A New Model for Targeting Climate-Appropriate Species for Ex Situ Conservation

A recent collaboration between the Garden’s Horticulture division and the Center for Conservation and Sustainable Development will help botanical gardens around the world determine where to source plants for ex situ conservation in their collections. Botanic gardens play a central role in ex situ conservation and are well positioned to host increasing numbers of species of…

Spotlight on Science: Matthew Albrecht

Dr. Matthew Albrecht, Associate Scientist Center for Conservation and Sustainable Development Growing up in St. Louis, the Missouri Botanical Garden was, of course, a destination for Matthew Albrecht on family outings. He always thought it was a great institution in his hometown, but it wasn’t until later that he grasped the impressive scope of its…

Spotlight on Science: Olga Martha Montiel

Olga Martha MontielVice President, Center for Conservation and Sustainable Development Olga Martha Montiel is not a scientist by training. In fact, Montiel, who co-authored the Flora de Nicaragua and heads the Missouri Botanical Garden’s Center for Conservation and Sustainable Development(CCSD), actually holds a master’s degree in photography. She intended to pursue a career in documentary…

A Partnership to Prevent Blight

Chinese chestnut blight has decimated North American members of the genus Castanea, which includes American chestnuts, Allegheny chinkapins, and Ozark chinquapins. The Missouri Botanical Garden’s Center for Conservation and Sustainable Development (CCSD) and Horticulture Division are working with the Ozark Chinquapin Foundation (OCF) on a project that will reveal how well individual Ozark chinquapin trees…

A Baby Boom for Rare Legumes

A new study by partners from the Missouri Botanical Garden and Washington University concludes that populations of rare plants should be aggressively increased now, before the effects of climate change become more severe. Of all the effects brought on plants by a changing climate, drought is among the most potentially damaging. While much of the…