Spent this morning at Kings Park for a tour of the orchid conservation program. We got to see the seed bank, the cell culture lab, the cryolab and the greenhouse. I even got to hold some cloned Queen of Shebas! Kings Park scientists are doing amazing work preserving our natural heritage. Sad to hear of the species that exist only in the cell culture lab, but inspiring to hear of some of the successes they've had in reintroduction. Of the 50 employees at the centre, only 5 are permanent. Makes you wonder about the resilience of these important programs when so much institutional knowledge is held by so few people. Tours are over for this year, but highly recommend for next year. https://www.bgpa.wa.gov.au/kings-park/events/science-insider-orchids-close