The Department of Planning and Environment (DPE) is undertaking the translocation of the largest orchid project ever conducted in Australia to save three endangered orchid species from their extinction.
Welcoming the project, the Minister for Environment, James Griffin said DPE’s Saving our Species program had brought the crimson spider orchid, Sand-hill spider orchid and Oaklands diuris back from the brink of extinction.
“This enormous translocation project follows years of surveys and research, and now culminates with a patchwork of native orchids planted in their native habitat across the Riverina landscape,” Mr Griffin said.
“The NSW Government’s Saving our Species program found that there were fewer than 2,000 Sand-hill spider orchids, 1,300 Oaklands diuris and 650 crimson spider orchids left in the wild, meaning the future of those species were at risk,” he said.
“This project gives us enormous hope for the survival of these rare and beautiful species because their populations have been boosted with 6,000 additional healthy plants.”
Mr Griffin said the three orchids had been planted across public and private land on specially selected sites that had suitable soil conditions, pollinators and vegetation types to encourage growth.
“The orchids were propagated by the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria and planted with the help of approximately 40 highly skilled and passionate volunteers, mainly from the Australasian Native Orchid Society,” the Minister said.
He said the Wild Orchids Project was a collaboration between DPE, the National Parks and Wildlife Service, Local Land Services, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, the Australian Network for Plant Conservation, Trade & Investment Crown Lands and Forestry Corporation of NSW.
