EFFORTS to save Wollemi pine from extinction took a step forward when six carefully selected saplings were planted this week – in a world first 'metacollection'.
More than 170 of the rare species grown by Botanic Gardens of Sydney were shipped from Australia and have been carefully looked after at Forestry England’s tree nursery at Bedgebury.
Six have now been planted to become part of the living collection at the National Pinetum, while the remaining trees have been distributed to 28 botanic gardens across the UK and Europe.
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Separate collections of trees have been sent direct from Sydney to five Australian botanic gardens and one in Atlanta in the USA.
Wollemi pines have been dubbed the ‘dinosaur tree’ because fossil records show they were living 200 million years ago alongside the dinosaurs. It was thought they had become extinct between 70 and 90 million years ago until a chance discovery in 1994, when a small group of living trees was found by an Australian explorer and botanist, David Noble, growing in a remote gorge in the Wollemi National Park in New South Wales.
This moment is considered one of the greatest botanical discoveries of our time. The tree species is now classified as critically endangered on the IUCN's red list, an important indicator of the world’s biodiversity which sets out the risks of extinction for plant and animal species.
Mike Seddon, Forestry England chief executive, said: “Discovering the lost Wollemi pines in the wild was a truly astounding moment for international tree conservation and to be a leading partner nearly 30 years later in launching this important new metacollection on UK soil is an exciting moment for Forestry England.
"The six trees we’ve planted are among the rarest plants in the world and are now taking their place amongst the world-class conifer collection we have at Forestry England Bedgebury.
"This has been a complex project and today’s achievement reflects the strong partnership between us, Botanic Gardens of Sydney and BGCI.
“As we care for the Wollemi pines we plant, we’ll be able study the way they grow, learning with the other botanic gardens how they flourish outside Australia. The climate crisis means that across all continents many trees like Wollemi pines are facing urgent threats to their survival. We know that 34 per cent of conifers are now endangered and our ongoing work to research, propagate and save tree species is more vital than ever.”
Since the discovery, there has been a concerted effort to ensure the species against the loss of the remaining wild trees, with fewer than 100 left growing in a gorge 150 kilometres from Sydney.
These wild trees are increasingly vulnerable to threats from diseases and wildfires and narrowly escaped being destroyed by wildfires in 2019-2020 which burnt more than 10 million hectares of land in eastern Australia.
Recent advances in genetic techniques have enabled Australian plant science and conservation experts to identify and breed genetically diverse Wollemi pines.
Denise Ora, Botanic Gardens of Sydney chief executive, said: “Botanic Gardens of Sydney is dedicated to advancing fundamental knowledge of flora and driving effective conservation solutions to ensure the survival of plants, and all life that depends on them. Since the remarkable discovery of the Wollemi Pine almost 30 years ago, the world fell in love with this curious conifer, and we have been dedicated to safeguarding this rare species from extinction."
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