Review of advanced seed collecting with Neville Bonney
Recently, Nature Glenelg Trust teamed up with the Department of Environment Water & Natural Resources and TAFE Mount Gambier to deliver two advanced seed Workshops led by Neville Bonney.
These Workshops were aimed at people who already had a good knowledge of seed collection but wanted to increase their knowledge of understorey and hard to collect species.
The first Workshop kicked off at the Carpenter Rocks Hall. Here enthusiastic amateur botanists from both sides of the border gathered to hear Neville explain how to find, identify, collect and process various understorey species. Neville then led us on a fascinating exploration of Carpenter Rocks Conservation Park & Honan’s Scrub, introducing us to more than 40 species, including nationally rare and vulnerable species like Grevillea aquifolium (prickly grevillea) and the Kangaroo Island Pomaderris, Pomaderris halmaturina ssp. Halmaturina.
Neville pointing out seed of understorey species at Carpenter Rocks Conservation Park
The second Workshop began at the Mount Benson Hall (near Robe) before heading out to Bagdad Scrub. While the weather on this first day of summer wasn’t as balmy as Saturdays Workshop, the participants were no less enthusiastic to learn about the floral diversity of the area, discovering some of the less common species of Gompholobium and a more upright growing type of Grevillea aquifolium.
Neville demonstrating seed cleaning at Mount Benson Hall
During both workshops, Neville’s in-depth knowledge and passion for our native flora made these hands-on events rewarding and educational experience for all participants. Eight of the participants took advantage of these workshops to complete the practical component of an accredited seed collecting unit through the Mount Gambier TAFE.
Thanks Neville, it was a fantastic weekend!
Neville at Bagdahd Scrub with a fistful of floral diversity
