"Conservation is a state of harmony between man and land." —Aldo Leopold 1886-1948

Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden (RSABG) was founded in part to help you make a difference. Through this site and the Garden’s other web pages we invite you to learn more about the Garden and plant conservation by investigating the related links as they may suit your personal interests and needs. If you have questions or suggestions regarding the content of the RSABG Conservation Web Page please contact Naomi Fraga.

HOW DO BOTANICAL GARDENS CONTRIBUTE TO CONSERVATION?

The role of botanic gardens changes over time, reflecting the interests and needs of human society. The Botanic Garden of Padova dates back to 1545 and is regarded as the most ancient university garden in the world. From the time of its foundation, it was devoted to the growth of medicinal plants. During the late18th to the early 20th centuries, a period of exploration and discovery, botanic gardens were primarily devoted to the culture and maintenance of collections for the purpose of illustrating the science of botany. Today, increasing numbers of botanic gardens are devoting considerable institutional resources to programs and activities that promote the protection and conservation of plants and their habitats. Thirty seven percent of botanic gardens today have conservation as a component of their mission statements. (see: http://www.bgci.org).

Botanic gardens are working within their communities to increase public awareness and to provide tools, information, and inspiration to help resolve local and regional conservation issues. In addition, Botanic gardens today are developing strong collaborative roles within the larger conservation community including working with non-governmental conservation organizations, public land management agencies, and universities. Many botanic gardens primarily work on an international level to assist institutions and organizations of other countries develop and implement appropriate plant conservation practices for their regions.

Conservation programs vary widely with each botanic garden. The conservation activities that gardens implement are often influenced by three factors:

The history of the institution and its founding mission
Local, regional or international needs and opportunities

Staff expertise

Although many botanic gardens operate in-situ or on-site conservation programs, the unique role of botanic gardens today is often in the development and practice of ex-situ or off-site conservation programs.

See The Center for Plant Conservation for examples of some the United States’ leading botanical conservation institutions.

WHAT IS RSABG DOING TO SUPPORT PLANT CONSERVATION?

In-situ (on-site) conservation programs at RSABG include:

Regional floristic surveys

• Focused rare plant surveys, mapping and monitoring
• Rare plant protection and restoration programs
• Ecological, biological and genetic research

Ex-situ (off-site) conservation programs at RSABG include:

• Curation and maintenance of both living and preserved botanical collections
• Native plant propagation research
• Native plant propagation programs for recovery projects
• Public and professional education programs

Botanical Field Studies

The Botanical Field Studies Program offers an unpaid summer internship for undergraduate students looking to gain experience in field botany and conservation. Internships are generally offered in the spring and summer months. Please contact Naomi Fraga (Conservation Botanist) for more information.