NTBG was recently awarded a Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund Grant to help conserve the critically endangered, endemic Phyllostegia electra. Phyllostegia electra, or nehe kuhiwa in Hawaiian, is endemic to mesic and wet forests on the island of Kauaʻi, one of the eight major islands making up the Hawaiian archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean.

The species was assessed by NTBG staff in 2015, using the IUCN Red List criteria, as Critically Endangered. Among approximately 15 subpopulations, there are currently an estimated 40-50 individuals remaining, and these numbers continue to decline due to several imminent threats including direct competition from non-native plant species; damage to stems, fruits and seeds from non-native slugs and rodents; and habitat and direct destruction to plants by non-native ungulates, particularly feral pigs and feral goats.

For the project, a team of NTBG conservationists and researchers will focus on the conservation of this species by:

• Making robust conservation collections from wild populations
• Researching genetic diversity
• Outplanting into appropriately protected and managed habitat, and
• Investigating optimal seed storage protocols, which will directly contribute to the conservation of this species.

NTBG has made conservation of endangered and threatened flora its highest priority. Collecting and curating propagules from the rarest plants, including species on the Plant Extinction Prevention Program (PEPP) list (which have 50 or fewer individuals remaining in the wild), provides material for the Garden’s expansive native plant nurseries. Our nursery operations produce large quantities of native plant seedlings for planting in ecological restoration projects not only in NTBG’s gardens and preserves, but also on large public or private land tracts suitable for restoration where owners have shown interest in collaboration.

About The Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund

The Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund is a significant philanthropic endowment established to provide targeted grants to individual species conservation initiatives, recognize leaders in the field of species conservation and elevate the importance of species in the broader conservation debate. To date the fund has awarded over 1500 grants to a diverse range of species across the world.

Kalāheo, Kaua‘i, Hawai‘i, August 18, 2017 – A newly described tree species known only from the island of Kaua‘i has been published by PhytoKeys, the open access, peer-reviewed botanical journal.

First collected and documented as early as 1988, the new species Melicope stonei, is named for British-American botanist Benjamin Clemens Masterman Stone, a British-American botanist known for his keen insights into the genus Melicope.

Endemic to the Hawaiian island of Kaua‘i, Melicope stonei is in the Rutaceae or citrus family and proposed as Critically Endangered according to criteria of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Scientists believe the newly described species is restricted to unique old growth forests that feature a combination of tree species found only on Kaua‘i. Less than one hundred individual trees have been mapped by botanists in regions with high canopy mesic forests on lands managed by the Division of Forestry and Wildlife and Hawai‘i State Parks.

The volcanic island of Kaua‘i is the oldest high-elevation Hawaiian island and characterized by deeply eroded drainages, well-defined canyons, and tall coastal seacliffs. Kaua‘i is also the most botanically rich of the Hawaiian Islands and known to have some 250 plant species which are endemic (found nowhere else).

Representatives of this new species have been measured between 5 and 12 meters in height and are characterized by large leaves with a soft underside and flowers that spring directly from branches below the tree’s leaves.

Melicope stonei and its unique habitat are threatened by degradation from introduced pigs and deer, seed predation by rats, competition with invasive, non-native plants, and environmental events like hurricanes and brush fires. In the newly published paper, the team of scientists from the Kaua‘i-based National Tropical Botanical Garden, the Smithsonian Institution, and the University of Göttingen, Germany raised concerns about the conservation status of this unique tree which is severely limited to a 1.5 km² area.

The authors make a strong case for increasing funding opportunities and enhancing a greater conservation ethic on a global scale. “Unfortunately, in Hawai‘i alone there are 424 federally threatened and endangered plant taxa with very few research biologists and limited funding available to adequately monitor and protect them,” explained the paper’s co-author Ken Wood, a research biologist at the National Tropical Botanical Garden. “We are hoping for a renaissance in the natural sciences whereby society values the perpetuation of species diversity with as much enthusiasm as perhaps sports or entertainment,” said Wood.

Don’t miss this! Charity Navigator is sharing love for organizations in Hawaii on their blog and has recognized National Tropical Botanical Garden as one of Hawaii’s highly-rated charities.



Charity Navigator, America’s largest independent charity evaluator, has recognized us with their highest 4-star+ rating.



This award means that you can rely on National Tropical Botanical Garden to be fiscally responsible, efficient, ethical and open as we use your donations to save tropical plants.


Read the full article here:

http://blog.charitynavigator.org/2018/03/charity-navigators-cross-country-tour_22.html

In partnership with the Dr. Stephen Weller (University of California, Irvine), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, State of Hawaii’s Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife, Natural Area Reserves System, and many others, NTBG Science and Conservation staff contributed to the recently published research study of the effects of introduced ungulates (feral deer, goats, pigs) on native and alien plant species in the mesic forests of the Hawaiian island of Kauai.

See the full publication and results of the 15-year study in Vol 409 of Forest Ecology and Management.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Kalāheo, Kaua‘i, Hawai‘i, USA (January 10, 2018) — Dr. Michael J. Balick, Vice President for Botanical Science and Philecology Curator at the Institute for Economic Botany, The New York Botanical Garden (NYBG), has been named the 2018 recipient of the David Fairchild Medal for Plant Exploration. In an announcement from its headquarters in Hawai‘i, the National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG) recognized Dr. Balick for a career spanning over four decades of botanical fieldwork and research around the globe.

The Fairchild Medal will be presented to Dr. Balick at a black-tie dinner at NTBG’s historical garden and former residence of David Fairchild The Kampong in Coconut Grove, Florida on January 26. The following day Dr. Balick will give a public lecture entitled “Plants, People, and Culture: Exploring the Roots of Wisdom.”

Download Full Press Release

‘Ōhi‘a are the most abundant, ecologically important and culturally significant plants in Hawai‘i. They provide food and shelter for native animals and endangered forest birds, facilitates healthy soil development, aid in replenishing aquifers, and are prominent in many Hawaiian stories, songs and chants.

In 2013, residents of Hawai‘i Island began noticing healthy trees dying in a matter of weeks. The phenomenon was termed Rapid ‘Ōhi‘a Death (ROD) and is caused by two species of fungi. ROD has affected more than 135,000 acres of native forest on Hawai‘i Island, and one of the fungal pathogens was found on Kaua‘i in 2018.

Experts across the state of Hawai‘i have formulated a ROD strategic response plan and National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG) is part of the team collecting, banking and reciprocating seeds with other labs to collect and store geographically and genetically diverse plant material as a “genetic safety net” and may provide material for studying resistance to the diseases. Staff and volunteers at the NTBG Seed Bank and Laboratory are collecting, cleaning and counting seeds, measuring mass, conducting viability experiments, desiccating, labeling and tracking data that will provide the research and plant material needed for restoration of this important species.

Click here to make a donation now!

Hurricane Irma has passed and we are glad to report that our staff are safe and the historic structures at The Kampong suffered little damage. Tragically, the living collections were significantly damaged and the garden will remain closed for hurricane recovery for several weeks.

Your support is critical to our recovery.

On Wednesday, July 19, 2017 Ryan Ozawa and Burt Lum of Hawaii Public Radio’s Bytemarks Café interviewed Kawika Winter, Ph.D NTBG Director of the Limahuli Garden & Preserve about the use of drone technology in rare plant conservation efforts in the Limahuli Preserve.

Click here to listen to the program online. NTBG interview starts at 9:55 minutes.

Hurricane Irma has passed and we are very glad to report our staff members are safe and the historic structures at The Kampong suffered little damage. We are still assessing the extent of the damage to our living collections, but upon initial review it appears Irma has dealt a devastating blow.

Many of our mature trees are down or heavily damaged including our iconic Baobab and Cannon Ball trees. We will continue to update our website and social media pages with information and ways to help as they become available. Thank you for your support, thoughts and prayers as we begin the long road to clean up and recovery.

Due to the impending Hurricane Irma, The Kampong, NTBG’s garden located in Coconut Grove, FL is closed effective immediately.

The safety of our staff and preservation of our facilities and plant collections is of the utmost importance and we have taken preemptive action to secure the garden. Updates and reopening information will be posted to our website and social media when available. Follow National Tropical Botanical Garden on Facebook and Instagram for updates

For local hurricane preparedness and emergency information, please visit the Miami-Dade county websitehttp://www.miamidade.gov/hurricane/