Welcome to CBCN

Welcome to CBCN

Welcome to the Canadian Botanical Conservation Network (CBCN). Our objective is to preserve the biological diversity of Canada's rare and endangered native plant species, wild habitats and ecosystems through the education and conservation programs of our members, including botanical gardens and arboreta.

Our Top Stories:

Preparations underway for CBCN Meeting, National Response to Global Strategy for Plant Conservation

- 11 November 2008

A national meeting of botanical gardens in Canada will be held 27-28 November, 2008. The next meeting of the Canadian Botanical Conservation Network will be held 27-28 Nov. 2008 at Royal Botanical Gardens in Burlington, Ontario.

Representatives of CBCN members are asked to RSVP to Dr. David Galbraith Some support for travel costs will be available (see below; more details will circulated as soon as they are available).

Visit the Program and Documents Centre for the Meeting

This will be our first national network meeting (other than or annual business meetings) since the very successful April 2006 event hosted in Vancouver by VanDusen Botanical Garden and University of British Columbia Botanical Garden, at which was launched the update to the biodiversity action plan for botanical gardens in Canada, entitled Conserving Plant Diversity: The 2010 Challenge for Canadian Botanical Gardens.

We have several important items for our agenda. We are already planning to include:

Gathering recommendations for the 4th National Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity relevant to the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC), including considering the development of an Important Plant Areas network in Canada

Helping to shape a national response to the GSPC, in a form that can be published or otherwise disseminated

Consultations and idea-generation for events and celebrations for the 2010 International Biodiversity Year

Brain-storming next steps, project proposals and services to be delivered by CBCN itself

The 2008 Annual Business Meeting for CBCN (a pro-forma process likely taking under 30 minutes, including election of one Board member)

This meeting is being organized in cooperation with the Biodiversity Convention Office of Environment Canada. Through the work of Krista Blackborow, we will also be inviting representatives of interested organizations to participate in some of our discussions.

The EC Biodiversity Convention Office has agreed to provide some funding support for the participation of CBCN member institutions in our event. We will announce shortly how the travel funds, which will be limited, can be accessed. In general, one participant per institution will be considered for support, although as many individuals as you like can attend the meeting. We are also looking for additional sponsorship to offset the costs of food and other services for the meeting. Further details and any additional information on costs to participate will be made available as soon as possible.

Please contact Dr. Galbraith to let him know immediately if your institution is interested in participating in this meeting, and if you have any items you might like to include on our agenda. Because of resource limitations the working language of the meeting will be English. We apologize for any inconvenience this causes.

CBCN Newsletter Relaunched

- 1 August 2008

With the publication of Volume 11, Number 1 at the end of June, the production of CBCN's newsletter has returned to the network's office at RBG. For the past two years the newsletter has been produced by Yann Veigrette and his team based at Montreal Botanical Garden. The CBCN newsletter now incorporates the Educator's Network newsletter produced initially under the "Investing in Nature: A Partnership for Plants in Canada.

North American Botanic Gardens Conservation Strategy Discussed at American Public Gardens Association Annual Conference, Pasadena, California

- 26 June 2008

Progress on implementing the North American Botanic Garden Strategy for Plant Conservation, produced in 2007 by the American Public Gardens Association, the US Centre for Plant Conservation, Botanic Gardens Conservation International and the Canadian Botanical Conservation Network, was a key topic for discussion at the 2008 American Public Gardens Association converence.

Click here for a .pdf copy of the strategy in English.

Click here for a .pdf copy of the strategy in French.

Click here for a .pdf copy of the strategy in Spanish.

Learn more about CBCN

Read the Biodiversity Action Plan for Botanical Gardens and Arboreta in Canada (2001) (1 megabyte .pdf file for Adobe Acrobat Reader)

Read Our Most Recent Newsletters:

Volume 11, Number 1 - June 2008 (PDF for Adobe Acrobat Reader). Web Site for Botanic Gardens Educators in Canada goes On-Line; GSPC Undergoes In-Dept Review; CBCN Joins Global Partnership for Plant Conservation; Climate Change Emerging as Global Plant Conservation Issue; La Jardin botanique de Montréal reçoit des fleurs pour sa réputée Roseraie - Montreal Botanical Garden Receives a Bouquet for its Well-loved Rose Garden; Harry Jongerden Appointed VanDusen Botanical Garden Director; An Update from Royal Botanical Gardens; Cover story: Inner City Kids Explore Diversity of Food Through "Eyes of Potatoes"; Name Change and Relocation of University of Toronto Culture Collection (UTCC); Employment Opportunities; CBCN Newsletter Schedule; CBCN Meetings; Upcoming Events; About CBCN.

Volume 9, Number 1 - July 2005 (PDF for Adobe Acrobat Reader). North American Plant Conservation Strategy Targets Finalized; Biodiversity Action Plan for Botanical Gardens in Canada to be Revised; Report from the Applied Plant Conservation Course in Denver; News from A Partnership for Plants in Canada; "FLORA" Ceramic Art Installation on Plants at Risk; News from BGCI; Harriet Irving Botanical Gardens Hosts Invasive Species Play; Coming Events; About CBCN.

Volume 8, Number 3 - September 2004 (PDF for Adobe Acrobat Reader). Canadian Botanical Gardens Educators Network to Meet in Montreal in December; RBG Hosts Butterfly Presentations; BGCI Joins GBIF; BGCI Appoints Dan Shepherd as Head of US Office; Announcements; Coming Events; About CBCN.

Investing in Nature: A Partnership for Plants in Canada is a four-year programme to develop educational resources, enhance plant conservation and biodiversity education efforts and link Canadian botanical gardens to international conservation and environmental education networks.

Read about A Partnership for Plants in Canada in CBCN Newsletter 7.2 our Visit our Sister Web Site at: http://www.bgci.org/Canada

Visit Botanic Gardens Conservation International, the Gateway to the world's botanical gardens.

The Canadian Botanical Conservation Network is being developed through the facilities of the Botanical Conservation Office of Royal Botanical Gardens, Hamilton/Burlington, Ontario. Our Web Site is hosted by Royal Botanical Gardens.

CBCN Is The Home Web Site of The Public Garden Web Ring:

Funds have previously been provided to this project by Environment Canada and its Environmental Conservation Branch, Ontario Region.

Funds have been provided to this project by Canadian Heritage and its Museums Assistance Program.

The Americ Public Gardens Association

CBCN is proud to be a member of the American Public Gardens Association (APGA)

The information on this Web site is presented for educational and conservation purposes only. Commercial use of any information on this site is not allowed. All rights are retained by the owners of the respective materials.

Further Web Site Credits and Acknowledgements