Why Seed Collecting Matters: Supporting Restoration on the Central Coast

Across the Central Coast, the humble act of collecting native seeds is quietly making a big impact. Central Coast Council’s dedicated seed collecting group has helped gather over 250 species across 110 different sites, providing vital support for a wide range of restoration and revegetation projects. The seed we collect helps supply plants for our Environmental Volunteer groups, ecological rehabilitation projects, landscaping across public spaces, and our two major National Tree Day planting events at Killcare Beach and Porters Creek Wetland. In fact, it’s estimated that at least 20,000 native plants are propagated and distributed from our nursery each year, plants that began life as tiny seeds or cuttings, hand-collected by trained volunteers and staff. One of the most powerful aspects of our seed collecting efforts is the focus on genetic diversity. By collecting across a wide range of vegetation communities, we’re not just growing more plants, we’re helping preserve the unique genetic signatures of species throughout the Central Coast Local Government Area. This is especially important as we face challenges like habitat fragmentation, climate change, and reduced gene flow between plant populations. Traditionally, restoration projects have focused on ‘local provenance’ using plant material sourced from as close as possible to the restoration site. But more recent thinking has expanded that idea. As landscapes become increasingly fragmented, and as climate change drives shifts in species’ ranges, we need to consider how populations are adapting and to ensure that our seed collections reflect those changes. Our seed collecting group takes a strategic approach: collecting broadly across populations, using methods that reduce bias, and recording detailed data about where and how each seed was collected. This thoughtful, science-backed approach helps ensure the seed stock we produce has the genetic diversity needed to thrive in the long term whilst meeting the growing demand for restoration projects across our region. A recent national study found that commercial seed collecting in Australia is largely unregulated. One significant development helping to guide this work is the recent update to the Florabank Guidelines, Australia’s best-practice framework for native seed collection. The seed collecting group meets on the 2nd Tuesday of each month from 8.30-11.30am at rotating bushland sites. Volunteers learn plant identification, collect seed and cuttings, and help sort and label materials for nursery propagation. The nursery runs volunteer sessions on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings. Email [email protected] to get involved.