Developing Ex Situ Conservation Collections of UKOTs Species In-Territory and at Kew
Martin Hamilton collecting cuttings of the critically endangered cactus Leptocereus quadricostatus, on Anegada, BVI. Photo: Colin Clubbe
The UKOTs conservation collections project has developed to meet targets of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC). The overall goals of the project are to secure threatened species from UKOTs in ex situ cultivation, in–Territory and also at Kew, to develop recovery programmes as required and to train project partners in threatened species management. Selected species are incorporated into display collections in-Territory and at Kew to help raise awareness of the important biodiversity in UKOTs. Products and outputs of the project meet the following GSPC targets:
GSPC Target 3: developing horticultural protocols for threatened species. Species include Cordia rupicola (BVI); Nassauvia serpens (Falkland Islands); Rondeletia buxifolia (Montserrat); Limonium bahamense (TCI)
GSPC Target 8: developing ex situ collections in Territory (from plant rescues and seed collections) and at Kew (from seed collections). Threatened species in cultivation include Acacia anegadensis (BVI); Salvia caymanensis (Cayman Islands); Epidendrum montserratense (Montserrat); Trochetiopsis ebenus (St Helena); Pinus caribaea var. bahamense (TCI)
GSPC Target 15: development of recommendations to help build capacity for conservation in the UKOTs and upgrading facilities (e.g. J.R. O’Neal Botanic Garden, Tortola, BVI; National Botanic Garden, Montserrat) using the conservation collections as a model; provide horticultural training to relevant project staff and students in the UKOTs (e.g. BVI, Montserrat) using the conservation collections; supply reports and technical information concerning UKOTs species to all relevant partners in the UK and UKOTs to enable further staff training.
GSPC Target 16: International plant conservation networks have been developed and strengthened to address plant conservation. The collections are used within the network to provide horticultural and conservation lectures to relevant project staff and students in the UKOTs (e.g. BVI, TCI).
Project Team
Project Leader: Hamilton, Martin
Colin Clubbe, Marcella Corcoran, Martin Hamilton
HPE
Nick Johnson, Martin Staniforth, Michele Sanchez, James Beattie, Tony Hall
Seed Conservation Department
Thomas Heller
Project Partners and Collaborators
Ascension Island
Government Conservation Centre
British Virgin Islands
British Virgin Islands National Parks Trust
Cayman Islands
Cayman Islands National Trust
Department of Environment
Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park
Falkland Islands
Department of Environment
Falklands Conservation
Montserrat
Department of Environment
Montserrat National Trust
St HelenaAgriculture and Natural Resources Department
South Georgia
South Georgia Government
Turks and Caicos Islands
Turks and Caicos Islands National Trust
Funders
UK
Darwin Initiative (BVI and Montserrat)
Overseas Territories Environment Programme (OTEP) (Montserrat)
