A small group of Bio·R supporters recently participated in a tour hosted by members of the Bio·R team. The event included a visit to the Native Plant Nursery in Beaumont, our Frahns Farm restoration property, and a lunch presentation at Marble Hill.
The tour began with morning tea at the Native Plant Nursery in Beaumont, where Penny Paton led the attendees on a tour of the nursery and discussed the process of growing tubestock for Frahns Farm plantings. The annual cycle includes seed collection in the field, disinfection of tubes and trays, the sowing of seeds and then the pricking out of seedlings into tubes.
The group then visited Frahns Farm, where ecologist Brad Bianco showcased the 2019-2023 plantings and the Seed Orchard, explaining how Bio·R’s techniques had evolved from year to year to enable higher survival rates and more effective habitat reconstruction.
Lunch was held at Marble Hill Estate, with the venue and wine donated by the Michell family, and delicious food provided by Africola Canteen. During lunch, David Paton AM gave a presentation summarizing the recent work of Bio·R and plans to scale up our efforts in order to save declining species and improve biodiversity outcomes in the Mt Lofty Ranges.
The event provided an excellent opportunity for members of the Bio·R community to see firsthand how the various components of the restoration effort produce effective and innovative habitat reconstruction outcomes at Frahns Farm.
