Community involvement

We promote public awareness of the fascinating plant diversity found within the UKOTs and of conservation activities. We encourage local communities to share their knowledge of their local flora and to get involved in investigating and conserving it.

Raising awareness of conservation activities: in territory

Schools activities

Students from schools in the vicinity of conservation projects are encouraged to take part in field trips and competitions. Conservationists accompany the school groups to point out plants native to the region, particularly unique species, and to join in discussions about the problems that local plants face.

Local communities

Local communities within the UKOTs are involved in all conservation projects from the outset and are kept informed about progress throughout. Plant posters are displayed in community buildings and at ports and airports where they can also be seen by tourists.

• Montserrat endemic plant posters
• Montserrat invasive plant posters
• Anegada endemic plant posters

All project newsletters are made available on the internet so that they can be accessed in territory and internationally.

Kew activities have been featured in Territory newspapers, and on radio and television programmes.

Raising awareness of conservation activities: internationally

General public

The Life Long Learning Section of the Royal Horticultural Society's Chelsea Flower Show provides an excellent opportunity to showcase some of our conservation work to the British Public.

In 2004, a shared interest in conservation of island plants inspired staff from RBG Kew and the Eden Foundation to develop an exhibit for the Chelsea Flower Show, featuring species from oceanic islands including the British Virgin Islands. In 2005, Kew produced an exhibit called 'Message in a Bottle' which covered threatened plants from the UKOTs and highlighted the danger posed by invasive plants

• Treasured Islands at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show
  
• Message in a Bottle at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show

Plants from the UKOTs are displayed in Kew's Temperate House and also featured in an exhibition at Wakehurst Place entitled Caught in Time. Specially commissioned photograms of BVI plants, created by Angela Easterling, emphasise the delicate charms of these little known species.

Newsletters

Reports on Kew's UKOTs conservation programme are published regularly in newsletters available on the RBG Kew website and on the UKOTs Conservation Forum website.

Kew Scientist

Samara - newsletter of the Millennium Seed Bank Project

On Course - newsletter for past participants of International Diploma Courses

Find out more about community involvement in Kew's UKOTs activities:

Anegada Darwin Initiative Project

Essay competition with the Anegada School - winning entry: Sea grapes

Montserrat Centre Hills Project newsletters

UK Overseas Territories Conservation Forum