With gentle hearts, we mark the passing of Rasa Lynne Dover on July 27 – a beloved local gardener, seed-saver, and community inspirer.
In 2011, Rasa founded the Byron Hinterland Seed Savers, actively supporting our community until 2023. Under her guidance, more than 60 seed-saving and garden swap events blossomed in home gardens across the region, as well as at community festivals and markets.
Rasa’s commitment to preserving seed sovereignty connected our region to a global movement led by Michelle and Jude Fanton of the Seed Savers Network, located in Byron Bay.
Her work was widely celebrated, including in Vandana Shiva’s Seed Freedom publications, which honoured her dedication and contributions to the worldwide effort to protect seeds, local food security, and empower communities to save and propagate their own seeds.
Her seeds will continue to grow
Her Goonengerry home stood as a vibrant example of what devotion to the land can yield – a thriving, food-rich and diverse landscape.
From here many seeds and plants have spread to hundreds of homes in the Byron Shire and other networks in regional NSW and Qld expanding their seed saving networks.
Her seeds, both literal and figurative, continue to grow in gardens and hearts throughout the Byron Shire and beyond.
Rasa spent her final years in Pottsville, closer to her son Raven and granddaughter Arielle. A heartfelt ceremony was held in Tweed Heads on Monday, August 4, to honour her life and legacy.
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