Review of the 2024-25 seed collection season

Seed collection is an enjoyable task with friends in pleasant bush surrounds. We endeavour to make all new volunteers feel welcome, by teaching our methods and involving everyone in the tasks. This season we have had the pleasure of four new members who have taken to the tasks like ducks to water (or parrots to seed…?). Our increasing membership now allows to us to venture into different directions and investigate new possibilities for species not previously collected.

Our plant identification booklet is ready for the new edition and the folder of seed samples is nearly complete. Having these great resources compiled from many volunteer hours will make it much easier for access for identification of seed and samples. Thanks to all involved.

This season we have collected nearly 6kg of seed from 53 species and 35 locations. Many sites are visited several times throughout the season to gather seed from different species as it ripens. Some big storms in September meant our season started quite early collecting from fallen branches of mostly Eucalypts, which can be quite difficult to collect as we cannot climb them to get at the seed. We then continued with most seeds ripening two weeks earlier than usual due to some warm spring weather and a hot summer.

The acacias were not as co-operative this year with all yields down although we did still manage to get all the species we were after.

Garden plantings from members have helped us secure seed with appropriate provenance of some species like the Daviesia and Pultenaea which are quite fickle with ripening times. Being on site means they can be checked regularly and picked when ready.

Sometimes the trickiest species are those really common ones that are everywhere and hold their seed so we often leave those to ‘next time’. Before you know it, the season is nearing an end and they have not been collected. This nearly happened this year with Cassinia aculeata (Common Dogwood). All seed is now cleaned and processed ready for delivery to South Gippsland Seed Bank.

We will meet for coffee over the winter months and perhaps organise an excursion or two.