|
The last month has been a busy one here at BGCI’s U.S. office. In just 30 days’ time, I traveled to Indonesia, Georgia, and New Mexico as part of BGCI’s efforts to strengthen plant conservation education in the U.S. and around the world. As I have boarded my flight home after each stimulating event, however, I have pondered the environmental costs of the cross-country (or around-the-world) flight. My research revealed troubling facts: My round-trip flight to Albuquerque produced roughly 1,700 pounds of greenhouse gases per passenger, while my trip to Indonesia added another 9,000 pounds per passenger. (The average U.S. car produces 10,000 pounds in an entire year.) These are startling numbers for an ardent environmentalist! I do know, however, that my travels are worthwhile endeavors promoting citizen action on behalf of plant conservation. While I cannot give up all of these important conferences and meetings at botanic gardens across the country, I do pledge in the coming year to seek more ways of doing business without racking up miles in the sky. I will also purchase “carbon offsets” to mitigate the ecological damage. Measuring your ecological footprint can be an exciting addition to your education programs. Redefining Progress offers further resources and an ecological footprint measurement tool. Climate Care, Native Energy, and Carbonfund.org all provide additional information on purchasing personal carbon offsets.
Best wishes,
Brian Johnson
Education Officer, BGCI ( U.S.)
Editor, Education E-update
brian.johnson@bgci.org
|
|
|
Mark your calendars! Plant Conservation Day is May 18: Plant Conservation Day will launch in May 2006 with a coordinated celebration at hundreds of institutions throughout the U.S. Participating sites will receive public relations and activity kits to help create a memorable event. BGCI (U.S.) is kicking off this exciting project in collaboration with the Association for Zoological Horticulture. Mark May 18 on your calendars now, and stay tuned for more information!
Roots: “Master Planning for Education” out now! The latest issue of BGCI’s education review, Roots, has just been released. Check your mailbox or your institution’s library to read articles from plant-based educators around the world. This issue’s theme, “Master Planning for Education,” examines the why and how of strategic planning at education departments. Don’t receive Roots? Become an Associate Member of BGCI to get your copy twice per year. Interested in submitting an article to Roots? The deadline for submissions to the next issue, “Access for All: Problems and Solutions,” is Jan. 20, 2006. The issue will explore some of the difficulties faced and the solutions created by environmental education practitioners in reaching important, but oftentimes neglected, audiences. Email education@bgci.org for more information.
Environmental educators gather in Albuquerque: BGCI (U.S.) Education Officer Brian Johnson took part in the North American Association for Environmental Education’s annual conference in Albuquerque, NM, last month. He facilitated roundtable discussions about the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation and BGCI (U.S.)’s Plant for the Planet! campaign. Join other environmental educators at next year’s event in St. Paul, MN. The NAAEE website has full details.
|
|
|
Botanical Society of America’s “Scientific Inquiry Through Plants”: The BSA’s “Scientific Inquiry Through Plants” project “is a collaboration of scientists, educators and students seeking to create an online community, fostering discovery and mentorship in the sciences through the use of plants.” Teams of students of all ages plan scientific investigations using plants, detail their methods and results online, and receive feedback from botanical scientists. Visit the project’s website for more information.
EPA’s Environmental Education Grant Program for 2006: The Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental Education Grants Program is seeking grant proposals to support EE projects that promote and enhance environmental stewardship, and help develop public awareness in making informed and responsible decisions that affect environmental quality. Annual funding for the program ranges between $2 and $3 million. More than 75 percent of the grants awarded by this program receive less than $15,000. Deadline for applications: Nov. 23, 2005 . Visit the EPA website for more information.
The Cloud Institute for Sustainability Education: Founded in 2002, The Cloud Institute is “dedicated to the vital role of education in creating awareness, fostering commitment, and guiding actions toward a healthy, secure and sustainable future.” The Institute’s website features excellent resources addressing the questions, “What is sustainability?” and “What is education for sustainability?” Visit the Institute’s website for more information.
|
|
|
Each month, we answer a plant conservation education question that you've always wanted answered. Send your questions to
e-update@bgci.org.
Q: How many species of plants are threatened worldwide?
A: Botanists today agree that the number of plants threatened worldwide is increasing at an alarming rate. The 1997 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species contains more than 34,000 plant species—but this number reflects only those plants for which enough research is available. Scientists today estimate that 100,000 plant species are threatened worldwide—more than one-third of the total global flora—making plants the most endangered species on the planet. Here in the U.S., plants are the most prevalent species on the Endangered Species List, with 599 species listed as endangered and 146 listed as threatened. Additionally, 29 percent of all U.S. native plant species are threatened with extinction. For additional information on the conservation status of threatened species, visit BGCI (U.S.)’s Plant for the Planet! website.
|
|
|
|
|
Issue 6: November 2005 |
 |
In each issue of Education E-update, we shine the spotlight on an innovative plant conservation education program taking place at a BGCI member institution. If your BGCI member institution has a program that should be "in the spotlight," email a short description and contact information to
e-update@bgci.org.
In the spotlight this month:
Denver Botanic Garden and U.S. Botanic Garden
Thirty botanic garden professionals took part in the inaugural Applied Plant Conservation training program, sponsored by the Denver Botanic Gardens and U.S. Botanic Garden in June. The goal of this congressionally supported partnership was to strengthen research and conservation efforts in botanic gardens, particularly small- and medium-size gardens interested in starting or growing conservation programs. The two-week training featured a week-long program designed by the Center for Plant Conservation on conservation tools and techniques. The second week focused on programmatic development, funding, and outreach, with sessions led by representatives from more than 20 botanic gardens and institutions.
Following the two-week course, eight participants were selected from a pool of more than 50 applicants from seven countries to complete a ten-week internship to apply skills learned in the first two weeks. Interns monitored prescribed burn sites, surveyed new plots for rare and invasive plants, and collected specimens at sites throughout Colorado. Other projects included identifying specimens, preparing herbarium vouchers, tree coring, soil sampling, laboratory research, and working with BG Base software. Interns also completed independent projects, including a grant proposal for a study to quantify the effect of tamarisk on salt loading into surface water, the design of an educational unit on plant invasion for high school students, and the assessment of a local commercial plant introduction process. Plans are already underway for next year’s training course. Visit the Applied Plant Conservation program website for more information.
Participants at this year's Applied Plant Conservation training program
|
|
|
| |
 |
The deadline for the call for papers for BGCI’s Sixth International Congress on Education in Botanic Gardens is quickly approaching! Download the form for submitting your ideas for posters, presentations, or workshops. You can also stay up to date on conference developments by registering your interest today. For more information on the Congress, to be held in September 2006 at the University of Oxford (UK) Botanic Gardens, visit the official website.
|
|
|
| |
 |
Do you have an amazing plant conservation education resource, program, or story to share? Get the word out about your work through Education E-update! Each month’s newsletter is read by more than 300 plant-based educators nationwide. Email e-update@bgci.org to showcase your program. |
|
|
| |
 |
Please forward this email to education colleagues at your living institution or to others who have an interest in plant conservation education. |
|
|
| |
|
