Working on Kew projects in areas of mutual interest....

Jardín de Cactus de Bolivia
Kew is involved in this local initiative in Pulquina, on the eastern edge of the Andes, which is working to establish a small conservation area/botanic garden. It is hoped that in the future this will become a visitor attraction and focal point for information on rare Bolivian cacti. Kew is providing technical support for this project, including; botanical research, plant propagation/management techniques and interpretation.

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Look out at the Jardín de Cactus de Bolivia in Pulquina

Biodiversity and Conservation of the Central Andean valleys of Bolivia

The inner Andean valleys of central Bolivia are very diverse in their flora. There are many endemic species including trees, shrubs and herbs including representatives of familiar groups such as cacti, Salvias and Andean puyas. This project aims to support the conservation of this flora by the production of illustrated publicity material to promote awareness of plant diversity; the preparation of detailed inventories of four selected areas for the Bolivian national park authorities and discussions with local communities to raise awareness of the biodiversity wealth present in their lands.

Torotoro, Bolivia

Plant propagation of threatened species for ex-situ conservation in Chile
This project seeks to help secure the long term conservation of threatened Chilean flora. This is being achieved by growing priority plant species and harvesting seed to establish a sufficient quantity for future research and conservation use. This is critical for providing adequate quantities of seed for research without the need to over-exploit wild populations. Seed collections will ensure that, even if species are lost in the wild, the plants will always be available as a source of material, of high quality and genetic diversity - this may be critical for species recovery and rehabilitation in the future.  

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Anna Sandoval working on the propagation of Dalea azurea

Landscape Conservation in southern Amazônia: Research-focused capacity building for conservation and management

Cristalino is one of the most biodiverse areas in the Brazilian Amazon and remains under serious threat from fire and illegal logging due to the current lack of any real management capacity. Kew is working with Fauna and Flora International to support and build the capacity of the Cristalino Ecological Foundation (CEF), a locally based non governmental organisation, to catalyse and manage conservation efforts in this important area. In 2005, Kew provided support for CEF’s environmental education initiative, Escola da Amazônia. Kew’s involvement in 2006 focuses on training staff and other local institutions to undertake botanical surveys to provide critical baseline information for management planning in the future.

Forest at Cristalino in the Brazilian Amazon