We contribute to Australian and international conservation programs.
Our germplasm collections, associated data and scientific expertise give the Australian PlantBank team a key role in implementing the NSW Government's Saving Our Species program, as well as contributing to national seedbanking initiatives through the Australian Seed Bank Partnership and international targets for conservation through the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation and the Millennium Seed Bank Partnership.
We have a strong relationship with the Millennium Seed Bank of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (UK) which has a global partnership of over 80 countries. The Millennium Seed Bank also provides a 'back up' against catastrophic loss of germplasm stored in the Australian PlantBank, as half of each seed collection has been banked there since 2002. We also have a strategic relationship with the Australian Seed Bank Partnership, an Australian network of native seed conservation, seed banking and research practitioners. The vision of the Partnership is "a future where Australia’s native plant diversity is valued, understood and conserved for the benefit of all". Find out more about the scientific outcomes of the Australian partnership in this special issue of the Australian Journal of Botany.
In Australia, seed conservation activities have become increasingly coordinated and collaborative at a national scale... Offord et al Australian Journal of Botany (2017) 65: 601-608