BGCI’s Global Seed Conservation Challenge will challenge and support botanic gardens to work outside the gardens walls to collect, bank and therefore conserve seed of threatened plant species towards Target 8 of the GSPC.
Target 8 of the GSPC calls for ‘at least 75 per cent of threatened plant species in ex situ collections, preferably in the country of origin, and at least 20 per cent available for recovery and restoration programmes by 2020’.
The challenge component will include a competition, with prizes awarded to botanic gardens that do the most to bank seeds of rare, threatened and useful native species. Through this competition, and through BGCI’s website and its magazine BGjournal, the work of participating gardens will be recognised and promoted.
