In this episode of Community Spotlight, Herb speaks with Steve Field, co-founder of Fields Environmental Solutions and Biobank Seed, about his lifelong connection to the Australian bush and his journey into ecological restoration. Steve reflects on growing up in rural Australia, his years in New Zealand, and eventually settling in the New England region, where his passion for native vegetation and landscape restoration took root. From establishing a small retail nursery in Uralla to becoming involved in large-scale farm revegetation and mine rehabilitation projects, Steve shares how decades of hands-on experience have shaped his understanding of restoration and the importance of preserving Australia’s native ecosystems.
A major focus of the conversation is the growing challenge of supplying enough native seed to meet the demands of environmental restoration, mining rehabilitation, renewable energy developments, and biodiversity projects. Steve explains how Biobank Seed works to collect, test, document, and store native seed while maintaining vital genetic diversity and provenance records. He also discusses the outcomes of the recent Native Seed Supply Forum in Uralla, highlighting the need for improved training, stronger industry standards, better coordination, and long-term planning to address future seed shortages. This episode offers valuable insight into the people working behind the scenes to support Australia’s restoration efforts and provides a compelling look at the challenges and opportunities facing the native seed industry. Anyone interested in conservation, land restoration, native plants, or regional environmental initiatives is encouraged to listen to the full podcast.
2026-06-12 – Native Plantings & Banking Seeds – Steve Field [Herb]