EXTENDED TARGET

Thanks to all our many great supporters for getting us to the target ahead of time. We're so excited to exceed our target we'd like to go a little further and raise $15,500. Every extra $ pledged will go straight to more weed control, more grassland herbs planted, and more orchids grown for planting out.

In this age of extinction, with your help, we can return two native orchids to the wild where they belong. 

Our volunteers aim to 'Perfume the Western Melbourne plains with the sweet scent of native orchids', by growing and nurturing baby orchids, protecting their grassland home and returning orchid 'teenagers' to run wild on the grassy plains. This is something we can all enjoy. Native orchids are in decline, they are seriously threatened, by weeds, rabbits and development, especially in native grasslands. We are losing an amazing sensory experience for future generations. Sunshine Diuris, also known as the Fragrant Doubletail, has such a beautiful scent that people who experience the aroma wafting across a sunny grassland plain swoon! Small Golden Moths, a cute little yellow orchid, has a far more subtle scent. Some have likened it to vanilla, others to chocolate, and others even to burnt caramel.

With your help we plan to return both these species to their former home in Melbourne's west. Right now we're ready to grow orchids and prepare more sites for planting. Funds are needed for laboratory and nursery costs, weed control and purchase of wildflowers for planting out. Baby orchids need to be grown on in the nursery for up to three years before they have a tuber, like a small potato, large enough to survive planting out into a wild grassland. Orchid seeds need their own special fungi, usually found inside adult orchids, and in the soil, to provide food to get seed growth started until tiny new orchids are big enough to take food from the soil by themselves. The seed and fungi are brought together in the lab, and eventually tiny thread-like baby orchids are potted up.

Small Golden Moths is now extinct in Altona North, and Sunshine Diuris remains in only one wild site in the world. For over ten years our volunteers have worked to restore the orchid's native grassland habitat at Laverton Grasslands Flora Reserve and other protected sites. Our group love the orchids so much that every month for the last five years we've turned up through rain, hail or sunshine to improve the grassland condition, by weeding, fencing, monitoring weeds and habitat, checking soil conditions, watering, and doing everything we can so that one day soon these special plants can be returned. Gradually, by removing weeds, the grassland quality is improving, helped along by regular burning to create gaps between the grasses for wildflowers to flourish. Many wildflowers need to be planted, and rare pea flowers added to complement the remaining daisies and other herbs. 

Orchids love a rich wildflower environment, where their small native bee pollinators can also flourish and find plenty of flower food all year round.

Who are we?

Australasian Native Orchid Society Victorian Group Inc.

ANOSVic volunteers run conservation projects around Melbourne, on the Mornington Peninsula, in Nillumbik, Hobson's Bay, Brimbank, Whittlesea, French Island and at many other locations across Victoria.

We were established in 1968, and as an incorporated association in 1985 (Registration No.A0007188C).

We have prior experience in successfully managing and aquitting conservation projects.

We run activities throughout Victoria, searching for orchids, restoring native vegetation, detecting orchid pollinators, citizen science projects, planting orchids back in the wild, and assisting Victorian threatened species recovery teams and the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria with orchid propagation.

You can read more about us:

http://www.anosvic.org.au/ANOS_Vic_Home.html

https://www.facebook.com/ANOSVic

https://twitter.com/ANOSVictoria

ANOSVic Conservation Group

http://www.anosvic.org.au/ANOS_Vic_CG.html

Annual orchid Spring Show, September 24-25, 9am-4pm, Mount Waverley Community Centre opposite Mount Waverley Station. All things orchid - orchid displays, sales, art work, cards, talks, photography and more!

http://www.anosvic.org.au/ANOS_Vic_Spring_Show.html

Double the money! Every dollar you contribute will be matched by the Victorian government if we reach our target.

Quadruple the money! In addition we'll contribute our time to make this project work, $25,000 of volunteer effort in weeding, weeding, and more weeding, planting wildflowers for bee food, collecting seed, planting orchids, removing insect pests, watering, face-time, tweeting, public speaking, writing articles, photographing, keeping records, hosting tours and managing the project.  And more weeding (really).

Rewards

More info on our rewards.

5 Wildflower gift cards H. Wild $20+

5 beautiful mini gift cards featuring grassland wildflowers by botanic artist Helene Wild. Flowers shown are 3 yellow daisies, Yam Daisy and Sunshine Diuris.

2 Sunshine Diuris cards H. Wild $25+

A set of 2 greeting cards with a beautiful Sunshine Diuris (Diuris fragrantissima) painting by botanic artist Helene Wild.

Membership & e-book $35+

You'll receive an annual membership and monthly e-bulletin for the Australasian Native Orchid Society Victoria Group with stories about orchids and conservation projects, and access to events, speakers and more.
When you attend your first orchid meeting new members receive a potted orchid, usually an 'epiphyte' to get you started growing your own orchids. All meetings have door prizes too.

Event - Pot up and Grow Your Own Orchids $45%20

We'll supply native orchid tubers to get you started, and a fun hands on session learning how to grow them. Take home your own pot of Greenhoods or Bird Orchids. Sunday 29 January 2017, 2-4pm, Templestowe. Limited to 12 particpants.

Name a wild orchid $50%20

Only a small number of orchids are already planted out. You'll receive a certificate with a photo of your named orchid. Your gift will help us keep the habitat managed and healthy to keep your named plant alive in the grassland. Names given will be kept with the monitoring records, along with our plant id numbers.

Funky Orchid R. Jackson $65%20

A cool Sunshine Diuris limited edition print signed by the local artist Robert Jackson.  A4 size. Your print can be collected from a Laverton Grasslands event, or be delivered within a 50km radius of the Melbourne CBD.

Adopt a pot of baby orchids $75%20

You'll receive a certificate with a photo of your adopted pot of orchids, named by you, and an annual email update on their progress to planting out.  Baby orchids are carefully nurtured in the nursery for up to 3 years before planting into a wild grassland.

Flower photography - macro $100%20

BYO camera with macro lens and learn how the professionals do it. Personal tuition with Wendy Clark. 2 Sundays 27 Nov 2016 & 4th December 2016, 10-12noon. One studio (Blackburn) and one field session (location tbc). LIMITED OFFER Note you'll need a camera with a macro lens, or one that can attach screw on diopters, or a compact camera with adjustable settings and macro ability.

Original watercolour pencil drawing - Diuris fragrantissima $850%20

One off beautiful original artwork by Wendy Probert. Watercolour pencil drawing, on acid-free paper, supplied mounted (52x69cm) ready for framing. Commissioned for our campaign. Drawn from nature, Wendy carefully observed orchids growing wild, and photographed wild and ex-situ collection plants at different stages of their growth and flowering this year. LIMITED OFFER Shipping cost applies $30 within Australia. Can be collected within Melbourne. Contact us at [email protected]

Corporate Sponsorship Nature Day $1000%20

Experience native grasslands and learn about wildflowers, wildlife and orchids with an ecologist and orchid expert. Bring your team (up to 12 people) for a half day in nature. We can work with you to provide a program to suit your needs.
Receive recognition of your support through our website, on social media, and a sign on the wildflower fence.

Grassland orchids can be tricky to grow, and need laboratory conditions for the first stage from seed to baby orchid, so we're engaging with the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria to grow these plants as they have a proven track record with Victorian orchids.

Whilst volunteers hand-weed all the areas where orchids may be planted the grassland sites are huge, many hectares in size, so a grassland management contractor will be engaged to spot spray high risk weeds, such as Serrated Tussock and Chilean Needle Grass, that may re-invade weeded areas if they're not treated.

Grassland wildflowers and orchids are highly delicious for rabbits, so our hand-weeded patch has rabbit-proof fencing, which we will continue to maintain to keep out pesky critters.