Breadfruit Agroforestry Guide: Planning and Implementation of Regenerative Organic Methods, is now available for commercial and home growers looking to combine modern horticultural techniques with traditional growing methods similar to those successfully employed by Pacific Islanders over many centuries.

Find out more and download now.

NTBG’s Limahuli Garden & Preserve suffered significant damage during the historic April flooding on Kauai. In our moment of need, NTBG supporters have moved mountains and funds raised have been instrumental in serving humanitarian needs and relief efforts in the Garden and north shore communities.

However, damage to critical waterways and infrastructure in the garden is immense and the road to recovery will be long. We will continue to need support in the weeks and months to come. We are thrilled to announce that thanks to The Hawaii Community Foundation (HCF) donations received now through June 22 will do double the good! HCF has awarded NTBG a matching grant of $50,000 for the Limahulu Flood Relief Fund.

Here is how it works – The foundation has made an initial $30,000 donation and will add an additional $20,000 when you help us raise $50,000 more before midnight (HST) on June 22, 2018. Your support today will help us raise an additional $100,000 of relief funds that are badly needed for the ongoing recovery. Please help us seize this tremendous opportunity, support Limahuli Garden & Preserve and protect the precious plants and cultural resources preserved there. Donate now.

Chipper Wichman named GCA’s 2018 Medal of Honor Recipient

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Kalāheo, Kaua‘i, Hawai‘i USA (April 25, 2018) — The National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG) is pleased to announce that The Garden Club of America (GCA) has named Charles R. “Chipper” Wichman, President, Director, and Chief Executive Officer of the institution, as the recipient of its 2018 Medal of Honor. The medal, which is awarded for outstanding service to horticulture, will be presented following a black tie reception at the GCA’s Annual Meeting in San Francisco on April 29, 2018.

Wichman was selected as the GCA’s 2018 Medal of Honor recipient after being nominated for the award by the Garden Club of Honolulu whose president Jann Boxold described Wichman as a “global leader in conservation and horticulture who has dedicated his life to the discovery and conservation of tropical plants and the protection of their habitats.”

Download Full Announcement (PDF)

Starting this Thursday, May 10th National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG) will have free weekly hula shows every Thursday starting at 12:30 p.m. at the NTBG South Shore Visitors Center located at 4425 Lāwa‘i Road across the street from Spouting Horn.

Hālau Ka Lei Mokihana o Leinā’ala will preform a traditional Hula show highlighting the wahi pane, sacred places, of Kaua’i along with intriguing stories of the Hawaiian people and their connections with the gardens. Dancers will be accompanied by live Hawaiian music.

Tours of McBryde Garden and Allerton Garden depart from the South Shore Visitors Center throughout the day. Visitors can experience the hula’s connection to the land by exploring the gardens either before or after the show.

McBryde Garden is home to rare and endangered tropical plants, the largest collection of native Hawaiian flora in existence, and a Canoe Garden with traditional hale (house) and taro loi.

Allerton Garden is a paradise transformed through time by the hands of a Hawaiian Queen, a sugar plantation magnate, and most significantly by an artist and an architect. With a focus on landscape architecture Allerton showcases rooms made of plants, Hawaiian history and the massive Moreton Bay Fig trees featured in Jurassic Park.

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

PRESS RELEASE

2017 Robert Allerton Award Presented to Dr. David H. Lorence for Extraordinary Contributions to Botany and Horticulture

Kalāheo, Kaua‘i, Hawai‘i USA (April 5, 2018) ― The National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG) announced today that it will bestow The Robert Allerton Award for Excellence in Tropical Botany or Horticulture, one of its highest scientific honors, to botanist Dr. David H. Lorence who serves as NTBG’s Director of Science and Conservation and as the institute’s B. Evans Chair of Botany.

The Robert Allerton Award is presented every other year in recognition of individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to botany or horticulture. Lorence was named as the 2017 Allerton Award recipient after being nominated by Dr. Warren L. Wagner, Research Botanist and Curator, Smithsonian Institution, Department of Botany. He will be presented the award at a ceremony following NTBG’s Board of Trustees meeting on April 7.

Wagner noted that typically the Allerton Award is presented to an individual who excels in botany or horticulture but in Lorence’s case, his knowledge is “broad and outstanding in both.”

Over Lorence’s career he has specialized in the systematic study of tropical plants, floristics, and invasive plant species. His systematic research has focused on plants in the Pacific and Indian Oceans and includes neotropical members of the large and diverse Rubiaceae family (coffee, quinine, gardenias). He also studies Pacific island pteridophytes and the Monimiaceae family of the Malagasy region. 

Lorence is also well known and highly regarded for his decades of work collecting, researching, and publishing on subjects related to Rubiaceae, Monimiaceae, Zingiberales (gingers, heliconia, etc.), Arecaceae (palms), ferns and other groups.

David H. Lorence was born and raised in rural Wisconsin where he first became intrigued with collecting and documenting insects and plants. After earning a B.A. in Botany at the University of Wisconsin, Madison (1970), Lorence served as a Peace Corps volunteer for the Ministry of Agriculture in Mauritius and later for the Mauritius Herbarium at the Mauritius Sugar Industry Research Institute. During that time he developed a deep interest in the floras of Indian Ocean island groups.

After earning his Ph.D. in Plant Biology from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri (1980), Lorence went on to serve as Assistant and Associate Curator at Herbario Nacional of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) from 1980 – 1987.

In 1987 Lorence accepted a position as Systematic Botanist and Curator of the Pacific Tropical Botanical Garden (PTBG) Herbarium at NTBG on the island of Kaua‘i. For more than three decades, Lorence has continuously contributed to and directed the scientific research conducted at NTBG. His work includes curating the PTBG Herbarium, serving as Editor-in-Chief of Allertonia (a series of occasional papers), and overseeing scientific research and conservation at NTBG.

In the 31 years he has been employed at NTBG, Lorence has explored, collected, and documented plants in a wide range of tropical ecosystems in Hawai‘i, throughout the Pacific, and elsewhere. He has contributed substantially to the growth of NTBG’s living collections and sent research materials to numerous scientists and collaborators worldwide. He is also co-author of the Flora of the Hawaiian Islands and Marquesas Islands websites and lead author of the forthcoming Flora of the Marquesas Islands.

Dr. David Lorence is internationally recognized and respected in botanical, taxonomic, and other scientific communities. During his career, he has collected over 10,700 herbarium specimens, many with corresponding seeds or cuttings for propagation. He individually or collaboratively described and published two new flowering plant genera (Kanaloa and Glossostipula) and 155 new species, subspecies, and varieties representing 24 botanical families. This includes some 95 species in the Rubiaceae (coffee family) and 27 species in the Monimiaceae. He is also recognized in the names of seven plant species, including Psychotria lorenciana (Rubiaceae), Cylindrocline lorencei (Asteraceae), and the genus Lorencea (Rubiaceae).

Additionally, Lorence has studied and published on the floras of Madagascar, the Mascarenes, the Marquesas, Micronesia, Mexico, and Mesoamerica.

In the summer of 2016, Dr. Lorence led a six-week botanical expedition in Samoa where he and colleagues conducted field surveys of poorly known or previously unexplored areas of ‘Upolu and Savai‘i islands. That expedition yielded over 2,600 herbarium specimens including 264 bryophytes while also adding 16 “lost” Samoan species to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Since 1999, Lorence has been a board member of the Heliconia Society International (HSI), serving as conservation collections chair, student grants committee chair, and treasurer. During that time he has introduced scores of heliconias, gingers, and other Zingiberales taxa into NTBG’s living collections which are exchanged with other conservation centers like the University of Hawai‘i’s Lyon Arboretum and Waimea Valley Arboretum and Botanical Garden.

Despite decades of extensive field collecting and rough terrain botanizing in some of the world’s most rugged and remote places, Lorence insists he is not a “swashbuckling collector.”

Pointing to Lorence’s more than 175 publications that include the Rubiaceae of Mesoamerica, revisions and monographs, hundreds of living collections, wide-reaching conservation work, research, and numerous major contributions to advancing a greater knowledge of botany worldwide, especially in the Hawai‘i, Mexico, and the Pacific and Indian Oceans, Dr. Wagner said, “In short, I find Dave Lorence is an ideal candidate to receive this award.”

In response to being named the 2017 Allerton Award recipient, Lorence said, “It is indeed an honor to receive Robert Allerton Award for Excellence in Tropical Botany, and I accept it with great pleasure and appreciation. I never suspected that I would one day be selected as a recipient. My sincere thanks go to Warren and the Committee for nominating me, to the past awardees on whose shoulders I stand, and to Robert Allerton whose memory is kept alive with this distinguished award.”

As news of the award spread, reaction poured in from around the botanical world:

Dr. Michael Balick, Vice President for Botanical Science at The New York Botanical Garden, called Lorence “one of the premier botanists in the study of Pacific Island flora.” Having conducted field work in Micronesia over many years with Lorence, Balick added, “I have come to know Dave Lorence as a gifted scholar, devoted field botanist, and wonderful human being. He has extraordinary knowledge of the local flora in so many different island regions and is always willing to train and teach others in order to ensure that this work, so important to conservation and sustainable livelihoods, will continue far into the future.”

Lorence’s colleague Dr. Diane Ragone, Director of NTBG’s Breadfruit Institute, called him “an extraordinary botanist and taxonomist who has made significant contributions to our understanding of tropical plants.”

“Dr. Lorence brings a joy and profound appreciation and understanding of the natural world to his work in the field, herbarium, and living collections at NTBG. Every hour I spent with Dave on field expeditions throughout Micronesia and American Samoa enriched my knowledge and proficiency as a plant scientist,” Ragone said. 

Dr. John Dransfield, Honorary Research Fellow, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, noted how Lorence has examined and documented palm diversity. Decades of fieldwork in Mexico, the Pacific and Indian Ocean have deepened Lorence’s broad knowledge of vascular plants, Dransfield said, adding that his ability to identify plants and effectively teach were of special note. “Dr. Lorence’s contribution to tropical botany is invaluable and his receiving the 2017 Allerton Award is richly deserved,” Dransfield said.

Dr. Charlotte Taylor, Curator at Missouri Botanical Garden, called Lorence a “key figure, as both a scientist and mentor, in our modern study of tropical plants and biodiversity, and especially to our knowledge of the megadiverse Rubiaceae family.” Not only is Lorence “one of the most valued and appreciated colleagues for many people around the world,” Taylor said, “he has raised up several generations of younger botanists who are much, much better scientists for their collaboration with him.” 

Dr. Stephen Weller, a professor at the University of California’s Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department said, “Dave Lorence is an extraordinary plant systematist with a true love for his work, and an interest in applying his knowledge broadly, including problems in plant conservation and restoration.”

Carla Black, President of the Heliconia Society International (HSI) explained how Lorence has dedicated his own time volunteering in multiple roles for the society over decades, promoting understanding and enjoyment of Zingiberales worldwide, encouraging new comers at every level. “HSI and Zingiberales appreciation around the globe have benefitted from Dr. Lorence’s professional and personable guidance and participation,” Black said. 

NTBG’s President, Director, and CEO, Chipper Wichman underscored the importance to NTBG to have on staff “one of the foremost experts in systematics and taxonomy of Pacific Island floras, a world expert on the Rubiaceae, and a leader in the conservation of Zingiberales.”

Wichman continued, “Dave Lorence’s leadership in the soon-to-be-completed Flora of the Marquesas is a crowning feather in his intellectual cap, and it is especially appropriate that after decades of leading the committee to nominate and select outstanding individuals for the Allerton Award, that it is now being given to Dr. Lorence himself!”

In receiving the Allerton Award, Lorence expressed gratitude to all who had sparked his scientific interests and encouraged him to pursue a career in plant sciences. These include: Prof. R. E. Holttum (first recipient of the Allerton Award in 1975); Dr. Albert C. Smith; Drs. F. R. Fosberg and Sherwin Carlquist; Dr. Peter H. Raven; Dr. Alwyn Gentry; Prof. Sir Ghillean Prance; Dr. Warren Wagner; Lorence’s wife Ginette, his daughters Maria and Angela; and his parents who first encouraged his interest in science.

The Robert Allerton Award for Excellence in Tropical Botany or Horticulture is named after one of NTBG’s founding trustees and its principal initial benefactor, and consists of a bronze medal and honorarium. The award was first presented in 1975 to Dr. Richard E. Holttum of Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Other past recipients include Dr. Harold St. John, Bishop Museum (1981), Dr. F. R. Fosberg, Smithsonian Institution (1983), Dr. Peter H. Raven, Missouri Botanical Garden (1988), Dr. Warren L. Wagner, Smithsonian Institution (1994), Dr. Natalie Whitford Uhl, Cornell University (2003), and Prof. Sir Ghillean Prance, Eden Project (2005). Dr. David Lorence is the 21st recipient of the Allerton Award.

The National Tropical Botanical Garden is a not-for-profit, non-governmental institution with nearly 2,000 acres of gardens and preserves in Hawai‘i and Florida. Its 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. 

Media contact: Jon Letman, Telephone: +1(808) 332-7324 Ext. 219, Email: jletman@ntbg.org

Conservationists at National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG) have discovered new populations of a number of species listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List including Laukahi (Plantago princeps var. anomola). The discoveries were made in a cliff habitat using drone technology (unmanned aerial vehicle UAV) in NTBG’s Limahuli Preserve — a 1,000-acre nature preserve located in the most biodiverse eco-region of the Hawaiian archipelago.  Due to its isolation and high percentage of endemic native flora, Hawaiʻi is the extinction and endangered species capital of the United States, which makes plant population discoveries such as these a thrilling event.

Exploration of difficult-to-reach areas, by NTBG’s field botanists, has yielded many discoveries of new species and undocumented populations of rare plants in Hawaiʻi and other island groups in the Pacific.  For four decades field botanists have risked their lives rappelling down cliff faces, dangling at times more than 1,000 ft above ground level, to find plants that have only survived due to their remote locations away from invasive species.  Yet, even after 40 years of extreme botanizing, some of the more treacherous areas have remained impossible to access.  That is until the advent of drone technology, which has opened up opportunities to conduct botanical reconnaissance more safely and efficiently.

“These are some of the first rare plant discoveries made using drone technology in the Pacific Region,” explained Ben Nyberg, GIS specialist and lead drone pilot at NTBG.

“It’s amazing how much of a game changer this is for field botanists. Discovering a population like this would usually take days of searching under life-threatening conditions, but this happened in 20 minutes,” said Merlin Edmonds, a conservationist at NTBG who assisted in the discovery while training to be a drone pilot.

The rarest plant in this latest batch of discoveries is the native, Laukahi (Plantago princeps var. anomola). It was previously estimated that fewer than 25 individuals remain in the wild, making it one of the rarest plants in the world.  Just clinging to existence, this species is a part of the Plant Extinction Prevention Program, which collaborates with NTBG to target plants with fewer than 50 individuals remaining in the wild. The discovery of this new population may have just doubled the known remaining individuals.  That is the good news.  The bad news is this population is spread across a vertical cliff face that is completely inaccessible to humans, at least with current technologies.

“We’ve always felt that there was something special up there, but until now we’ve had no way of knowing for sure,” said Dr. Kawika Winter, Director at Limahuli Garden and Preserve, as he describes the relevance of such work. “Plants contribute to the fabric of humanity, even the rare ones.  This particular species was once an important part of Hawaiian herbal healing practices when it was a common element of the forest; but invasive species have pushed plants like this, along with their associated cultural practices, to extinction.  Perpetuating biodiversity is an important part of perpetuating the traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples. Working in this interface of biodiversity and cultural diversity is a part of the work we do at NTBG.”

Limahuli Rare Plant Discovery from Ben Nyberg on Vimeo.

The NTBG has launched our first web-feature article on the NTBG.ORG website: Redefining Research in the Limahuli Preserve

Click here to view our multimedia article on the new forms or research happening at Limahuli Garden.

Limahuli Garden was recently featured on CNN’s Great Big Story documentary series. Read the full article here:

  •https://www.greatbigstory.com/stories/hawaii-limahuli-valley-meets-poison-garden

Hawai’i Governor David Ige has proclaimed April 25 as ‘Ōhi‘a lehua Day in Hawai’i. Metrosideros spp. is one of the most beautiful and ecologically important trees in Hawai’i. It’s vital that we protect them and stop the spread of Rapid Ohia Death (ROD).

NTBG partners with other conservation bodies in Hawai’i to mitigate the spread of ROD with generous support from the Hawaii Tourism Authority for the E Mau ana Ka ‘Ōhi‘a (Perpetuating ‘Ōhi‘a) program. NTBG is partnering with DLNR, DOFAW and Lyon Arboretum to collect and store millions of ‘ōhi‘a lehua seeds. This includes reciprocating seeds with the Hawai’i Seed Bank Partnership organizations of all four Metrosideros taxa from each of the 10 seed zones on Kaua’i.

You can read more about ‘Ōhi‘a lehua Day at the Honolulu Star Advertiser

For more information on the NTBG conservation efforts, follow us on social media:

• Follow NTBG on Facebook
• Follow @NTBG on Instagram
• Follow @NTBG on Twitter

You’re invited to read the Breadfruit Institute Spring 2017 Progress Report (January – March 2017) on BFI’s Global Hunger Initiative, the breadfruit collection, public outreach, partners, and media events.

As of May 23, 107,342 breadfruit trees have been distributed to 44 countries since the launch of the Global Hunger Initiative.

Download the report