FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT

ESTABLISHING A SEED-BASED GENEBANK FOR CONSERVATION COURSE

Lectures and practical experience in the principles surrounding the collection of genetically representative material for genebanking, and the protocols and procedures used in genebanking will be covered in this one week course. The course will emphasise hands-on experience, and laboratory work will comprise a major part of the week, and will involve the course participant in all aspects of genebanking, from field to freezer, and beyond.

Course material will be made available to each participant. A list of equipment necessary for the establishment of a genebank and a list of Australian and overseas suppliers of this equipment and consumables required will be provided. A list of reference material relevant to all aspects of genebanking will also be available. We will endeavour to ensure that participants are given a strong grounding in the principles and procedures for genebanking, and provide them with additional contacts working in this field.

DATES: July 27th to August 2nd, 1998 (inclusive).

LOCATION: Western Australian Department of Conservation and Land Management’s Threatened Flora Seed Centre, South Perth.

COURSE CONTENT:
1. Introduction to genebanks
2. Collection strategies (sampling for genetic variation)
3. Seed quality - timing of collection, cleaning, testing (cuttests, float tests)
4. Viability testing (germination tests - treatments, sterilisation, media)
5. Moisture content determination and drying
6. Storage (duplicate collections, cryostorage to be dealt with at Kings Park and Botanic Gardens)
7. Documentation (databases)

FIELD EXCURSION: A short field trip to CALM’s Central Forest Region, Whicher Range and Busselton area, approximately two and a half hours south of Perth will be scheduled for the weekend of August 1 and 2, leaving Friday afternoon and returning Sunday afternoon. The aim of this excursion is to introduce the course participant to issues that threaten species and communities in the south-west of Western Australia, and to illustrate how an integrated conservation strategy involving both in situ (on site) and ex situ (off site) measures can be used to complement each other. Several translocation sites will be visited.

COST: We anticipate the cost of the course to be $250 per person. This includes accommodation and transport in the field and covers course materials. Airfares, meals and accommodation in Perth are at your own expense. A local motel has units at $70/night for either single or double. These have a kitchenette for cooking. This motel is probably the most convenient to the course venue and is close to the river and to South Perth, and thus the city. We will provide transport to and from this motel during the week of the course.

If you are interested in this course, please could you let us know as soon as you can as places are limited. It is envisaged that no more than 10 people will be participating in the course so as to ensure the maximum amount of hands-on experience is gained by each person. This is essentially a PRACTICAL course.

Anne Cochrane, Threatened Flora Seed Centre, Department of Conservation and Land Management, Western Australia