Conservation Training and Funding Opportunities

2025 North American Fruit and Nut Tree Crop Wild Relative Conservation Partnership Awards Application

US-based institutions working to conserve North American fruit and nut tree crop wild relatives (NAFANT CWR) are invited to apply for funding US$4,000–$5,000. Projects may include exploration, ex situ or in situ conservation, or research. This work is supported by Botanic Garden Conservation International-US (BGCI-US) and the United States Botanic Garden. Proposals will be accepted until July 15, 2025. Collaborative proposals are encouraged!

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Conservation Course Offerings from Kew

The Millennium Seed Bank Partnership (MSBP) at Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, a longtime Conservation Partner of CPC, is the world’s largest underground seed bank and conservation resource for diverse wild plant species, and home to over 2.4 billion seeds, representing over 39,000 different species of the world’s storable seeds. The MSBP provides training, technical support and information, to ensure that MSBP partners and collaborators have the skills, facilities and knowledge needed to successfully conserve seeds to a high standard and meet critical global seed conservation targets. Read on for information about upcoming training opportunities from leading experts on plant cryopreservation and seed conservation techniques.

Image courtesy of The Millennium Seed Bank Partnership, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew

Plant Cryopreservation – Theory and Practice: Delivered by Kew’s scientists and guest lecturers who are specialists in cryopreservation and plant conservation, this course provides an opportunity to learn the theoretical basis and gain hands-on experience of the application of cryopreservation approaches for the ex situ conservation of plants. The application deadline is August 15, 2025. Learn more.

Seed Conservation Techniques: Using the MSBP’s agreed Seed Conservation Standards as a basis, this fully online two-week course will provide participants with training in collecting, processing, drying, storage, moisture content assessment and germination testing of seeds of wild species. It will include a theoretical background of seed moisture relations, seed storage behaviour, germination and dormancy, prediction of seed storage life, and theoretical and practical aspects of seed bank management and design. The application deadline is end of July 2025. Learn more.