UK Overseas Territories
Future Plans
Collections (2006 onwards)
The collection programme of herbarium specimens will be continued as part of ongoing project activity, with the aim of producing accurate conservation checklists and as a contribution to the implementation of Targets 1 & 2 of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC) for UKOTs.
The programme securing UKOTs threatened species in ex situ conservation by collecting seeds will be continued, with the initial expansion of the current programme to include Territories involved in new Darwin Initiative or OTEP projects: the Cayman Islands, Montserrat, Turks & Caicos Islands.
Kew will continue adding to the DNA bank by collecting silica gel specimens of key species as a routine element of current in-Territory conservation projects.
The UK mainland fungal documentation programme will be extended to incorporate UKOTs as time and funding allows.
New species from UKOTs will be added the Living Collections at Kew.
Baseline Plant Diversity Research (2006 onwards)
We will continue botanical assessment work as part of the Enabling the People of Montserrat to Conserve the Centre Hills project. Other projects will be developed in response to Territories' plant diversity research needs.
Comparative Plant Biology (2006 onwards)
Not an active area for the UKOTs programme.
Sustainable Utilisation of Plant Resources (2006 onwards)
As part of the Montserrat Darwin project, the potential of plant products as a source of material for sustainable handicraft cottage industries will be investigated.
Conservation and Environmental Monitoring (2006 onwards)
This will remain the major focus of the UKOTs programme: responding to conservation needs and priorities, and helping build capacity within UK Overseas Territories.
Kew will continue to encourage and help facilitate actions within Territories to implement the GSPC.
In particular, conservation work will continue in Montserrat with a view to establishing the Centre Hills as the first National Park for Montserrat.
Work documenting and developing strategies for dealing with alien invasive plant species, especially in Montserrat and the Cayman Islands, will continue.
We will continue assessment work in BVI, and complete and agree a management plan for Anegada.
Advice will be given on threatened plants' management, and on CITES enforcement and the implementation of the CBD, as requested.
Horticulture protocols for threatened species using a range of techniques will continue to be developed.
Kew will continue to seek appropriate UKOTs participants for training programmes at Kew and Wakehurst Place, while also exploring new conservation project collaborations with Territories, within available resources.
Full participation in the UK Overseas Territories Conservation Forum will continue, and by providing advice and expertise on conservation in UKOTs support will be given to the FCO, DFID and Defra.