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Millennium Seed Bank Project in South Africa

Michiel van Slageren and Terry Wilson collecting seed between Vyeboom and Franschhoek, Western Cape Province, South Africa

The collaboration with the Partner in South Africa was agreed in May 2005, for another 5-year period. The Partner is South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI).

RBG Kew and SANBI agreed to work together with the purpose to deliver a fully integrated ex situ conservation strategy, which aims to produce a ‘joined up’ approach to ex situ conservation. This will encompass:

·        Seed collection and storage

·        Working in partnership with in-country organizations

·        Seed propagation

·        Species reintroduction

·        Capacity building

During the first phase of the MSB South Africa Project (2000-2005) methodologies for targeting, collecting, processing and banking seed were developed. In addition, information on the collections made (e.g. seed numbers, quality and germination protocols) was gathered at the MSB and repatriated to South Africa.

A key achievement of this new 5-year project will be to apply these methods to as many threatened species in South Africa as possible and to develop links and working relationships with other conservation practitioners. This will ultimately result in a network of in situ and ex situ conservation projects in South Africa to which the MSBP will provide services. These services will include practical help in areas such as botanical survey, seed collecting, processing and germination. It will also include training in these methodologies. In return, the MSBP will receive data and seed collections, the latter around 300 species new to the MSB each year.

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