We’ve recently returned from another successful three week seed collecting mission into the deep-red heart of the Pilbara, where above average winter rainfall produced a bumper crop of seed. It was a great season where 150kg’s of native seed was collected from 60 different species. Thankfully no wilywily’s blew any of our seed away this year! The majority of this seed has been earmarked for rehabilitation projects associated with the Iron Ore mining industry.
For the second year in a row we stayed at Juna Downs Station surrounded on three sides by Karijini National Park with managers Mike and Larry, two of the most generous and colourful characters you are ever likely to meet. We are very grateful for their hospitality and can’t thank them enough.
Collecting seed up there is only part of the job, we have to process it as much as we can to remove bulk material (seed pods, leaves and sticks) before bringing it back down south for final processing. Because we don’t have access to all the usual processing equipment we often have to come up with innovative ways to remove the seed, therefore we believe we are the first company in the world to use a bobcat to break up the seed casing of Senna’s and Acacia’s!
It’s a different world up there, contrasts are extreme from one minute to the next where you’ll see pristine natural areas followed by sites where an entire ridge has been removed; you’ll be working tirelessly in 40 degree heat on an arid flat plain then at lunch time you’ll be parked in a gorge swimming in a deep, cool waterhole. From vast landscapes to microscopic life, the mind has difficulty comprehending it all.