New booklet on collecting seed and growing native plants from EK

Collecting seed and growing native plants has just got a whole lot easier with the publication of the ‘Seed Collection and Propagation Guide for Plants of the Kimberley’ by conservation group Environs Kimberley. The guide provides advice and tips for collecting, storing and propagating seed of 41 plants that occur in the west Kimberley and beyond.

‘We hope this new publication is a lasting, useful resource for Aboriginal rangers and community members as they grow plants and expand their looking-after-Country activities,’ said Ayesha Moss, Environs Kimberley Project Officer. ‘To ensure that this booklet is as useful as possible for the Kimberley rangers we work with, including Bardi Jawi, Nyul Nyul, Yawuru, Karajarri and Bunuba, we have included Aboriginal language names for plants, where known, alongside scientific names,’ said Ms Moss.

‘The guide includes sustainable harvest guidelines to ensure collections follow legal and cultural protocols, as well as care for the bush. They are also to help people pick viable seed and get the best propagation results possible,’ said co-author Phil Docherty, Society for Kimberley Indigenous Plants and Animals. The guidelines have been developed as part of the Environs Kimberley ‘Enriching Kimberley Native Food Producers and Enhancing Ecosystems Project’, funded through the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program.

The propagation guide was compiled as part of the Kimberley Community Seedbank (KCS) Project, which is managed by Environs Kimberley and funded through the Western Australia Natural Resource Management Program (State NRM). In the Guide we acknowledge many partners and individuals for their assistance and contribution of information.

The booklet has been distributed to ranger groups and Registered Native Title Body Corporates in the West Kimberley. Download a copy of the guide here. Printed copies are available for $15 with all proceeds going towards re-prints of Environs Kimberley publications. For a copy or further information please contact: The Kimberley Community Seedbank, Environs Kimberley