Grasslands once covered 10% of Victoria but since European settlement, agriculture and industrial and urban development to the west of Melbourne have all but destroyed these, with only 0.1% remaining (State of the Environment Report 1991). This loss of grassland habitat has been responsible for the virtual extinction of this orchid in the wild.

The remaining grasslands are small, degraded and fragmented, making them vulnerable to other environmental and human influences. Lack of fire, invasion by Chilean Needle-grass and other weed species, predation by slugs and snails, vehicle movement and illegal collection all pose threats to the remaining population of this orchid.

There is also concern that, with so few plants in the wild, the natural pollination process may have been altered, making it difficult to regenerate in the wild.

Zoos Victoria's Conservation Field Partners

The recovery of the Sunshine Diuris Orchid is the work of a number of organisations and community groups which are members of the Recovery Team. Each Recovery Team member brings particular expertise to the recovery effort, ranging from captive breeding, habitat management and predator control to education and research. Members of this team include:

Department of Sustainability & Environment
Department of the Environment and Water Resources
Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne
Australasian Native Orchid Society
City of Brimbank
City of Hobsons Bay
University of Melbourne
RMIT

Community volunteers
Other supporters of this work include the Port Phillip & Westernport Catchment Management Authority.