BOTANICA BY AIR WICK

According to recent assessments, 486 flora species have been listed as in need of urgent attention after the bushfire crisis. Some species that were considered threatened before the fires and, post-fires, now face increased risk of extinction. Gaining a better understanding of how such flora species respond to fire is vital for informing recovery and management of future threats.

That's why Botanica by Air Wick has partnered with WWF-Australia to create The Rare Bloom Project™. In collaboration with the Australian Seed Bank Partnership, we will work to help save 120 native Australian wildflowers from the threat of extinction through a conservation program of seed collection, germination trials and propagation. Together, we can help protect and conserve Australia’s native flora and unique biodiversity for the benefit of future generations.

Examples of flora species to be protected include: Baeckea kandos in NSW; Craspedia canens in VIC (grey billy-buttons); Brachyscome muelleri in SA; Euphrasia scabra in ACT (rough eyebright); and Polyscias "Douglas-Dennison" in TAS.  Through The Rare Bloom Project, seed banks will allow for the safe and efficient storage of wild plant genetic material. Seed collections will help provide a critical understanding of seed harvest, storage and germination in order to combat the global decline of plant diversity, particularly in the face of a rapidly changing climate. Such seed banks play an important role in the preservation of threatened plant species and will help to future-proof Australia against ecological disasters like the bushfires.