Conservation and climate change news
Plants have an essential role to play in mitigating the effects of climate change, because they take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. Conversely, if forests are destroyed by burning, then carbon dioxide is added to the atmosphere. Deforestation accounts for about one fifth of the world’s carbon emissions.
However, plants are threatened by environmental changes including climate change. Conserving plants is therefore critical to any sustainable solution to environmental change.
Kew's work in this area | Adopt a seed for £25 and help Kew protect plant life
Kew Patrons take tour of the Conservation Biotechnology Laboratory
15 Sep 2011
Kew Patrons go behind the scenes for an exclusive tour of Kew’s innovative conservation laboratory and get a glimpse of some of the world’s most endangered plants.
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Freezing Ascension's rare ferns for the future
by: Ed Jones, UK Overseas Territories team blog25 Aug 2011
Ed Jones has just spent a year working with Kew's Conservation Biotechnology team investigating different methods of conserving several of the threatened ferns unique to Ascension Island in the South Atlantic.
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Sowing the seeds of UK biodiversity - Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank launches UK Native Seed Hub
17 Aug 2011
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew launches the UK Native Seed Hub at the Millennium Seed Bank, Wakehurst – an initiative that draws on the Millennium Seed Bank’s extensive collection of UK native seeds, as well as its horticultural and scientific expertise to support the UK seed industry, conservation groups and other organisations working to restore native plants to the UK countryside.
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Seed conservation in the UK Overseas Territories
by: Tom Heller, UK Overseas Territories team blog15 Aug 2011
Find out about Kew's seed collecting activities in the UK Overseas Territories. Through their seed banking work, Kew’s UK Overseas Territories (UKOTs) team are helping to conserve plant life in many diverse and fragile habitats in these regions.
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Insects and invasives: investigating threats to Turks and Caicos Islands plants
by: Martin Hamilton, UK Overseas Territories team blog03 Aug 2011
The native plants of the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) are under increasing threat from plants and animals that have been introduced to these Caribbean Islands in recent years. In an effort to understand the biology of the invasive species, a team of Kew botanists and conservationists spent three weeks studying them and investigating the problems they cause.
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Soya and the Cerrado
by: William Milliken, Herbarium blog27 Jul 2011
Watch the video and discover how consumer choice can make a difference to conservation in the Brazilian savannas. Find out how Kew is playing a role.
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Start@Kew, a fun-filled interactive family eco-extravaganza!
22 Jul 2011
Start, an initiative by HRH The Prince of Wales to inspire the UK public to take simple steps towards achieving more sustainable living, is delighted to announce Start@Kew, a five day event at Kew Gardens full of simple ideas to get you started.
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Tree planting in Africa
30 Jun 2011
The Millennium Seed Bank Partnership is helping with tree propagation and planting schemes in Africa. During 2010, nearly 62,000 seedlings of 203 tree species were produced in the initiative.
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Kew to be involved in the new INQUIRE education project
10 Jun 2011
Kew is delighted to be a partner in INQUIRE, a pan-European project which aims to reinvigorate inquiry-based science education.
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Kew Views - Why does plant diversity matter?
20 May 2011
In the run-up to the International Day of Biological Diversity 2011, people working behind the scenes at Kew reflect upon the importance of plant diversity and how their work is helping to safeguard plants at risk.
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