Loss of wild trees & shrubs from SW Victoria has been happening long since the Koroit to Hamilton Railway line was built in the late 1880s. Land managers are confronted with a lack of known local seed provenance when they attempt to put back what was. Often the "putting back" comes after a catastrophic event like a fire, has destroyed what was left of what was.
So within a site on that railway line where Landcare is already establishing a snapshot of trees, shrubs, grasses, and other herbs that are local and hardy in farm based revegetation - there is a spot where for similar reasons VicRds has established a seed orchard. In the orchard has been planted 3 species that are a high risk of loss from the wild on road reserves. They are Sweet Bursaria, Silver Banksia, and Drooping Sheoak.
In October 2018 staff from the Warrnambool Region of Vicrds joined Landcare to plant the first stage of this orchard for seed production for roading projects. An audit in Feb 2020 shows 95% of sheoak, 45% of Bursaria, and 40% of Banksias have survived and some are now producing their first seeds.
In 2020 the plantings that have been lost will be replaced using seed bombs of know local provenance, and the seed orchard will expand over time.
In the future these plantings will become a resource for anyone wishing to restore country - including traditional owners, schools, crown land managers, and Landcare Groups.