<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Conservationists have made a thrilling discovery just an hour's drive from Perth, uncovering a large, thriving patch of one of Western Australia's rarest carnivorous plants: Drosera silvicola.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The remarkable find at Australian Wildlife Conservancy's (AWC) Paruna Wildlife Sanctuary offers a vital lifeline for the species, which was previously known from only two other highly vulnerable populations in the south-west of WA.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It was at the end of a long, two-day search for the elusive plant, when spirits were flagging, that the remarkable find was made. </span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/australias-most-trusted-distrusted-brands-revealed-bunnings-temu-big-banks-supermarkets/89b18750-26d7-461d-82bb-ffa86b0d06d5" rel="" target="" title="The big movers in Australia's most trusted, distrusted brands"><strong><span>The big movers in Australia's most trusted, distrusted brands</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A team of 10 scientists and volunteers, including experts from Curtin University and AWC, were ready to call it quits at the Paruna Wildlife Sanctuary, just east of Perth along the Avon River on Whadjuk country.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Then, a last-minute detour led to a triumphant moment.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I was so excited when I first spotted the plant out of the car window, I jumped out of the door fist-pumping the air and threw myself on the ground next to it," Thilo Krueger, a PhD student and carnivorous plant expert from Curtin University, said.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/perth-scientists-stumble-upon-stunning-rare-meateating-plant/7cd90a54-cfcb-4cb1-ba55-b872c04913a7" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The crew was heading toward their third and final search area when Krueger noticed a side track with habitat that, based on his knowledge, seemed perfect for the species.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The area had ridges and slopes that sat high up," he said. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It was in the Jarrah forest, but it was an open area with very little leaf litter – the perfect environment for the species."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Following Krueger's instincts, the team quickly explored the new area. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Within minutes, they were greeted by the sight of thousands of the small, yet unmistakable, plants.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Drosera silvicola, also known as a sundew, is easily identified by its stunning features, despite only being a few centimetres in size.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Drosera silvicola is a very distinctive species of sundew because of its beautiful, absolutely stunning flowers with pink, glossy petals and a dark red centre," Krueger said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It captures and digests tiny insects using its leaves which are covered with sticky tentacles."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The team collected a few specimens to officially document the population with the WA Herbarium and will be returning to the site to observe the spectacular sight as the plants enter full bloom over the coming month.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>This discovery is especially significant as Drosera silvicola is listed as a Priority 1 species by the WA Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA). </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>This status marks it as extremely rare and potentially threatened, urgently requiring a full conservation assessment.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Before the Paruna find, the only two other confirmed populations were located 70 km away—one on an active mine site and the other on a mining tenement—making them highly vulnerable.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"To find such a healthy population of this rare species on a protected conservation area is a huge win for conservation," Dr Amanda Bourne, regional ecologist with AWC, said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The discovery highlights the importance of wildlife sanctuaries like Paruna in preserving Australia's unique biodiversity."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The South West of WA is renowned as the world's centre of diversity for carnivorous plants, with over 150 species recorded. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Many of these are confined to tiny, fragile areas, making them highly susceptible to habitat loss and climate change.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In fact, during their survey, the researchers encountered a total of six sundew species, including Drosera walyunga (endemic to the region), Drosera hyperostigma, and Drosera glanduligera</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Experts from the Wildflower Society of WA believe Paruna's diverse landscape likely holds many more rare species waiting to be found.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Paruna's landscape and relatively undisturbed habitats is likely to make it a treasure trove for native flora," Jolanda Keeble, from the Wildflower Society of WA, said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Discoveries like this underscore just how much we still have to learn about the plant life in our own backyard, and how vital it is to protect these landscapes."</span></div></div>