The Australian Tropical Herbarium (ATH) Joint Venture at James Cook University in Cairns will remain a cornerstone of tropical biodiversity research and education for another decade after the renewal of its Joint Venture Agreement.
Since its 2008 establishment, ATH has delivered world-class research, education, and conservation outcomes in the tropics and this renewal secures their future as a hub for biodiversity science, Indigenous knowledge, and sustainable innovation.
This continued collaboration between JCU, CSIRO, and the Queensland and Commonwealth Governments ensures the ATH can continue to deliver on its mission to create, manage, and deliver botanical knowledge to help address grand challenges in the tropics through to the end of 2035.
"The renewal recognises the Herbarium's outstanding contributions to science, conservation, and regional development," ATH Director Professor Darren Crayn said.
"This renewed support allows us to continue our work in discovering and understanding tropical plant and fungal diversity, supporting conservation efforts, tackling environmental biosecurity challenges, and embedding Indigenous knowledge into the future of environmental science."
"The work of the ATH has helped influence conservation policy and practice, improved our understanding of tropical ecosystems, and inspired the next generation of plant scientists."
The Herbarium is located on the James Cook University Nguma-bada (Smithfield) Campus and some of its achievements include over 400 peer-reviewed publications and more than 40 graduate research students supervised.
As well as scientific research, the ATH has supported the community by delivering over 50 public training courses, producing field guides to the plants and fungi of north Queensland, supporting an active volunteer program, collaborating on major art projects, and providing other botanical services such as plant identification. The Public Reference Collection of representative specimens of over 2000 species of north Queensland plants is available for the public to consult.
The Herbarium houses the Tropical Indigenous Ethnobotany Centre, the first Indigenous-led centre in Australia focused on plants, people and culture. The Centre works with Traditional Owners to document and protect cultural plant knowledge which supports Indigenous communities' aspirations, and ensures Indigenous perspectives are central to environmental management, including biosecurity responses.
The ATH is one of the seven biodiversity collections comprising the National Research Collections Australia at CSIRO, Australia's national science agency, which together provide 15 million specimens for understanding, conserving and managing Australia's biodiversity.
The ATH's world class botanical collections – comprising more than 200,000 dried specimens, fluid-preserved samples, genetic samples, and a comprehensive wood collection – continue to support research across Australia and globally and the delivery of training and education programs to students, institutions, and the public.
"We're proud to keep this vital scientific and cultural resource in the tropics," Professor Crayn said.
"The ATH is uniquely placed to support sustainable futures for our region and beyond."
