Restoration Seed Ecology with Dr Lucy Commander - a podcast by Michele Ong

Dr Lucy Commander (tw: @lucy_commander) is a restoration seed ecologist who has spent over a decade undertaking scientific research with the mining industry to improve mine restoration. Lucy was also the lead editor of the Australian Network for Plant Conservation's Guidelines for the Translocation of Threatened Plants, published in 2018, and is currently Project Manager for the update of the Florabank Guidelines for best practice native seed collection and use, with Australian Network for Plant Conservation and partners.

In our conversation, we talk about her interest in singing and gardening, restoration seed ecology, and her work as an editor on the Florabank Guidelines for best practice native seed collection and use.

 

Show Notes (link)

[01:12] Love of singing
[02:59] Eric Whitacre’s Virtual Choir
[04:59] Journey to becoming a restoration seed ecologist
[07:04] The diversity of West Australian flora
[08:14] Translocation of threatened species
[10:41] Surveying for threatened species in developments
[11:44] The people involved in threatened species translocation
[13:06] The Florabank Guidelines for seed collection and use
[15:55] Who is behind the guidelines?
[16:37] Seed banks and storage
[17:55] Flora vs food crops
[18:34] Intervention of bushfire affected areas for restoration
[21:48] Management of areas under regular fire threat
[22:47] Sourcing seeds for restoration
[25:12] Applicability of local guidelines domestically and globally
[27:02] The diversity of Australian flora adding complexity to the task
[28:04] Florabank Guidelines publication timeline
[29:57] The collaborative nature of developing the guidelines
[31:03] Case and field work contributions from the community
[32:51] Bonus Question 1: What hobby or interest do you have that is most unrelated to your field of work?
[35:58] Bonus Question 2: Which childhood book holds the strongest memories for you?
[39:09] Bonus Question 3: What advice you would give someone who wants to do what you do? Or what advice should they ignore?
[42:31] Eden Project

 

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Music is Gypsy Jazz in Paris 1935 by Brett Van Donsel.

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