Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria Annual Report 2018-19

Renovation of the Red Sand Garden
IMPORTANT NETWORKS
BGANZ
Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria actively
supports the botanic gardens sector
through leadership roles with Botanic
Gardens of Australia and New Zealand
Inc (BGANZ). Staff hold the positions
of BGANZ Victoria Convenor, BGANZ
Victoria Secretary and Committee
Members, Victorian representative to
BGANZ Council alongside chairing
several working groups and leading
collaborative projects.
Care for the Rare
Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria has
recently secured funding from the
Helen McPherson Smith Trust to pilot
an exciting plant conservation initiative
called Care for the Rare, which aims
to establish a multi-site conservation
collection of Victorian rare and
threatened species at several regional
botanic gardens across the State.
The emphasis of these conservation
collections is on threatened species
from Victorian bioregions that are near
participating regional botanic gardens.
By curating Victoria’s rare and threatened
plants in curated collections across the
State, the plants are better protected
against extinction., The importance
of plant conservation and the role of
botanic gardens in such an endeavour
can be showcased to all visitors.
The first round of the program involves
site visits to six botanic gardens, and
discussions with curators, managers
and volunteers. Conservation Collection
Plans have been completed for each
participating garden. Plant production has
commenced at the Cranbourne Gardens
nursery, with material to be distributed to
participating gardens in 2020.
The first gardens to participate are:
Australian Botanic Gardens Shepparton
(Greater Shepparton Shire)
Ballarat Botanical Gardens (City of
Ballarat)
Colac Botanical Gardens (Colac Otway
Shire)
Dandenong Ranges Botanic Gardens
(Parks Victoria)
Sale Botanic Garden (Shire of Wellington)
Wilson Botanic Park (City of Casey).
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