A new educational resource providing details of over 300 significant flora species that can be found growing in the Clarence Valley is now available at the Environment Centre (CEC) in Skinner Street, South Grafton at little more than the cost of production.
An initiative by the Clarence Environment Centre, “Significant Flora of the Clarence Valley” was compiled and produced entirely by volunteers, with printing and packaging costs partially funded by a Clarence Valley Council community grant.
The North Coast botanical region of New South Wales is internationally recognised as one of the world's biodiversity hot-spots. The Clarence Valley is situated at the centre of that region, an area otherwise known as the “McPherson – Macleay Overlap”, which supports an amazing mix of flora from both temperate and subtropical Australia. The variety of geographical and geological features,which range from coastal heath and wetlands to the rainforest covered mountains of the Great Dividing Range, all contribute to this amazing diversity.
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| Calochilus paludosus |
In determining whether a species' occurrence is significant, we have included those that are listed as threatened, and some that are protected under the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Act, along with those considered rare, regionally uncommon, endemic species, and species that reach the southern or northern limit of their distribution within the Clarence Valley.
A word of warning though - not all significant species are listed. Since compiling this list, another half dozen or more rare or newly described species have been identified, a process that will be ongoing, and hopefully be covered in future productions.
The DVD provides a PDF fact sheet for each species with a photograph or image, and provides scientific and common names, family name, protected status, a brief description, localities and range of occurrence, and threats faced. Many of the photographs were donated by Centre members, while the Sydney Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust kindly allowed the reproduction of their images for the remainder.
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| Dodonaea hirsuta mature fruit |
The CEC's Committee extends its appreciation to all those who assisted in producing this DVD, and sincerely hopes the general public will find this a useful guide and research tool.
The email contact for the Clarence Environment Centre is admin@cec.org.au
- J Edwards
