Two rare native plant species that ForestrySA has helped conserve have now been officially listed as ๐๐ง๐๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ under Australia’s ๐๐ง๐ฏ๐ข๐ซ๐จ๐ง๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ญ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐จ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง (๐๐๐๐) ๐๐๐ญ.
The ๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ฒ-๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ก (๐๐ญ๐ฆ๐ข๐ณ๐ช๐ข ๐ด๐ถ๐ง๐ง๐ณ๐ถ๐ต๐ช๐ค๐ฐ๐ด๐ข) and ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ง-๐จ๐ซ๐๐ก๐ข๐ (๐๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ญ๐บ๐ฎ๐ช๐ต๐ณ๐ข ๐ญ๐ถ๐ค๐ช๐ฅ๐ข) are among South Australia’s most vulnerable plant species, and ForestrySA staff have played an important role in improving knowledge, monitoring populations, collecting seed and supporting conservation efforts over many years.
The Clustered Daisy-bush is one of South Australia’s rarest plants, with only a handful of known natural populations. Recognising its vulnerability, ForestrySA undertook active conservation work, trialling plantings across wetland sites. The success of these efforts is now helping inform future recovery activities.
The Glistening Sun-orchid has its own remarkable story. Over approximately 15 years, ForestrySA staff worked alongside orchid volunteers and conservation partners to locate and monitor populations throughout the South East. The species is found almost entirely within Native Forest Reserves, highlighting the important role these protected areas play in safeguarding biodiversity.
Working with the Seed Conservation Centre at the Botanic Gardens of South Australia, ForestrySA staff collected seed and monitored populations long before the orchid appeared on state conservation priority lists.
As ForestrySA Conservation and Land Management Manager Troy Horn explains:
โA small amount of meaningful conservation work directed in the right place can have a huge impact.โ
These listings are a powerful reminder that targeted conservation, strong partnerships and long-term commitment can make a real difference for some of our most vulnerable native species.
