[PCA] Assistance Needed For Conservation Project [Mints]

[Larry Morse]

Botresearch Folk,

This all seems good at first glance, but I'm sure many PCA members share my
concerns about scattering propagated seed (or plants) of rare/endangered
species into wild places, whether or not the plant grows there already.  

This is basically a no-no as a conservation practice now, except in
carefully designed, professionally guided enhancements,
restorations/reintroductions, or deliberate outplantings (introductions),
done with landowner permission and cooperation.  There has been a lot of
great discussion among PCA people recently about this -- I suggest that you
review that, esp. cited policy documents, before proceeding with any seed
dispersal.  A variety of legal considerations may also apply, some with
quite severe penalties.

Instead, y'all might continue to explore providing plants or seeds to
schools, nature centers, public gardens, etc., for educational use, with
provisions/understandings that the plants won't be put into wild places
without appropriate oversight and permissions/permits.

Larry Morse
(Formerly Chief Botanist, The Nature Conservancy)

Larry Morse
Washington, D.C.
larry.morse.dc at earthlink.net
(Larry.E.Morse at LEM-Natural-Diversity.com)
(202)-543-2488
< http://www.lem-natural-diversity.com/ >


> [Original Message]
> From: <botresearchusa at academicplanet.com>
> To: <native-plants at lists.plantconservation.org>
> Date: 8/13/2008 2:35:51 PM
> Subject: [PCA] Assistance Needed For C0onservation Project
>
> PCA Menbers and Cooperators,
>
> Botresearch USA has for the last 15 years been involved in research  
> involving plants of the Lamiaceae/ Labiatae family. We have also been  
> involved in the conservation of threatened and endangered species and  
> the esatblishment of a conservation garden for all speices in this  
> plant family.
>
> Several years ago we decided to open up a forum on the internet which  
> would educate the general public about these species and promote their  
> conservation.
> This year we have had an influx of members in this group which are  
> avid gardeners, master gardeners, and horticulturists. The group which  
> is composed of members from numerous states asked me if there was a  
> way that they could be more involved with the endangered species and  
> in our discussions, they came up with the idea that each one of them  
> would be a project leader and recruit other people in their area who  
> were interested in gardening and the plants in this family to be in  
> their individual groups.Each one of these groups would take seed
> which we could obtain from the threatened and endangered species,  
> germinate the seed and grow the plants to maturity.When the plants  
> proiduced seed, each group would harvest the seed from the plants  
> native to their state, and distribute
> part of them to botanical gardens, garden clubs and conservation  
> organizations, with the pre-condition that these organizations would  
> put some in their gardens and take the bulk of the seed and scatter  
> them in rural areas or farmland areas, or they could germinate the  
> seed and then take the seedlings and distribute them in these  
> areas.The group leaders of our project would also call together it's  
> members and likewise scatter the seed in similar areas.This would be  
> an ongoing project.
>
> We need those of you who are in posession of these species of seed to  
> donate about 50 seed of each specie so that we can initiate  
> production.We also need
> those of you who would be willing to take the seed that they produce  
> and your organization scatter the seed in the rural or farmland areas  
> or use them to grow seedlings to plant in these areas.Those of you who  
> would be willing to help in either or both aspects of this project,  
> please contact me at:
> botresearchusa at sbcglobal.net . Thank you for your time and consideration.
>
> Kindest Regards,
> J.N.Covanes
> Director of Research
> Botresearch USA
> www.botresearch.com
>
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