Collecting seeds for the future

South Australia is leading the charge to ensure the earth’s vegetation has a rosy future.

The Botanic Gardens has collected seeds from 62 per cent of threatened flora, one of Australia’s most successful programs.

“We’ve collected 175 million for the seed bank here in South Australia,” seed collector Michael Thorpe said.

It is part of a global push to preserve endangered plants.

“We’re trying to bank some of these seeds today, so they can be available in the future,” seed collector Daniel Duval said.

“We can store seeds for hundreds, if not thousands of years.”

The collectors search every nook and cranny for their tiny treasures.

And some seeds haven’t been seen in decades.

Once they are gathered, they’re transported to Adelaide, where they are analysed, dried and then snap frozen.

Some are also planted to ensure they can actually grow.

The team will soon head off to the Painted Desert in search of a daisy that only grows in South Australia’s far north.

If you would like to get involved in the program, visit the Botanic Gardens’ website.