News published: 08 December 2023

Walking through the wilderness of an Australian National Park, seems to me like something out of a movie. It’s full of unknowns and unfamiliar species (at least to me, who has never been to Australia!) but for David Noble in 1994, the species he would see were more unfamiliar than he could have ever imagined when he set off on his walk through the park found North-West of Sydney.

Being an officer of the NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service, Noble was used to the terrain and canyons of the rugged Wollemi National Park and the species that call it home, but that day in September 1994, he came across a population of trees that he didn’t recognise. Little did he know that this discovery would eventually lead to an event, nearly 30 years later, which celebrated the work of a global team of conservationists who have created a global Metacollection to conserve this important species. David Noble had rediscovered a population of Wollemia nobilis, commonly known as the Wollemi Pine, which is part of an evolutionary line thought to be long extinct, and only known from the fossil record.

This discovery was, needless to say, huge.

 

 

As the global botanical community celebrated this rediscovery of the Wollemi Pine, it soon became apparent that they were in need of a helping hand, if they were to continue to survive in the wild. There were fewer than 100 individuals, making the Wollemi Pine one of the world’s most endangered tree species.

So, the celebrations turned into discussions, with one overriding question:

How do we save the Wollemi Pine?

 

A formidable team of conservation and communications professionals came together to form the start of an incredible, global conservation project to protect and develop the genetic diversity of the Wollemi Pine, ensuring its future survival.

However, the road has not been smooth. Despite its survival up to this point, there were many threats that were being faced by the remaining Wollemi Pine population.

 

 

Human Threat:

As with many environmental issues that are being faced in modern times, humans are a driving threat to the survival of the Wollemi Pine.

To mitigate against this threat, the Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust have been collecting and cultivating specimens to protect the species against extinction. The exact location of the wild population is also a closely guarded secret to protect the population from diseases and/or pests being introduced and potential illegal poaching.

Despite the increasing impact that humans have had on the planet, the Wollemi Pine has held on in this small pocket of the world and now it is in the hands of humans to protect these remaining individuals through implementing both in situ and ex situ conservation initiatives to strengthen the resilience of the species.

Increasing Wildfires: 

In 2019 the world watched in horror as Australia was ravaged by extreme wildfires.

Extreme measures were put in place to protect the remaining wild population of the Wollemi Pines, including helicopter support, which ensured the rare species experienced as little fire damage as possible. On this occasion, the Wollemi pines survived.

However, with the increasing threat of climate change, and the likelihood that these sorts of extreme events will become more frequent, this is likely not the last time this important population will have to face the threat of flames.

Reduced Diversity:  

A big issue with only having a small number of individuals left of a species is that there is limited genetic diversity throughout the population. This can lead to decreased resilience within the species, leaving it at greater risk from threats, such as pests and diseases .

However, recent technological advancements in genetics has allowed for the establishment of this metacollection to try and maximise diversity within the global Wollemi Pine population. With each recipient garden being gifted a ‘six-pack’ of plants which represent the full current genetic diversity of the species.

 

 

Creating a model for protecting endangered species: 

The success of the Metacollection is a huge step forward for conservation around the world. This project shows what is achievable when institutions work together on a global scale, giving hope to the numerous other species that are threatened with extinction, and even a ray of hope for threatened ecosystems and habitats. Every conservation project adds to the lessons learned throughout the sector and will help to ensure that we are working in the most efficient way to protect vulnerable species.

This is why the work of Botanic Gardens and Arboretum is vital in conserving species through their collections, gene banking projects, and conservation initiatives. The work of BGCI member gardens showcases the amazing variety of work being done across the world to support plant conservation.

This project overcame numerous challenges to get the trees in the ground, including logistics, quarantines, delays, adverse weather, and more – but by committing to a common goal, they were able to cross the finish line and significantly improve the survival chances of the Wollemi Pines.

The Planting Event at Bedgebury Pinetum: 

At the end of October 2023, the Metacollection Team and a number of invited guests gathered at Bedgebury Pinetum, UK, to celebrate the success of the project with a planting event. It was a wonderful day, the sun shone down as we saw the hard work reach it’s goal as the small Wollemi Pines found a new home at the beautiful Forestry England site. This was a day of hope for the species and for global conservation as a whole. It was a truly special thing to be a part of.

A huge thank you to Forestry England and Botanic Gardens of Sydney who made this metacollection possible alongside the work on BGCI. Plus, a huge thank you to the staff at Bedgebury Pinetum for helping make the event a success and to James Wong, for coming along to help with planting and raising the profile of these incredible trees.

We cannot wait to see how the newly planted trees grow and thrive, as they continue to protect genetic diversity. Keep your eyes peeled on updates and make sure you visit your local botanic garden or arboretum to see if they have a Wollemi Pine in their collection.

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Written by Rebecca Hansell, Communications Officer at BGCI, and a part of the global communications team who helped deliver the metacollection project.

Thank you to Forestry England and the team at the Botanic Gardens of Sydney for the images used in this blog, taken from various points throughout the Metacollection project.