6th National Conference of the Australian Network for Plant Conservation (ANPC)

Workshops

Conservation Techniques Workshops (Friday 30th September) 

The Conservation Techniques Workshops are an Australian Network for Plant Conservation initiative to increase direct communication between the various and diverse members of the plant conservation community. We have gathered together a fine collection of topics supported and presented by an even finer group of your colleagues. The proposed workshops are:

Three workshops will run concurrently. Workshops 1-3 first, followed by Workshops 4-6 and finally Workshops 7-9. Workshop numbers are limited and you will be requested to nominate preferences at the time of registration. 

09:00 – 10:30  

• Workshop One Comparison and Analysis of Techniques for Assessing Vegetation 
  Comparison and Analysis of Techniques for Assessing Vegetation There are numerous tools for assessing vegetation condition across Australia. Amongst these are Habitat Hectares, Landscape Function Analysis and the Terrestrial Biodiversity Component of the Project Assessment Tool (PAT) in NSW. This workshop will objectively consider and discuss the pros and cons of these different approaches, the key features, benefits and perhaps the shortcomings of these tools for assessing vegetation. Convenor: tba

• Workshop Two Developing Incentives for Conservation on Private Land
  Conservation on private land and working collaboratively with landowners and local communities is emerging as a key area in the protection and management of threatened species and plant communities in Australia. This workshop aims to discuss the issues associated with developing incentive schemes and conservation planning on private land.  Convenor: Vicki Linton, Senior Ecologist, Private Land Conservation, Department for Environment and Heritage.

• Workshop Three Fire ecology and the impact of fire regimes on plant diversity
  The aim of this workshop is to provide workshop attendees with a 'general' understanding of the principles and parameters for ecological fire management. This will include discussion on assessing fuel loads, prescriptive burning protocols and an examination of the issues associated with post-fire vegetation responses. Convenor: Dr Meredith Henderson, Senior Fire Ecologist, Department for Environment and Heritage.

11:00 – 12:30  

• Workshop Four Establishing Seed Orchards for Plant Conservation: Principles and Practices 
  The establishment of seed orchards is today considered to be a viable and legitimate means of collecting volumes of seed and seed production for a range of plant conservation and revegetation projects. This workshop will discuss both the practical and technical aspects of establishing seed orchards for a range of specific applications/purposes. Convenor: Dr Paul Gibson Roy, University of Melbourne.

• Workshop Five Developing Effective Communication Strategies for Plant Conservation 
  Effective communication and community engagement is a key element linked to the success of a range of plant conservation and Revegetation projects. It could be even be argued that on going funding and support for our projects is fundamentally linked to how effective our communications are. For many of our projects the science is right, the project plan and the methodology sound but the communications are not approached with the same degree of consideration or targeting. This workshop will discuss a range of strategies and techniques to ensure our communications for plant conservation projects are targeted, well considered and effective. Convenor: Vicki-Jo Russell, State Coordinator, Threatened Species Network, South Australia.

• Workshop Six: Identification of Grasses and their Relatives This interactive workshop aims to increase participant's knowledge in the identification of Australian Native Grasses. Topics covered in the workshop will include:

  • Recognising a grass as distinct from related families such as sedges and rushes;

  • Identifying the distinguishing features of important parts of grasses and their relatives (e.g. ligule, spikelet, floret);

  • How the AusGrass CD-ROM works and whether it's a good investment for you for future grass ID; 

  • Growth habits - hummocks, tussocks, swards, creepers, climbers, annuals etc;

  • Differences between cool-temperate grasses and grasses of warmer climates, in Australia and overseas; 

  • Example identification of some cool-temperate grasses;

  • Splitters Rule! Recently introduced synonyms such as Austro-this and Austro-that;

  • The importance of knowing about grass ecology and biology when managing grassy vegetation. Convenor: Graeme Lorimer, Biosphere Pty Ltd, Victoria. 

13:30 – 15:00  

• Workshop Seven: Weed Risk and Weed Risk Assessment The weed issue in Australia is well documented and understood to be one of the largest threats to biodiversity conservation. Is there the possibility of restricting the development of new weed problems in Australia by undertaking a formal process of assessing species known or thought to have weed potential? This workshop will examine the key characteristics of weediness in plants, whether these characteristics are measurable and can these be linked to potential environmental, social and economic impacts? The Council of Heads of Australian Botanic Gardens and the CRC Australian Weed Management are currently developing a methodology for Weed Risk Assessment. This will be discussed in detail in the workshop. Convenors: Dr John Virtue, Senior Weed Ecologist, Department of Water, Land and Biodiversity Conservation and CRC Australian Weed Management, South Australia, and John Arnott, Director, Geelong Botanic Gardens, Victorian 

• Workshop Eight Indigenous Plants & People 
  A Tauondi trained nationally accredited Aboriginal Cultural Guide will lead a tour through the Adelaide Botanic Gardens. The guide will give a brief introduction about him or herself as an Aboriginal person today. The group will then walk with the guide through the gardens and along the way they will be shown how various plants were used for medicine, artefacts, food, shelter, clothing or conserving energy while hunting. Through the extensive knowledge and ingenious use of plants, the tour will show how Aboriginal people have been able to sustain their lifestyle and the environment for many thousands of years. Trail Leader: Tauondi College Guide.

• Workshop Nine Urban Ecology - Managing Small Patches 
  Case study - A tale of two urban woodland relics. Short presentation comparing two similar urban relics of Grey Box woodland, formerly the dominant vegetation community south of Adelaide CBD. Both remnants contained a good canopy of original trees and some very degraded ground flora which consisted mostly of native grasses but included some non-grass species. Both remnants were irrigated and regularly mown. This workshop will discuss the following issues: What is the role of native vegetation relics in urban areas? Can these sites be sustainable? And are we wasting our time? Are there techniques particularly suited to high profile urban sites? Introducing other local species - what is local? What records are worth keeping How to accommodate the urban aesthetic mindset? When is this conservation and when is it gardening? How do we develop public support? Convenor: Andrew Crompton, Group Team Leader, Biodiversity, City of Burnside, South Australia.

Popular workshops maybe re-run in the period following afternoon tea.

Friday 30th September: Workshops (Day 1)

Translocation Workshop (Saturday 1st October) 

On Saturday 1st October, the successful Australian Network for Plant Conservation Translocation Workshop will be run in South Australia for the first time. The translocation workshop focuses on the planning and implementation of translocation projects for threatened flora. Topics covered in the workshop include, what is translocation, when it is appropriate to use translocation as a tool to conserve threatened species and the key elements of planning and implementing a translocation program. The Workshop will be held in the Goodman Building, Botanic Gardens of Adelaide.

Translocation Workshop Program  

Register early - numbers are limited to 50

Secretariat

Plevin and Associates Pty Ltd PO Box 54 BURNSIDE 5066 South Australia
Tel +61 8 8379 8222 Fax +61 8 8379 8177 events@plevin.com.au

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