FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Kalāheo, Kaua‘i, Hawaiʻi  USA (January 14, 2020)  — The National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG) has announced that Dr. Jan Salick, Senior Curator Emerita at the Missouri Botanical Garden, has been named as the recipient of the 2020 David Fairchild Medal for Plant Exploration. The medal has been awarded annually since 1999 to individuals who have demonstrated service to humanity in exploring remote areas of the world to advance plant discovery, the cultivation of new and important plants, and the conservation of rare or endangered plant species.

The Fairchild Medal will be presented to Salick on February 7 at an (optional) black-tie dinner at NTBG’s historical garden, The Kampong, in Coconut Grove, Florida, the former residence of plant explorer Dr. David Fairchild. The following day she will present a public lecture entitled “Neither Man Nor Nature.”

An intrepid and indefatigable ethnobotanist, Salick has devoted much of her career to biocultural plant collection, the study of tropical and alpine ecology, agroecology, and researching the ties between traditional knowledge and empirical science. After beginning her career in her home state of Wisconsin, Salick quickly embarked on fieldwork in Indonesia and Malaysia before expanding her research to Central and South America.

Over the last quarter of a century, much of Salick’s ethnobotanical research has focused on the Himalayas, specifically Tibet, Bhutan, Nepal, and Yunnan Province, China. In recent years, Salick has begun working with the Wampanoag and Narragansett American Indians in Massachusetts and Rhode Island to better understand how climate change is threatening plants vital to both tribes’ cultures. Currently Salick is assisting with the Narragansett Tribal Food Sovereignty Initiative, as well as with efforts to reconstruct lost elements of the Wampanoag language.

In addition to examining the effects of climate change on indigenous people and the plants upon which they rely, Salick has published studies on subjects including the contemporary Tibetan cosmology of climate change, the distribution and ecology of termites on the Malay peninsula, sustainable management of non-timber rain forests in Nicaragua, and the relationship between biodiversity and useful plants on Borneo.

Salick has devoted much of her career to challenging the status quo and common assumptions about ethnobotany and crop domestication. In one instance, Salick discovered how the South American crop cocona (Solanum sessiliflorum) defied widely held beliefs about the domestication process. Salick has also conducted research on the roles gender and age play in how people interact with plants, environments, and agricultural systems.

Growing up in Wisconsin, Salick’s parents instilled in her a sense of curiosity for the natural world, and a deeply-rooted respect for human and environmental rights, preparing her for a fruitful career in ethnobotany.

After earning a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin, Madison (1971), Salick went on to earn a Master’s of Science degree from Duke University (1977), followed by a PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Cornell University (1983).

Salick has held a number of esteemed positions including post-doctoral (1983-86) and assistant scientist (1986-89) at The New York Botanical Garden and assistant and associate professor at Ohio University (1989-2000). For the last two decades Salick has held positions as curator (2000-2007), senior curator (2007-2019), and senior curator emerita (2019 – present) at the Missouri Botanical Garden. Spanning her career, Salick has also taught botany, ethnobotany, evolution, and ecology.

Upon announcing Salick as the 2020 Fairchild Medal recipient, NTBG CEO and Director Janet Mayfield said, “As only the second woman to receive the Fairchild Medal, Dr. Salick embodies the ideals of plant explorer David Fairchild. She is a renowned ethnobotanist and her research on the effects of climate change on plants and indigenous people directly aligns with NTBG’s vision of biocultural conservation. Dr. Salick is an inspiration and role model for aspiring young women in the field of plant exploration.”

British botanist Professor Sir Ghillean Prance praised her as “one of the most experienced ethnobotanists of today,” adding, “Dr. Salick has become a leading expert on the effects of climate change on the vegetation and peoples of alpine regions. I am delighted that she will receive the Fairchild Medal.”

When she learned of her selection, Salick expressed surprise. “I was overwhelmingly pleased and astounded by being offered the medal,” she said. “It was wonderful and came just as I was retiring so it was even nicer.” Salick said she was deeply honored to join the ranks of past Fairchild Medal recipients including former colleagues and associates such as Dr. Ruth Kiew, the first woman to receive the medal in 2002.

The David Fairchild Medal for Plant Exploration is named for one of the most influential horticulturists and plant collectors in American history. Dr. Fairchild devoted his life to plant exploration, searching the world for useful plants suitable for introduction into the country. As an early “Indiana Jones” type explorer, he conducted field trips throughout Malaysia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, China, Japan, the South Pacific, the Caribbean, South America, the Middle East, and East and South Africa during the late 1800s and early 1900s.

These explorations resulted in the introduction of many tropical plants of economic importance to the U.S., including sorghum, nectarines, avocadoes, hops, unique species of bamboo, dates, and varieties of mangoes.

In addition, as director of the Office of Foreign Seed and Plant Introduction of the U.S. Department of Agriculture during the early 20th Century, Dr. Fairchild was instrumental in the introduction of more than 5,000 selected varieties and species of useful plants, such as Durum wheat, Japanese varieties of rice, Sudan grass, Chinese soy beans, Chinese elms, persimmons, and pistachios.

Fairchild and his wife, Marian Bell Fairchild, daughter of inventor Alexander Graham Bell, purchased property in South Florida in 1916 and created both a home and an “introduction garden” for plant species found on his expeditions. He named the property “The Kampong,” the Malay word for “village.”

The tropical species Fairchild collected from Southeast Asia in the 1930s and 1940s are still part of the heritage collections of The Kampong. The property is the only U.S. mainland garden owned by NTBG, which has four gardens and five preserves in Hawai‘i. The organization is dedicated to conservation, research, and education relating to the world’s rare and endangered tropical plants.

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Event contact: The Kampong, Coconut Grove, Florida, (kampong@ntbg.org)

Tel. (305) 442-7169

Media contact: Jon Letman (jletman@ntbg.org) at NTBG Headquarters, Kalāheo, Hawai‘i

National Tropical Botanical Garden (www.ntbg.org) is a not-for-profit, non-governmental institution with nearly 2,000 acres of gardens and preserves in Hawai‘i and Florida. The institution’s mission is to enrich life through discovery, scientific research, conservation, and education by perpetuating the survival of plants, ecosystems, and cultural knowledge of tropical regions. NTBG is supported primarily through donations, grants, and memberships.

The annual Ulu Cookoff held at Kahanu Garden was a big success. 32 dishes were submitted for judging and these are the winners. The grand prize was awarded to a foundational ‘ulu preparation that was featured in the traditional category, ‘ulu pa’i ‘ai.

Appetizer
1st- Stuffed Ulu Balls by Jill Kawaiaea
2nd- Young Ulu Pickels by Niki Wyatt

Main Dish
1st- Ulu Enchiladas by Mikala Minn
2nd- Cheddar and Chive Pierogy by Jasmine Minn
3rd Lobster Ulu Patty by Jill Kawaiaea

Traditional
1st- Ulu Pai Ai- Mikala Minn
2nd- General Store Shortbread by Jasmine Minn

Dessert
1st Coco de Pana by Niki Wyatt
2nd- Fried Ulu Mochi by Jill Kawaiaea

Grand Prize- Ulu Pai Ai by Mikala Minn

Growing in popularity, breadfruit captivates Chef Gordon Ramsay in new series

Breadfruit, the storied, traditional tropical tree crop that has nourished people across the Pacific and beyond for centuries, continues to reach new populations as it grows in popularity and demand. The most recent high-profile breadfruit devotee: Michelin-starred chef Gordon Ramsay who shares the joys of cooking and eating breadfruit in an upcoming episode of his new National Geographic series, Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted.

Culinary enthusiasts, gardeners, and anyone curious about breadfruit will enjoy watching Ramsay’s colorful encounter with breadfruit at the world’s largest and most diverse collection of breadfruit trees at the National Tropical Botanical Garden’s (NTBG) Kahanu Garden in the Hawaii’s Hana Coast episode airing on Sunday, August 11 (10/9c), on the National Geographic channel.

Uncharted Territory, Cooking with Breadfruit

After visiting NTBG’s 150-variety conservation collection at Kahanu Garden, Ramsay prepares a delicious breadfruit mash incorporated with venison to create a never-before-seen shepherd’s pie. Gordon Ramsay is among a growing number of chefs who are discovering why breadfruit is increasingly a favorite staple tree crop across the Pacific and in more than 90 countries and territories.

NTBG’s Breadfruit institute promotes the conservation, study, and use of breadfruit for food and reforestation, collaborating with partners, growers, and institutes to better understand and preserve this important tree and expand its use globally.

NTBG encourages people everywhere to learn more about breadfruit in a number of ways: Visit the Breadfruit Institute online and follow NTBG’s social media platforms; explore breadfruit recipes to learn about the outstanding nutritional benefits of this gluten-free starchy fruit; find out how to grow breadfruit successfully; and plan a visit to Kahanu Garden in Hāna, Maui, and McBryde Garden on Kauaʻi, to experience the beauty of the breadfruit collections and surrounding botanical gardens.

Breadfruit Institute

The Breadfruit Institute is a program of the National Tropical Botanical Garden (ntbg.org), a not-for-profit, non-governmental institution with nearly 2,000 acres of gardens and preserves in Hawai‘i and Florida. NTBG’s mission is to enrich life through discovery, scientific research, conservation, and education by perpetuating the survival of plants, ecosystems, and cultural knowledge of tropical regions. NTBG is supported primarily through donations and grants.

For more information on breadfruit, visit: breadfruit.org or email breadfruitinstitute@ntbg.org.

You’re invited to read our latest annual report and learn about our five garden locations in Hawai‘i and Florida as well as the preserves we manage and programs we operate.

From science, conservation, discovery, and education, to our stunning tropical living collections, our public outreach efforts, and critical work collecting rare and endangered plants and preserving plant DNA, NTBG continues to be a leader in tropical botany, rough terrain field exploration, scientific research, and education related to plant sciences.

Within this Annual Report you will also find the names of our many dedicated supporters and partners, from our deeply committed Board of Trustees, Council of Fellows and members to our generous donors and volunteers who all play a vital role in helping us fulfill our mission. This report also shares key financial data that reflects our organization’s fiscal activities and assets as well as updates on the Garden’s many activities, initiatives, and partnerships.

At National Tropical Botanical Garden we are wholly committed to saving plants whether it’s exploring steep cliffs, botanizing in rugged valleys, or collecting seeds in the forests of remote Pacific islands. NTBG also places great value on our partnerships, collaborations, and relationships with other like-minded organizations and the communities in which we live and work. In these pages you will find a summary of the educational workshops and classes, public tours and other activities we offer in our five gardens. Saving plants is at the very core of our mission and each of us recognizes the central role that plants play in our world. We recognize that no matter who we are or where we call home, each of us, like all other living creatures on Earth, needs plants. As a non-profit organization and the first and only botanical garden to have been chartered by the United States Congress, we rely on your enthusiastic support for helping us continue to save plants. With heartfelt appreciation, we offer you our gratitude.

View our Annual Reports on our NTBG Mission Page

Flashback to 1991 as NTBG Research Biologist Ken Wood dangles from ropes, exploring uncharted territory in Kauaʻi’s Kalalau Valley. Botanists had theorized that a yet-to-be-found Hibiscadelphus species could exist in the mesic forests of northwest Kauaʻi, so when Ken saw it, he knew immediately what is was: a new-species of Hibiscadelphus!

In the 1990s, NTBG botanists had developed their own distinctive roping technique to survey vertical cliffs, contributing to astounding results: the discovery of 11 new plant species in the Kalalau area alone. The 1991 Hibiscadelphus discovery would go on to be scientifically described in 1995 by NTBG’s (now) Science and Conservation Director Dr. David Lorence and Research Associate Dr. Warren Wagner who named the new species Hibiscadelphus woodii, in honor of its discoverer.

Early conservation attempts failed to take hold

Over the next two decades, NTBG staff gave their all to protect H. woodii, but attempts at grafting, seed propagation, and cross-pollination all failed. After three of the four known individuals perished in a rock slide in the late 1990s, the lone individual remained until it was found dead in 2011. It appeared the species had gone extinct. This exceptionally rare genus had lost six of seven documented species.

Fast forward five years to 2016 when, in search of a tool that would enable the survey of extreme cliff habitats, I established a drone program at NTBG. Limahuli Garden and Preserve proved to be a great training ground for this new technology. Early results were positive as we found new populations of highly endangered plants such as Euphorbia eleanoriae and Plantago princeps var. anomala, both of which were known from less than 50 individuals left in the wild.

As discussions on how to expand NTBG’s nascent drone program ensued, Ken and I bounced lists of potential target plants off of each other in weekly lunch meetings. In 2018, we decided to apply for a grant to the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund submitting a proposal aimed specifically at re-finding the “thought to be extinct” Hibiscadelphus woodii.

We selected H. woodii because the steep habitat had been nearly impossible to survey and drones were proving they could potentially unlock these otherwise inaccessible cliffs. Fortunately our application was accepted and we were able to upgrade our equipment before starting field work in the summer of 2018.

Perched on the edge

A particularly rainy summer was the first of many challenges we faced. Beginning our search where H. woodii had been previously found, we embarked on long, steep, downhill hikes to the edge of the Kalalau cliffs. On our first day in the field, misty conditions cut short our survey and damaged the drone controller. Three subsequent attempts were rained out and before long winter was looming ahead.

In January, Ken and I, accompanied his long-time field partner botanist Steve Perlman, hiked down to the edge of the Kalalau Valley where we resumed our search for H. woodii. After two 25-minute flights over our area of interest, nearly 100 photos revealed we were no closer to finding the plant.

Binoculars aided in the selection of a secondary survey area in an adjacent valley, much further down the precipitous slope.

Indicator species, such as the silvery Nototrichium sandwicense, hinted at an intact native cliff system, but as our third flight commenced, the wind picked up and a fine mist started falling. The quadcopter descended 400 feet into position, but the elements made plant identification difficult. I snapped as many photos as possible hoping to catch a glimpse of the small, yellow flower.

With deteriorating weather conditions, we decided to attempt one last flight covering the remaining section of sheer cliff face, 1,000 feet below where we stood. While the drone had revealed plant communities comprised mostly of natives, none of us were confident we had seen the Hibiscadelphus.

Back in the computer lab at NTBG’s Botanical Research Center, I started post-processing the drone’s images. I assumed the tree would be distinct and easily visible in a photograph, but as I meticulously reviewed each photo, my hopes faded.

Shot by shot, I studied the photos until in the right-hand corner of photo #228 I spotted something interesting.  Could it be?

I had never seen a live Hibiscadelphus but was eager to show Ken who is seasoned in identifying native plants. Together we examined herbarium specimens and historic photos from the original discovery. When we revisited the drone photo on my computer, a wave of joy washed over us — indeed, there it was! We had rediscovered Hibiscadelphus woodii!

Our exuberance quickly gave way to a determined focus on what we needed to do next. Additional surveys were necessary to confirm the identification, but we were rained out over three consecutive days. On the fourth day, the rain broke and we were able to fly again.

Returning to our launch point on the Kalalau rim, I used the drone to relocate the Hibiscadelphus and was thrilled when we located two additional individuals. We used high-resolution video to search for potential access routes, but the cliffs are simply too high and sheer to allow any avenue to the plants.

What’s next for drone-aided plant conservation?

That brings us to today. Now that we have proven the value of drones in finding rare plants, the question is: what’s next? Research is underway with collaborators at the University of Sherbrooke in Quebec, Canada to employ cutting mechanisms which may provide a platform for collecting plant material using a drone. In the near future, software development may open doors to smart surveys and AI post-processing.

For me, this interface between conservation and technology is truly exciting. Rediscovering a new population of H. woodii, a plant taxa known only from a very limited area of this single island, offers real hope in the face of daunting numbers. Since the year 2000, Hawai‘i may have lost some 27 plant species, a number poised to grow as habitat is lost, invasive species expand, and other climate and environmental factors advance. This new technology provides a promising avenue for finding, collecting, and saving plants that might otherwise be lost forever.

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By Ben Nyberg, GIS & Drone Technology Coordinator

This story originally appeared in The Bulletin, NTBG’s quarterly magazine for members. Support plant conservation. Click here become and NTBG member now.

After years of being known for the ‘rustic charm’ of our humble and admittedly under-sized entrance kiosk, exciting changes are afoot at Kahanu Garden and Preserve where our recently completed Visitor and Education Center is now open.

It used to be that visitors who found their way to the end of the dirt road were unsure if they had indeed arrived at the National Tropical Botanical Garden’s Hana, Maui site. Kahanu Garden is home to the awe-inspiring Piilanihale Heiau, a towering lava rock edifice revered as a place of worship and designated a National Historic Landmark, and yet our old visitor’s kiosk was small and challenging for staff and visitors, especially on rainy days.

With more than 15,000 visitors to Kahanu Garden each year, we have long wanted a visitor center that could accommodate and educate tourists and community members in a facility befitting the world-class archeological, botanical, cultural, and scenic wonders of Kahanu Garden.

Visitor and Education Center Features

Now, after many years of preparation and planning, the Kahanu Garden Visitor and Education Center is open. Driving through the garden’s front gate, visitors are welcomed with a plantation-style charm reminiscent of old Maui. Weary travelers, having driven the thirty-some miles of dense jungle hairpin curves and switchbacks along the often one-lane Hana highway can take a break and relax in the roomy, open floor plan of the new center.

The handsome green one-story building is adorned with native Hawaiian landscaping, rock art, and stately ohia (Metrosideros polymorpha) posts at the front entrance to support the building. Climbing half a dozen steps leads to an open-door plan that invites visitors inside where they’ll find a bright, warm interior clad in koa (Acacia koa), breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis), kamani (Calophyllum inophyllum), and other Polynesian hardwoods.

In the center of the building, a majestic photograph of Piilanihale Heiau offers a unique perspective as if you were at the base of the towering stone structure viewing the emblematic pig-shaped rock formation and stacked walls that surround.

The Visitor and Education Center also includes murals crafted by Hana’s youth using local hardwoods, many of which can be found in the garden. The artwork throughout the building tells a story. Above all of the doors are murals that depict the heiau, the voyage from Tahiti to Hawaii, and a collage of Polynesian ethnobotanical plants depicted in stained glass.

Upon entering, visitors are greeted with a warm “aloha!” and given a short orientation before being invited to explore the garden. In addition to learning about NTBG’s mission and what Kahanu Garden has to offer, the Visitor and Education Center carries garden-themed souvenirs and local crafts that reflect the plants in the garden. Items such as woven lauhala (pandanus) bracelets, māmaki loose leaf tea, books about tropical plants, and other items are available for purchase.

Hana History on Display at Visitor and Education Center

Also, within the center, is space for signage and mid-20th-century brochures and news clippings that tell stories of the surrounding plants, people, and culture. Here visitors can learn how Kahanu Garden was established in 1974 thanks to the great generosity of the Kahanu family and Hana Ranch who gifted two parcels of land to the Pacific Tropical Botanical Garden (now NTBG).

The building itself was built through a collaboration between Kahanu Garden staff, the contractor, Kipahulu Construction, and a Hana-based nonprofit, Ma Ka Hana Ka Ike. This project allowed high school students to learn important building and teamwork skills from their mentors and professionals. The students poured their heart and soul into the building construction and into the art they created.

Ma Ka Hana Ka Ike (literally: in doing, one learns) is focused on programs that help the Hāna community through grass-roots building projects, organic farming at Mahele Farm (which is part of Kahanu Garden property), and revitalizing the art of pounding taro (Colocasia esculenta) into poi. Through collective collaboration, the building portion of the project took place between June 2017 and April 2018.

Outside the center, guests can enjoy the wrap-around balcony that includes comfortable benches to enjoy a view of the breadfruit collection. Perhaps it is at this point visitors begin to slow down and realize there’s no need to rush or stick to a schedule. Kahanu is one of those rare places where you can spend more time, enjoy the garden, and really be present in the moment.

Saving Plants. Saving People.

The completion of Kahanu Garden’s Visitor and Education Center represents more than a new building. It reaffirms a key value of NTBG as we work to grow plants, and grow people. The garden itself has evolved through the completion of this project and we look forward to the center honoring the significance of this place and the wondrous botanical collections within.

Kahanu Garden and Preserve staff wish to extend our sincere thanks to all the Hana community, Ma Ka Hana Ka Ike, our Garden colleagues, volunteers, supporters, and to our ancestors for paving the way.

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By Mike Opgenorth, Director of Kahanu Garden and Preserve

This story originally appeared in The Bulletin – NTBG’s quarterly magazine for members. Support plant conservation. Click here to become an NTBG member now.