In 1999, Apace received funding from the Natural Heritage Trust to set up Perth’s first Community Seedbank. Apace continues to offer a complete seed service including provenance seed collection (meaning the place of origin or earliest known history), processing, recording and cool storage.
We design and implement direct seeding programmes, including appropriate pre-treatment of seed and sowing using a wide variety of techniques suitable for the prevailing site conditions. We grow to order for site with our popular provenance propagation service. Apace holds multiple Flora licenses, linked to the Biodiversity Conservation Act of 2016.
Seed is a food source (granivory) for a range of fauna, from insects to birds, mammals and even aquatic animals. So seed is an integral part of the natural food chain and by connection an important part of the overall ecology.
Apace Seed collection teams know that keeping meticulous records when collecting native seed is critical, Record keeping always begins out in the field. Understanding how our Native Western Australian plants ‘work’ is foundational to Native Seed Collecting. Without a basic understanding of floral structure across numerous Families, Genre and Species, it is difficult to identify fruit, let alone the seed within or attached to it. Local plant species have adapted over time to that site’s (the provenance) soil characteristics, climate, topography or response to salt spray. Local plants may also have specific physiological characteristics such as their floral structure and even floral timing which can result in some very specific ecological relationships with pollinators.
Native seed collecting is predominantly undertaken during the hotter months of the year. We understand the basic reproductive cycle, from flowering to pollination to seed set/fruit production and its’ vital relationship to timing.
Apace continues to provide Training in Seed Collection and Provenance for community volunteer groups, local government employees, technicians and practitioners from the sector.
