaning their survival depends entirely on seed released after fire.

With increasingly frequent fire events threatening regeneration, securing seed in professional conservation facilities is critical.

“This collaboration with PlantBank ensures that NSW’s alpine and white ash forests, iconic ecosystems severely impacted by fires, are supported by cutting-edge conservation science and safeguarded for future generations,” Forestry Corporation’s Resources Supervisor South Joel Dawson said.

“By delivering these samples to PlantBank from Forestry’s own seed bank store in Eden, we are ensuring they are professionally stored and available for future research and restoration.

“This partnership provides insurance for these forests, which are highly susceptible to fire before reaching maturity,” he said.

Forestry Corporation has added to its seed bank for ash forests over the past two years, working with contractors to collect seed from different provenances and elevations in State Forests.

The latest delivery includes carefully measured 25-gram samples from multiple seed zones, which will undergo viability testing and genetic analysis at PlantBank’s world-class laboratory and drying rooms.

To learn more about Forestry Corporation, visit: https://www.forestrycorporation.com.au