UK Overseas Territories
SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS (2001-2005)
- Successful completion of a 3 year Darwin Initiative project with the BVI National Parks Trust, Integrating National Parks, Education and Community Development for the British Virgin Islands (1998-2002)
- Programme of seed collecting in UK Overseas Territories (UKOTs) established and pilots initiated in four Territories: British Virgin Islands, St Helena, Ascension and Falkland Islands
- Award of Darwin Initiative Grant to Kew-RSPB-Marine Turtle Research Group consortium to undertake the Darwin Initiative Assessment of the Coastal Biodiversity of Anegada, BVI (2003-2006), and near complete implementation
- Award of Darwin Initiative Grant to Kew-RSPB-Marine Turtle Research Group consortium for the project In Ivan’s Wake: Darwin Initiative Biodiversity Action Plan for the Cayman Islands (2005-2008), and successful start to the project
- Award of Darwin Initiative Grant to Kew-RSPB-Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust consortium for the project Enabling the People of Montserrat to Conserve the Centre Hills (2005-2008), and successful start of this project
- Use of St Helenan Rhamnaceae to date radiation of Phylica in South Africa leading to a publication in Nature in 2001
- DNA banking of the Flora of South Georgia - the first Flora to be fully banked
KEY ELEMENTS OF FUTURE PLANS (2006 onwards)
- Complete Darwin Initiative Assessment of the Coastal Biodiversity of Anegada, British Virgin Islands (2006)
- Complete Darwin Initiative project In Ivan’s Wake: Darwin Initiative Biodiversity Action Plan for the Cayman Islands, with Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) drafted and implemented (2008)
- Complete Darwin Initiative project Enabling the People of Montserrat to Conserve the Centre Hills, with Centre Hills declared as a National Park and the management plan implemented (2008)
- Continue programme of seed collecting in UKOTs
- Continue programme of conservation genetics on selected threatened species from UKOTs as resources allows
- Continue to provide training opportunities at Kew for colleagues from UKOTs by facilitating attendance at suitable courses on the Kew international diploma programme and internships at Kew and Wakehurst Place
- Continue developing strong international partnerships with UKOTs with the overall aim of implementing the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation
- Continue to provide support for UKOTs through active participation in the UK Overseas Territories Conservation Forum and engagement with the FCO, Defra and DFID
- Continue developing horticulture protocols for threatened species and include selected species for display in the living collections at Kew to raise awareness of the importance of the biodiversity in UKOTs
- Continue to raise awareness of UK Overseas Territories and other Small Islands Developing States and the importance of their biodiversity