The newly formed Threatened Plant Action Group (TPAG) hosted its first events throughout September, celebrating National Threatened Species Day with talks and a display, and following it up with working bees in two threatened ecological communities. The first, held at Apsley River on Tasmania's east coast focused efforts on removing gorse from a stand of Eucalyptus ovata - Callistris oblonga forest. As well as working hard, volunteers enjoyed beautiful weather for the day, and encountered numerous species coming into flower. The following weekend saw TPAG volunteers removing gorse, briar rose and blackberry from a Themeda Grassland site, home to ten state listed threatened species, including Cryptandra amara and Hibbertia basaltica (case study one)

Photo:Hibbertia basaltica

The TPAG has been established to encourage and facilitate state-wide community involvement in threatened flora protection and recovery. Over 70% of species listed as threatened in Tasmania are plants. Tasmania's threatened flora includes a diverse array of beautiful, rare and unique species, from grasses, ferns and orchids, through to large trees such as the Miena Cider Gum (Eucalyptus gunnii ssp. divaricata). Many of our threatened plants are endemic to Tasmania, meaning they are not found anywhere else in the world.

Many things can cause a species to become threatened including land clearance, habitat degradation, grazing by both native and introduced animals, weed invasion, loss of pollinators, altered hydrology, Phytophthera, drought stress, and altered fire regimes. Once threatened, species require appropriate management to ensure they can survive in the wild and do not go the way of the Thylacine. With over 400 state-listed threatened plant species in Tasmania and only a few paid staff to look after them, volunteer contributions are vital to the successful implementation of threatened flora recovery actions.

TPAG volunteers will work closely with Threatened Species Section staff of the Department of Primary Industries and Water (DPIW) on current flora recovery programs, ensuring their efforts will be relevant, timely and worthwhile. Volunteers may get involved in a wide range of threatened flora related activities including: surveying and monitoring of threatened populations, especially orchid populations; weed eradication at key sites; fencing populations to protect them from over-grazing; research into threatened species ecology, seed germination, pollination and response to fire; conservation plantings; raising seedlings; o rganising awareness raising events; website development; community education activities; writing and updating threatened flora listing statements, data entry and so on!

By joining the TPAG you can contribute to the conservation of Tasmania's precious and unique threatened flora. You might just help bring a species "back from the brink"!

For more information contact TPAG Coordinator, Catriona Scott on 62336692 or catriona.scott@dpiw.tas.gov.au