Naples Botanical Garden Inc

NAPLES BOTANICAL GARDEN WILL DOCUMENT, PRESERVE, AND SHARE ITS GROWING COLLECTION OF ENDEMIC AND RARE TROPICAL AND SUBTROPICAL PLANT SPECIES. THE PROJECT SIGNIFICANTLY EXPANDS SEED BANK STORAGE CAPACITY TO STORE 35,000 SEEDS AND WILL ENSURE CONSERVATION OF AND IMPROVED ACCESS TO PLANT SPECIES BY DEVELOPING AS MANY AS 32 PROPAGATION PROTOCOLS, ESTABLISHING UP TO 35 STORAGE PROTOCOLS, AND CATALOGING APPROXIMATELY 150 UNDER-DOCUMENTED SPECIES. THE PROJECT SUPPORTS THE HIRING OF TWO NEW CONSERVATION ASSOCIATES AND A SEEDBANK SPECIALIST WHO WILL DEVELOP LONG-TERM SEED STORAGE AND PLANT PROPAGATION PROTOCOLS IN COLLABORATION WITH CARIBBEAN PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS, ENSURING THAT PLANTS ENDEMIC TO THOSE PLACES CAN BE CONSERVED IN THEIR NATIVE ECOSYSTEMS. IN ADDITION, THEY WILL DEVELOP, PUBLISH, AND DISSEMINATE NEW SEED STORAGE AND GERMINATION PROTOCOLS MAKING THEM ACCESSIBLE TO BOTANICAL GARDENS, CONSERVATION SCIENTISTS, AND BOTANISTS WORLDWIDE.