Celebrating Plant Conservation Day!
Plants support biodiversity on Earth and are vital for human well-bring. But 25% of plants are reported to be threatened in the wild. Plant Conservation Day is an opportunity to celebrate the importance of plants and learn more about the key role we can all play in their conservation. Read on to find out more about Plant Conservation Day and find events happening at botanic gardens and zoos in the U.S.A and U.K.
Plant Conservation Day was started in 2001 by the Association of Zoological Horticulture (AZH), and has been actively celebrated by zoos throughout the United States since then. In 2006, BGCI partnered with AZH to help expand Plant Conservation Day celebrations to botanic gardens and develop resources to make celebrating easy and fun for any organization, group, or individual interested in conserving the world's plants. These resources are all available at www.plantconservationday.org.
Celebrate Plant Conservation Day by visiting a botanic garden near you! Follow the links below to find out more about Plant Conservation Day events at botanic gardens around the world:
- Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Garden, U.S.A., will celebrate Plant Conservation Day by hosting tours and educational talks about plants and their vital relationship with butterflies, insects and animals. Tours run from 10am - 5pm May 18th. Find out more
- San Diego Zoo Global is having a Plant Sale for employees and volunteers on May 23rd at San Diego Zoo, U.S.A. The funds from the plant sale are going to support the AZH Keystone Project. The focus of this project is to: Improve long-term conservation, management and restoration of plant diversity, plant communities, and the associated habitats and ecosystems, in situ (both in more natural and in more managed environments), and, where necessary to complement in situ measures, ex situ, preferably in the country of origin.
- Butterfly Pavilion in Westminster, Colorado, U.S.A., is holding a “Bloomapalooza” to celebrate Plant Conservation Day! This fun outdoor event includes garden and nature trail tours, habitat restoration, ladybug releases, activity booths and live music. May 17th 9am - 5pm Find out more
- Kansas City Zoo, U.S.A. are creating a whole new garden very close to their existing "monarch way station", a garden full of host and pollen filled plants that attracts monarchs and other butterflies, goldfinches and hummingbirds. The new "blue garden" will have blooming plants from spring to fall and will have plants to attract butterflies, hummingbirds, bees, and hummingbird moths. The new bed will be planted during the last two weeks of May. Visit the Kansas City Zoo website
- Bristol Zoo Botanic Gardens, U.K. will be celebrating Plant Conservation Day and National Biodiversity Week by erecting two temporary tents on their herbaceous border from May 17th - May 23rd. In tent one there will be a plant identification game with a zoo trail of the entire tree’s in the game (ages 6+) with a native forest dressing around the tent. The other will showcase biodiversity of an English oak (Quercus robur) (ages 6-) including an interactive display. Visit the Bristol Zoo Botanic Gardens website
- The University of Oxford's Harcourt Arboretum, U.K. is celebrating with a day of plant-related walks and hands-on activities. The theme this year is "Family Trees", with a special trail to discover trees at the Arboretum that are closely related but do not necessarily look alike, and a chance to create fingerprint art. May 17th 10am - 4pm. Find out more