Saving Governor Laffan's Fern from extinction

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 26: They are no bigger than a pea but these little ferns may hold the fate of one of the island’s most endangered plants in their roots.

Governor Laffan’s Fern has been extinct in the wild for more than a century in Bermuda.

But now thanks to a pioneering partnership with Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo this precious piece of fauna might be about to make the most unexpected comeback.

Last week two US scientists from the zoo travelled to Bermuda to deliver a batch of 20 sealed jars containing several hundred ‘baby’ ferns on agar jelly.

Margaret From and Melanie Landry joined staff from Conservation Services collecting soil profiles and scouting out possible locations where the ferns could be planted in the future. Those involved in the Lifeboat Project’ hope to start planting the little ferns in Bermuda within the next two years once they have reached maturity.

Biodiversity officer, Alison Copeland told the Bermuda Sun: “Governor Laffan’s Fern is one of Bermuda’s endemic plants, meaning it is found nowhere else in the world.

“Historically this fern was found in the Walsingham area of Hamilton parish, between Harrington Sound and Castle Harbour and in Paynters Vale.

“It was found in rock crevices and around cave mouths in this area up
until 1905. Governor Laffan’s Fern was last seen in the wild in the autumn of 1905 by prominent botanist Nathaniel Lord Britton.”

The partnership between Omaha and Bermuda began in 2003 when spores from the island’s last five remaining specimens, which are kept at the Botanical Gardens and the Government nursery, were sent to Henry Doorly Zoo.

Ms Copeland added: “Ferns reproduce from spores held under the leaves, not by flowers, fruit and seeds like other plants; so growing ferns requires special knowledge.

“The spores were sent to Omaha to begin a propagation programme to increase the population of this very rare fern to ensure the species’ continued survival.

“Through the dedicated efforts of the staff at the Omaha Zoo hundreds of young ferns have been raised from spores sent from Bermuda.”

The next stage of this project will see the little ferns distributed within Government departments and then planted in designated areas in a bid to re-introduce this unique fern back into Bermuda.