Seeds of Our Country
Growing partnerships for plant conservation on Country
We are committed to building meaningful and enduring collaborations with First Nations Peoples in our future conservation work. Our new Seeds of Our Country Project is helping turn that commitment into action by strengthening First Nations seed conservation partnerships across Australia.
We know that achieving this requires more than good intentions. It requires time to listen, build trust, understand community priorities and create opportunities for First Nations Peoples to shape how conservation projects are developed and delivered.
Running from 2026 to 2028, the project will support five pathways across New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia. Each will bring First Nations communities and seed conservation practitioners together to share knowledge, build practical skills, strengthen relationships and explore future conservation opportunities on Country.
Across the five pathways, activities will range from practical seed collection training and reciprocal visits to co-designed research, yarning and relationship building. Rather than applying a single approach across Australia, Seeds of Our Country recognises that meaningful collaboration needs to respond to the priorities, aspirations and preferred ways of working of individual communities.
Five First Nations seed conservation pathways
- At Mawonga Station Indigenous Protected Area in New South Wales, Botanic Gardens of Sydney will work with Winangakirri Aboriginal Corporation, Wangaaypuwan Local Aboriginal Land Council and Western Local Land Services.
- Across south-west Western Australia, the Western Australian Seed Centre, Kensington will deliver on-Country seed conservation training with at least three Indigenous ranger groups.
- On Gunditjmara Country in Victoria, the Victorian Conservation Seedbank will deepen its existing partnership with Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation.
- On Yuin Country on the New South Wales south coast, we will support ‘Seed Ecology in a Changing World’, an existing PhD project led by Deb Segal working with Murramarang people through the Ulladulla Local Aboriginal Land Council.
- In western Victoria, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria will strengthen its relationship with Dalki Garringa Native Nursery, operated by Barengi Gadjin Land Council Aboriginal Corporation.
Learning together for the future
While the five pathways are different, they highlight that strong partnerships come before conservation outcomes. Seeds of Our Country will create opportunities for two-way learning, strengthen practical conservation skills and help our partners better understand how cultural authority, community priorities and knowledge governance can be embedded in collaborative conservation. The lessons gathered through these projects will also help us continue to improve how we work with First Nations Peoples and inform future seed conservation partnerships beyond the life of the project.
From community support to conservation action
This project has been made possible through the generosity of supporters of our 2025 Seeds of Our Country Appeal, together with additional support from the Council of Heads of Australian Botanic Gardens.
Explore the Seeds of Our Country Project and follow the five partnerships as they develop.