On National Eucalypt Day 2026, we’re proud to launch a new national research collaboration — the Enduring Eucalypts Project.

Australia is home to more than 800 eucalypts that form the backbone of many of our ecosystems and holding deep cultural, ecological and economic value. Conservation seed banking plays a vital role in safeguarding this diversity, storing seeds as an insurance policy against threats such as habitat loss, climate change and disturbance .But banking seeds is only part of the story. To be effective, we need to know that those seeds can still grow when they’re needed. While most seed collections are tested when first stored, long-term viability is rarely reassessed. Retesting is time-consuming and resource-intensive, meaning there is limited data on how well seeds survive after decades in storage. This creates uncertainty for conservation planning and restoration efforts.

Our new initiative is designed to fill this gap by asking one simple but critical question… how long do eucalypt seeds remain viable in storage? We will re-test the germination of 121 priority eucalypt taxa held in long-term storage. These seeds were originally tested between 10 and 45 years ago, providing an opportunity to compare past and present germination results. By measuring how viability has changed over time, the project will help identify species at risk of decline in storage, inform when new seed collections are needed, and strengthen the reliability of seed banks as a conservation tool.

Importantly, the results will be made publicly available through the Australian Virtual Seed Bank and through a publication. This knowledge will support researchers, land managers and policymakers across Australia to restore and protect our iconic Eucalyptus species into the future. 

Learn more about the project here.