Kew's Millennium Seed Bank - ENSCONET

The European Native Seed Conservation Network (ENSCONET)

The European Native Seed Conservation Network (ENSCONET) began as an EU project which ran from 2004 to 2009.  It is now a Consortium of 30 institutes, European seed banks, botanical gardens and other institutes interested in seed conservation, from 18 European countries who wish to continue and spread the momentum for seed conservation in Europe generated by the ENSCONET project.  The ENSCONET Consortium is coordinated from Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank.

The ENSCONET Consortium will maintain ENSCOBASE, the European Native Seed Banks' database and the ENSCONET website.  It will also provide a platform for discussion and exchange of experience between members.

The ENSCONET Project aimed to make best use of time and resources by reducing duplication of effort. By collaborating we can by improve the quality, co-ordination and integration of European seed conservation practice, policy and research for native plant species. ENSCONET also assists EU conservation policy and its obligations to the Convention on Biological Diversity and its Global Strategy for Plant Conservation.

ENSCONET has worked on four activity areas: collecting, curation, data management and dissemination. Through these, ENSCONET has pulled the European Seed Banking community together and given seed banking a voice in Europe. It has created a platform during meetings, workshops and exchange visits, for partners to share experiences, ideas and protocols.

ENSCONET also produced:

• ENSCOBASE – ‘Virtual Seed Bank’ – online access to European native seed collection data including germination tests
• Virtual Seed Bank – seed bank educational presentation and interactive seed bank in English, French or Spanish
• ENSCONET Seed Collection Manual – a guide to making quality, long-lasting seed collections from wild species.
• ENSCONET Curation Protocols and Recommendations – best practice seed curation practices

ENSCONET was an Integrated Activity, implemented as a Co-ordination Action funded by the European Community's Sixth Framework Programme and was completed in October 2009.