More about the Botanical Capacity Assessment Project

The Chicago Botanic Garden and Botanic Gardens Conservation International’s U.S. office are working with several partners to assess strengths and areas for improvement in plant science education, research and habitat management in the United States. This one-year, grant-funded project involves four key stages: 1) literature review, 2) survey of the botanical community, 3) workshop with key stakeholders, and 4) production and distribution of a report.

We are currently conducting a literature review and surveying non-profit organizations, university personnel, graduate students, and government employees involved in plant science research, education and/or natural resource management in the United States.

Results of these surveys will be summarized and discussed at an upcoming facilitated workshop with 50 stakeholders representing surveyed groups from across the country, and recommendations to remedy identified gaps in capacity will be outlined and agreed. For more information about this workshop and other plant conservation events at Chicago Botanic Garden, click here.

The objective of this grant-funded project is to assess the collective ability of U.S. institutions and individuals to advance plant science research and application, while identifying gaps in capacity and highlighting opportunities to fill these gaps in the future. A summary report will be produced and released in mid-2010. The report will be freely available from www.chicagobotanic.org and www.bgci.org/usa/bcap.

For additional information, please contact

Andrea Kramer, Ph.D.
Executive Director, Botanic Gardens Conservation International, U.S.
Email: andrea.kramer 'at' bgci.org
Phone: 847-835-6971

Barbara Zorn-Arnold, Ph.D.
Research Associate, Chicago Botanic Garden
Email: bzornarnold 'at' chicagobotanic.org