A team of botanists from three continents set out in search of Karomia gigas, a Critically Endangered tree with fewer than 20 remaining individuals estimated to be surviving in the wild. Emily Beech describes the trials and tribulations in the search for the seed. In October 2016, GTC led a survey trip to look for…
What a year for tree conservation! In this blog, we review our successes from 2016 and give a sneak peek of what’s in the nursery for 2017….. Natural selection Red listing is a key part of GTC’s approach, to prioritise where conservation efforts are most needed. The updated Red List of Magnoliaceae published last year…
Fauna & Flora International’s Eastern Caribbean Project Coordinator, Sophia Steele explains how harnessing the spirit of Christmas might just save a Critically Endangered conifer… With their verdant steep slopes emerging dramatically from the clear blue Caribbean Sea, the Pitons are likely one of the first images to come to mind when hearing the name Saint…
It’s the countdown to Christmas and many of you will already have your Christmas trees up and decorated. Bringing trees into the home has been a long standing tradition, even before it was popularised during the Victorian era. Prior to this, Ancient Egyptians brought palms into their homes to celebrate their Sun Gods and…
In 2016, GTC awarded Oxford University Masters student, Daniela Requena Suarez, with a grant to support her research on a group of threatened tree species in the Peruvian Amazon. In this blog, she shares insights into her research and tells us what seed collection can mean for the conservation of these amazing trees. Not…
The Global Trees Campaign is now accepting applications for student grants to support Masters research focused on tree species conservation. Have you heard more about rhinos than rosewood? Read more papers on elephants than on ebony? Did you know that over 9,600 tree species are threatened with extinction? Only a small proportion of threatened…
Adam Harrower from Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden reflects on a recent trip to Nigeria to deliver training in tree conservation techniques. Reforestation efforts in Nigeria are being spearheaded by GTC partner, “The Forest Unit” at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan. These efforts focus on the collection and propagation of native tree species which…
Around the world, high in forested hills and deep within humid jungles live a few individuals who devote their lives to protecting ancient tree species. These men and women have become part of local folklore, esteemed for their commitment to their trees and forests. With the support of Fauna & Flora International (FFI), they continue to protect and foster the some of the world’s most…
When you think of Mexico, the first thing that springs to mind probably isn’t ‘oak trees’, but expect that to change. Audrey Denvir of Morton Arboretum shows us why Mexico’s oaks are so remarkable and explains recent moves by tree conservationists to secure their future. Mexico is the country with the greatest oak diversity in the world. Notably,…
In an innovative move designed to promote tree-specific conservation leaders, the Global Trees Campaign (GTC) is joining forces with the Conservation Leadership Programme (CLP) to support one of its 2017 Future Conservationist Awards. The need to conserve threatened species and habitats has never been more urgent. And there is a correspondingly urgent need for…
Pablo Hoffmann, Executive Director of Fauna & Flora International’s partner Sociedade Chauá, shares his hopes and fears for the future of Brazil’s Araucaria forest. Today I woke up with a strong sense of what can only be described as ‘saudade’: “a longing for all that I have not seen”. I miss the great forest that…
GTC doesn’t just do practical tree conservation; before we can start protecting, or encouraging our partners to do so, we need to find out which trees need our help. To that end, the whitebeam (Sorbus) experts of Europe recently convened in Zagreb, Croatia to review draft red list assessments produced by the GTC. Over 190…