Australian Rainforest Seeds : A Guide to Collecting, Processing and Propagation

Mark Dunphy has been involved in rainforest restoration for 35 years, working on over 100 projects and growing over 1 million trees. He has worked as a rainforest regenerator, ecological restoration consultant and nursery owner of Firewheel Rainforest Nursery on the North Coast of NSW. A regular presenter at rainforest restoration field days, workshops and conferences, his work has appeared in the Australian Journal of Ecological Management and in the book Subtropical Rainforest Restoration: A Practical Manual and Data Source for Landcare Groups, Land Managers and Rainforest Regenerators.

Steve McAlpin has extensive expertise in both rainforest and arid zone ecology and has an MSc in conservation ecology. He has worked as a botanic garden curator, plant propagator and ABC talkback gardener, as well as leading numerous flora and fauna surveys. Steve’s research has been widely published in Australian and international journals and he has written a ‘recovery plan’ for the nationally Vulnerable Great Desert Skink and co-authored a book on central Australian threatened species. Steve is currently using skills developed across more than 15 years of living in the NSW subtropics to collect seed and propagate plants for Firewheel Rainforest Nursery.

Paul Nelson has been a professional rainforest seed collector and propagator for 20 years. Paul’s knowledge of rainforest botany and ecology has made him a recognised leader in the field of rainforest seed collection and propagation. Many of the breakthroughs in propagation at Firewheel Rainforest Nursery have been due to Paul’s work in this field. Paul is a regular speaker at field days and conferences and runs workshops and training modules.

Michelle Chapman is a consultant for ActivatED and has been developing programs and facilitating workshops around the world for 15 years. Most recently, as Education and Sustainability Manager for Greenpop (South Africa), she co-managed the Cape Town Urban Greening Program and developed and facilitated tree planting workshops for Trees for Zambia: Conference of Action and two South African reforestation festivals. Michelle is passionate about inspiring and facilitating the community protection and restoration of subtropical rainforest.

Hugh Nicholson established Terania Rainforest Nursery with his partner Nan in the 1970s. His photographs are included in their Australian Rainforest Plants books (volumes I-VI). He has also supplied photographs to Australian and international magazines and books, and national parks and tourist information displays. In 2006, Hugh was appointed as the Federal Government conservation representative on the Community Advisory Committee for the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area.