Spring 2016 Kyrgyzstan’s fruit and nut forest is a pretty spectacular sight. Set against a backdrop of towering toblerone-esque mountains and a clear blue sky, the springtime blossoms of the wild apple and pear trees look dazzlingly beautiful. Until one hits you square in the face as your horse sidesteps a particularly muddy patch. The…
Last summer, five UK dendrologists embarked on a three-week expedition to the Pacific north-west coast of the USA, travelling 4000 miles, securing seed for tree species’ futures. Representatives from GTC partners the Forestry Commission’s Bedgebury National Pinetum and Oxford University Botanic Gardens Harcourt Arboretum, along with the Forestry Commission’s Westonbirt National Arboretum, visited three states…
The latest Red List to be published under the Global Tree Assessment shows that half of all Magnolia species are threatened with extinction in the wild. To find such a high proportion of threatened species in such a well-known and widely cultivated plant family is alarming, and signals the need for more concerted conservation action…
Applications for a Global Trees Campaign student grant are invited from MSc students undertaking research projects focused on the in situ conservation of a threatened tree species. More than 9,600 trees species are threatened with extinction yet very few trees receive attention from applied conservation projects. One of the reasons for this is the low number…
It is that time of the year again! Once again we celebrate some of the world’s most threatened trees as described by those who love them. This year we have asked project partners as well as Global Tree Specialist Group (GTSG) members to pick their #OneTreeLove. Follow your heart Daudet Andriafidison, Biologist, Conservation & Community…
With the aim to secure some of Ethiopia’s rarest trees, botanic gardens and arboreta have begun to build the skills and momentum to reverse tree species declines in the country. GTC training and support is helping pave the way for an action plan to conserve Ethiopia’s threatened trees. Ethiopia is a centre of diversity with…
The year 2015 marked a great year for the Global Trees Campaign (GTC). As we make plans for another exciting year ahead, we thought it would be fitting to reflect upon what we and our partners achieved in 2015 and share our proudest moments with our followers and supporters. Prioritising species of greatest conservation concern…
At this time of year people all over the world bring Christmas trees into their homes to welcome in the festive spirit. But did you know that 34% of conifers are at risk of becoming extinct in their natural environment due to things such as habitat loss? Over the next 12 days, the Global Trees…
Until recently, Betula megrelica – a birch species endemic to the Caucasus – was only known to grow on two mountains in north-west Georgia. But the discovery of a new population this autumn by a team of Georgian and UK botanists has raised hopes for the future of this Endangered tree species. Betula megrelica trees are true…
Scientific trials reveal new planting techniques improve germination success and seedling health of a Critically Endangered species of Magnolia. Magnolia longipedunculata is a Critically Endangered species with only 11 trees left in the wild. The entire global population is found within one site in south-east China, the Nankunshan Nature Reserve in Guangdong. This tiny population…
Fauna & Flora International’s Dave Gill explains why a breakthrough by Guangxi Institute of Botany scientists could help save one of China’s most threatened tree species. In a ramshackle restaurant in Ziyuan town, Guangxi, three botanists wait patiently for me to finish my breakfast. Ignoring the noodles slipping between my chopsticks and splattering the table…
The Global Trees Campaign aims to avoid all tree extinctions in the wild. An important component of conservation action must be ex situ conservation: securing a species outside of its natural range, as a back-up measure in case remaining wild populations are lost. Our new report, released today, highlights that 74% of the most threatened…