Seeds kept for future climate
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Melbourne Water’s seedbank project could be key to saving Leadbeater’s Possum from extinction.
The initiative aims to future-proof lowland forests in Victoria’s Yarra Valley, using climate-adapted trees to sustain the critically endangered marsupial's shrinking habitat.
Fewer than 40 lowland Leadbeater’s Possums remain, but efforts are being made to identify tree species that can thrive in a hotter, drier future, while providing crucial shelter for the species.
“We know that to save the lowland Leadbeater’s Possum from extinction, we need to protect and expand its habitat by growing forests that will be resilient to hotter, drier climates,” says Melbourne Water Partnership Coordinator Kacie Melfi.
Melbourne Water has established a seedbank of 7,000 seeds collected from areas in Victoria and New South Wales with climates similar to those expected in the Yarra Valley in the next 25-65 years.
The seeds are being stored at the Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater nursery, with planting trials set to begin within two years.
Through the Yarra4Life program, Melbourne Water is collaborating with conservation groups like the Helmeted Honeyeater Recovery Team and Zoos Victoria to restore habitat and explore new areas for Leadbeater’s Possum populations.
Leadbeater’s Possums, elusive and nocturnal, depend on old-growth forests with hollow trees.
Once thought extinct, the species was rediscovered in 1961, but the lowland subspecies now survives only in Yellingbo Forest.
Melfi is encouraging the public to support conservation efforts by choosing recycled paper and getting involved with local environmental groups.
The project is backed by Federal Government funding and partnerships, including Zoos Victoria and DEECA, as part of a broader effort to protect the species and its habitat.