VNPA helping lead in seed-based grassland restoration

MEDIA RELEASE 13 February 2026 |

The Victorian National Parks Association and the Grassy Plains Network were awarded a grant as part of the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) Standards-based Restoration in Action program in collaboration with Microsoft. The Grassy Plains Management Team project will help lead the way in seed-based restoration of native grasslands.

We will work with Moondani Balluk (the Aboriginal academic unit at Victoria University), Merri-bek City Council, Cairnlea Conservation Reserves Committee of Management (CCRCoM), the Green Lab @ Iramoo, Friends of Iramoo and Merri Creek Management Committee. The University of Melbourne will also provide research advice.

SER will be supporting us to design and execute standards-based ecological restoration to ensure positive long-term outcomes for the Critically Endangered grasslands we are restoring. Microsoft volunteers will also contribute.

The three-year grant will fund the set-up of two seed production areas (SPAs) to be based at the Iramoo Native Nursery and hosted by Moondani Balluk at Victoria University.

An in-ground SPA will produce a range of native grass seeds, and a bench-top SPA a range of forb seed, including threatened species.

The seed will be used to restore parts of Iramoo Wildflower Grassland Reserve and Bababi Djinanang, a grassland on the Merri Creek in Fawkner.

We are particularly excited to be using a cap and sow model at Bababi Djinanang. This is an innovative process, being developed through the University of Melbourne.

Cap and sow brings-in weed-free, low-nutrient fill as a substrate for sowing seed, which limits opportunities for weed establishment, saves long-term maintenance costs, and avoids the potential disturbance of cultural heritage.

Developing a viable native seed industry in Victoria is vital to the state’s capacity to turn around biodiversity decline. Large quantities of seed are needed for cheap, effective restoration at scale.

This project leads by example, and it delivers infrastructure that will be able to provide critical seed resources long after the lifetime of this grant.

The Society for Ecological Restoration works to ensure that ecological restoration is recognised and utilised as a fundamental component of global conservation, biodiversity and sustainable development programs and that ecological restoration projects are designed and implemented in a way that provides people with the opportunity to not only repair ecological damage but also improve the human condition. Learn more about the work and get involved in the network by visiting the Society for Ecological Restoration website at www.ser.org.

‘Microsoft is proud to collaborate with SER and the Victorian National Parks Association to deliver standards-based ecological restoration in Melbourne, Australia. By collaborating with SER and VNPA, we have been able to expand restoration projects globally and grow the network of sustainability-focused non-profits that Microsoft supports,’ said Gaby DelaGarza, Senior Director of Global Datacenter Community

‘One of the best things about this collaboration is that it supports local organisations like the Victorian National Parks Association and community members, as well as Microsoft employees, to go outside and get their hands dirty restoring their backyard. Well-designed, well-implemented ecological restoration is a positive, empowering, solutions-based approach to local and global challenges. Microsoft’s commitment to standards-based restoration shows they take sustainability seriously,’ said SER Executive Director Bethanie Walder.

‘The Victorian National Parks Association is thrilled to announce that we are working with the Society for Ecological Restoration and Microsoft’s Datacenter Community Affairs team to implement the Grassy Plains Management Team project in Melbourne’s west and north. This project aims to help lead the way in seed-based restoration of native grasslands,’ said Dr Adrian Marshall, Facilitator of the Grassy Plains Network.

About us

The Victorian National Parks Association are an effective and influential community conservation organisation.

We work with local communities, scientists and government to advocate for evidence-based policy to safeguard wildlife, habitat and protected areas. We inspire connections with nature through citizen science, activities, action and education for all Victorians.

We’ve led the creation, oversight and defence of Victoria’s natural estate for over 70 years and represent a community of tens of thousands of nature-lovers.