<html dir="ltr"><head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<style title="owaParaStyle">P {
MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px
}
</style>
</head>
<body ocsi="x">
<div dir="ltr"><font face="Tahoma" color="#000000" size="2">
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><b><i><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'"></span></i></b><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'">
<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'">April
2010</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'"><o:p></o:p></span> </p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'"> </span><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><b><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'">How much of
<?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />
<st1:place w:st="on">North America</st1:place>'s plant diversity is safeguarded in
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">ex situ</i> collections?</span></b><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'">The short answer is we don't know, but in 2010, BGCI-US, partnering with the Arnold
Arboretum of Harvard University and the <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">United States</st1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Botanic Garden</st1:PlaceType>, will answer this question by engaging the living collections of
<st1:place w:st="on">North America</st1:place>, large and small, in a global initiative. We are asking gardens and other conservation organizations with living plant, seed bank, or tissue culture collections in every region and ecosystem in
<st1:country-region w:st="on">Canada</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">
Mexico</st1:country-region>, and the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">United States</st1:place></st1:country-region> to join us in a North American Collections Assessment taking place May 1 - August 1, 2010.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><b><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'">WE NEED YOUR HELP!</span></b><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'">
Every institution can easily make an <b>important contribution</b> to plant conservation - and
<b>gain important benefits for their living collections</b>! Check out the first project announcement to learn how you can take get involved in this exciting initiative at
<a href="http://www.bgci.org/files/UnitedStates/NACA_first_announcement.pdf" target="_blank">
<font color="#800080">www.bgci.org/files/UnitedStates/NACA_first_announcement.pdf</font></a>, or visit our project website at
<a href="http://www.bgci.org/usa/makeyourcollectionscount">www.bgci.org/usa/makeyourcollectionscount</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Also, please forward this message to others that manage collections and urge them to make their collections count in 2010.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'">Thank you for committing to support this very important and exciting project.
We look forward to hearing from you!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'">Abby Hird<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'">Global Strategy for Plant Conservation Research Associate<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'">Botanic Gardens Conservation International
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">US</st1:place></st1:country-region><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'">The
<st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Arnold</st1:place></st1:City> Arboretum</span><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'">Tel: 617.384.5774<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span lang="PT-BR" style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'; mso-ansi-language: PT-BR">E-mail:
</span><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'"><a href="mailto:abby_hird@harvard.edu"><span lang="PT-BR" style="mso-ansi-language: PT-BR">abby_hird@harvard.edu</span></a>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span lang="PT-BR" style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'; mso-ansi-language: PT-BR"> </span><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'">Andrea Kramer, Ph.D.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'">Executive Director<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'">Botanic Gardens Conservation International
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">US</st1:place></st1:country-region><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'">Tel: 847.835.6971<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span lang="PT-BR" style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'; mso-ansi-language: PT-BR">E-mail:
</span><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'"><a href="mailto:andrea.kramer@bgci.org"><span lang="PT-BR" style="mso-ansi-language: PT-BR">andrea.kramer@bgci.org</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span lang="PT-BR" style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'; mso-ansi-language: PT-BR"> </span><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span lang="PT-BR" style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'; mso-ansi-language: PT-BR">Ray Mims</span><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span lang="PT-BR" style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'; mso-ansi-language: PT-BR">Conservation & Sustainability
</span><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'">United States</span></st1:PlaceName><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'">
<st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Botanic Garden</st1:PlaceType></span></st1:place><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'">Tel: 202.226.4067</span><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'">E-mail:
<a href="mailto:rmims@aoc.gov">rmims@aoc.gov</a> </span><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><strong><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold"><font face="Courier New">Michael S. Dosmann</font></span></strong><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'">,</span></b><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'">
Ph.D.<br>
Curator of Living Collections<br>
The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University<br>
Tel: <span class="skypepnhprintcontainer">617.384.5769</span><span class="skypepnhmark">
</span><br>
E-mail: <a href="mailto:michael_dosmann@harvard.edu">michael_dosmann@harvard.edu</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><b><i><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'">The North American Collections Assessment is led by BGCI-US in partnership
with the <st1:City w:st="on">Arnold</st1:City> Arboretum of <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">
Harvard</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">University</st1:PlaceType> and the
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">United States</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">
Botanic Garden</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>, with additional funding from the Wallace Genetic Foundation.</span></i></b><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"></span></font><font size="2"></p>
</div>
</font>
<BR>
______________________________________________________<BR>
This e-mail is for the addressee only. If received in error, please delete and notify us immediately. Any unauthorised access, disclosure, copying, distribution or reliance on it, is prohibited.<BR>
<BR>
BGCI is a registered charity and company, limited by guarantee, in England and Wales, and in the U.S. as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.<BR>
<BR>
Registered UK address: Descanso House, 199 Kew Road, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3BW, UK, Charity number: 1098834, Company Number: 04673175<BR>
<BR>
www.bgci.org<BR>
______________________________________________________<BR>
</body>
</html>