![Australian Plant Society Goulburn branch members walking in the Joadja Reserve earlier this year. Picture supplied. Australian Plant Society Goulburn branch members walking in the Joadja Reserve earlier this year. Picture supplied.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/FkT3ZusFw5YrTvZCipmLUF/0d8c439b-33bf-426b-91dd-fbff28d6757c.jpg/r0_899_8992_8826_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The Goulburn branch of the Australian Plants Society is inviting members and the community to a free forum.
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The event is a highlight of the annual calendar and this year the speakers are Dr Linda Cayzer, a plant taxonomist from the Research School of Biology at ANU, presenting on the Pittosporaceae family of native plants, and Raina Emerson, a local landscape architect and horticulturalist, who will speak about 'Designing for Change - some themes in landscape design.'
The forum will be held on Saturday, July 6 at the Goulburn Workers Club from 9.30am. The community is warmly invited to come along and learn more about native plants.
The Plant Society works quietly to contribute to the Southern Tablelands environment. Members have a deep understanding of local plants and conditions and they contribute in a number of different ways.
Some group members are talented propagators. They recently propagated 3000 seedlings for the Kanangra-Boyd to Wyangala Link partnership, from seed collected in the Upper Lachlan shire.
Their local knowledge of plant species and persistence during collection allowed them to grow species including Eucalyptus, Acacia, Leptospermum, Callistemon and Callitris. These were planted out to provide connectivity and habitat for wildlife. Group members also provided workshops on propagation, planting and species recognition.
![A flannel flower members of the Goulburn branch of The Australian Plant Society found in the Joadja Reserve in early 2024. Picture supplied. A flannel flower members of the Goulburn branch of The Australian Plant Society found in the Joadja Reserve in early 2024. Picture supplied.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/FkT3ZusFw5YrTvZCipmLUF/867109b3-af39-41e7-90d0-557c8f8638ee.jpg/r0_852_8992_8401_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
In addition, the Southern Tablelands Group propagated most of the plant stock for the regeneration of the Goulburn Wetlands. For this project, APS members supported FROGS Landcare to transform a derelict site into a valued community green space. They also designed, created, and now maintain the gardens at each entrance to the Wetlands. These gardens play an educational role, with labels making it easy for local gardeners to identify native plants that grow well in the Goulburn climate.
People who become members of the Southern Tablelands branch of the Australian Plants Society (STAPS) are invited to join regular propagation sessions to develop their own skills. The group sells its seedlings to the public at the Goulburn Show and at other local events.
Each month STAPS members meet to walk in a national park or reserve within a few hours drive of Goulburn. The walks are planned to allow all members to participate in identifying local native plants and to enjoy a day outside.
After each walk, the group compiles a species list of the plants observed. These species lists, prepared for the same sites over many years, provide a useful record of changes in the environment.