Noah's Ark Projects
To stem the loss of biodiversity we aim to actively conserve threatened plant species from Australia and other countries. We collaborate with national and international botanic organisations to grow insurance specimens of plant species endangered due to climate change, habitat loss and human impact. The Noah's Ark projects are supported by the Inala Foundation.
Mulanje Cedar (Widdringtonia whytei)
The Inala Jurassic Garden has worked in partnership with Bedgebury National Pinetum and Forest, Goudhurst UK since 2021 to obtain seed from the critically endangered Mulanje Cedar, which is native to Malawi, Africa. The project is funded by a Botanic Gardens Conservation International/ArbNet grant, which was awarded to the Inala Jurassic Garden in 2021. It has taken a considerable amount of time and effort by all parties to obtain the seed and navigate the export/import requirements for transporting the seed from Malawi to the UK, and then from UK to Inala. Germination trials commenced at Inala in September 2023.
Photo: Dan Luscombe (Bedgebury National Pinetum & Forest, UK) and Tonia - with a Mulanje Cedar. Photo taken at Bedgebury 2022).
Global Genome Initiative
Funds to preserve Global Plant Biodiversity were awarded to 10 Botanic Gardens by BGCI, we are proud to be one of those chosen
Since 2021 we have collected material from approximately 150 plant species growing in the Jurassic Garden, to contribute to the Global Genome Biodiversity Network database. In 2023 we were once again awarded a GGI grant and were able to collect plant and genetic material from a further 27 species of plants, which are currently not represented in the GGBN database.
Photo: Dr Catherine Young preparing plants to be pressed (2021)
Myrtle Beech (Nothofagus cunninghamii)
In 2022, the Jurassic Garden was awarded a Botanic Gardens Conservation International/ArbNet grant to undertake a year-long survey of Nothofagus cunnighamii trees on South Bruny Island, Tasmania. We are working in partnership on this project with Kew Gardens (Wakehurst) UK, who oversee the Global Consortium (Nothofagus) project.
Photo: New growth of leaves - Nothofagus cunninghamii
Tasmanian Endemics project
The Inala Jurassic Garden is committed to the conservation of Tasmanian endemic plants. We are regularly increasing the number of threatened Tasmanian endemic and alpine species that are at most risk of increased threat by wildfire and other effects of climate change and human impacts.
Photo: Eucryphia lucida (Brad Moriarty)
Tropical Mountain Plant Science project
We have joined a collaborative project to establish ex situ collections of Far North Queensland cloud/montane forest plants including Gondwanan species of flowering plants, conifers, ferns, mosses and other non-flowering taxa.
