As the weather continues to get warmer and drier, it is the beginning of native seed collecting season for our Noongar Boodja Ranger’s team and they’re already off to a great start!
Our Rangers have started to clean the seeds they have been busy collecting over the last couple of months for their client, Outback Carbon. The aim to collect seed on site for the carbon plantings, ensuring local provenance for quality biodiversity outcomes. Our Noongar Boodja Rangers hold a native seed collection license, which allows them to collect native seeds, with permission, from Wheatbelt landholders.
After seed collection has taken place, the seed pods and plant material are taken back to our workshop where pods are stored so they can dry out and then open to reveal tiny seeds in the little pods.
Once the plant material is dry enough, it is then put through a series of sieves to remove any excess material or chaff so the end results is just seeds.
The Rangers then bag up the seeds, ensuring the correct labels are applied so they can keep track of which Genus and Species the seed belongs to and also important information like the location the seeds were collected, ensuring records for future seed collections.
The seed is then taken to a cool and dark storage facility until it is ready for the client to collect.
Our aim for our Noongar Boodja Rangers is to take action that leads to a stronger, healthier Noongar Boodjar (Noongar Country). If you’d like to find out more about our Noongar Boodja Rangers Native Seed Collection enterprise, please email Stephanie Cutmore at scutmore@wheatbeltnrm.org.au The Noongar Boodjar Rangers continue developing skills in seed collection to ensure we meet industry best practice, so we continue to provide a local quality seed supply for Wheatbelt restoration.
Published eNews 374, November 2022