By Heidi Birkby, u6671871

For the past three weeks I have been fortunate to complete work experience with the National Botanic Gardens National Seed Bank. Nestled in amongst the beautiful gardens, the seed bank is a wealth of history, knowledge, and potential for future flora conservation efforts.

From Little Things, Big Things Grow.

Seed storage is an invaluable and crucial component of biodiversity conservation. Seeds are a convenient and efficient method of storing genetic diversity, that can be kept viable with low maintenance. Seed conservation can be an effective means to counter extinction, and assist with the restoration of habitats.  Furthermore, the National Seed Bank provides invaluable research on the ecology, and biology of seed production in Australian native species alongside conducting research on effective seed conservation mechanisms.

Figure 1: Pristine environment of the National Botanic Gardens.

Seed Conservation in the Heart of the Capital

The National Seed Bank at the Australian National Gardens is home to an extensive collection of native Australian Seeds. The National Seed Bank is working to expand knowledge on collecting, processing, storing and successfully germinating seeds to best contribute to biodiversity conservation. Furthermore, the National Seed Bank has prioritised the collection and storage of endemic flora to subalpine and alpine regions including Kosciuszko National Park. This is critical, as climate change is considered as a key threat to biodiversity conservation in alpine regions. Seeds are collected from various sources including locally from the National Botanic Gardens, from the wild, and through germination at the National Seed Bank. The National Seed Bank works on a variety of projects including Alpine research, Grassy Woodland research in the ACT (a significantly threatened ecosystem), endangered alpine bogs, rare and threatened species in the ACT, and restoration in Christmas Island and Norfolk Island.

Sowing a Seed of Hope

My time with the National Seed Bank has been extremely interesting and meaningful and has provided me with a more positive outlook on the role of volunteers in conservation. During my work experience, I undertook a range of tasks including the cleaning and sorting of seed collections, imaging of seeds using x-ray technology, and microscopic analysis. It has been inspiring to work with such small specimens that have a huge potential in conservation research. Furthermore, I have really learnt the value of volunteer work in biodiversity conservation. The National Seed Bank also has a bank of volunteers that work tirelessly on behind-the-scenes activities that are integral to the success of the National Seed Bank. It is true that channelling ‘eco-anxiety’ into meaningful actions- no matter how small- can help you feel less hopeless in the face of environmental uncertainty. That being said, my experience has also been eye-opening in the sense that organisations such as the National Seed Bank could achieve so much more with increased allocation of resources and funding.

Figure 2. Example of x-ray seed imaging used to determine the viability of seeds for germination.

In conclusion, completing work experience at the National Seed Bank has taught me far more than the conservation of seeds. It has shown me the limitless passion and commitment of those working in the field, alongside those volunteering. While seeds may be small, they are mighty and the potential of conservation avenues such as the National Seed Bank to address and combat biodiversity loss is invaluable.

References

Seed Ecology. 2020. Government of South Australia: Department for Environment and Water. Available from: https://www.environment.sa.gov.au/topics/Science/Science_research/ecological-processes/seed-ecology (Accessed 22.9.20)

South Australian Seed Conservation Centre. 2020. Botanic Gardens of South Australia. Available from: https://www.botanicgardens.sa.gov.au/science-conservation/seed-conservation-centre (Accessed 22.9.20)The National Seed Bank. 2020. Australian National Botanic Gardens. Available from

The National Seed Bank. 2020. Australian National Botanic Gardens. Available from http://www.anbg.gov.au/gardens/living/seedbank/index.html (Accessed 22.9.20)

Wyborn, C. 2012. Managing change or changing management: climate change and human use in Kosciuszko National park. Australasian Journal of Environmental Management 16(4): 208-217.