Highlights from the CPC Network and Field of Plant Conservation

 

Chicago Botanical Garden Launches sCORE: The Synthesis Center for Conservation and Restoration

The Synthesis Center for Conservation and Restoration (sCORE) is a hub for data synthesis and collaboration at the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Negaunee Institute for Plant Conservation Science and Action. By connecting the plant science and land management communities, sCORE brings together diverse perspectives to enable analysis, synthesis, and collaboration aimed at addressing key needs in plant conservation and restoration science, practice, and policy.

The sCORE team is currently seeking data and collaborators for their newest project, which aims to examine understory vegetation responses to rapid canopy loss in the Great Lakes region. Learn how you can get involved and contribute here.

Botanic Gardens Conservation International Publishes State of the World’s Trees Report

Through its Global Tree Assessment initiative, Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) recently published the State of the World’s Trees report, which documents the extinction risk and conservation status of the world’s nearly 60,000 tree species. The culmination of five years of research, this comprehensive report finds that 30% of tree species are endangered. The primary threats to tree species worldwide are forest clearance and other forms of habitat loss, direct exploitation for timber and other products, and the spread of invasive pests and diseases. With this assessment, the report also identifies the need for renewed focused on biodiversity conservation and ecosystem restoration to prevent the extinction of trees. Learn more here.

Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden to Host Conserving Exceptional Plants: Cryobiotechnology and the Model of Oaks Virtual Symposium, October 19-21, 2021

Join the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden’s free three-day symposium and workshop October 19-21, 2021. You’ll hear from leading experts in the field of exceptional plant conservation and cryopreservation. Using oaks as a sample species, attendees will learn about the potentials of cryotechnologies and how they can be applied to a wide range of exceptional species. This event is free, but registration is required. Learn more and register here.

IUCN World Conservation Congress Concludes with a Call for Nature-Based Pandemic Recovery

 Every four years, the IUCN World Conservation Congress brings together over 1,400 government, civil society, and indigenous peoples’ Member organizations to set priorities and drive conservation and sustainable development action to shape a healthy relationship between humans and our planet. The 2021 IUCN Congress took place in early September and concluded with a call for post-pandemic recovery based on nature. Read more highlights and outcomes from the 2021 IUCN Congress here.