In March, SHR Executive Director Kelly Holdbrooks was invited to a training workshop at the Atlanta Botanical Garden to learn about the development of plant metacollections, the combined holdings of collections held at separate institutions. The workshop included collaboration, education, and training on a tool that will help identify gaps in the genetics included in metacollections.
Metacollections allow gardens to collaborate in the protection of a species, reducing maintenance costs, risk, and likelihood of loss. Metacollections also help maintain diversity, minimize genetic drift from random losses, and reduce inbreeding. Examples of metacollections include the American Public Gardens Association’s Multisite Collections, Botanic Gardens Conservation International’s Global Conservation Consortia, and the Center for Plant Conservation’s National Collection. The biodiversity at Southern Highlands Reserve includes rare species such as Sarracenia and Rhododendron vaseyi that can be accounted for in metacollections shared with other institutes and arboretums. With the addition of our new Vaughn-Jordan Mountain Bog, we will be able to collaborate bog experts on conservation of rare and threatened water plants.
According to a three-year project led by the Montgomery Botanical Center and BGCI-US, more than 3,000 botanic gardens worldwide maintain one-third of all known plant diversity, and networking is essential to protect plant species from extinction. Zoos have practiced this strategy for more than 40 years, working together to ensure conservation of species due to space and resource constraints. In the face of climate change, it is important to add missing genetic diversity to plant collections, as many species are and will be under threat of extinction.
Unfortunately, on April 1, the $1.5 million grant funding Atlanta Botanical Garden’s work, “Growing Metacollections and Strengthening Gardens for a Conservation Consortia Future,” was terminated, jeopardizing critical research and development for metacollections management. Funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the grant was eliminated in compliance with a March 14 federal executive order titled, Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy.
“The current administration’s gutting of the IMLS is catastrophic for our sector — gardens, museums, libraries, zoos, aquariums, and other beloved places — and the millions of Americans who visit annually for learning, respite, and enjoyment,” said a statement from the Atlanta Botanical Garden. “These drastic cuts will, in turn, cause significant harm to our economy, tourism, youth education, scientific research, and our urgent work to safeguard biodiversity for the future of our planet.”
The Atlanta Botanical Garden is encouraging its supporters and concerned citizens to contact their congressional representatives about the importance of institutions supported by grants that fund research and education on biodiversity, history, and science. The future of our planet and its many diverse species depend upon prioritization of conservation efforts.