Building capacity and sharing knowledge for tree conservation

Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) is the world’s largest plant conservation network. Through its regional branches, it enlists the help of botanical institutions and plant conservationists to preserve tree species that are either threatened or particularly useful in Latin America, South-East Asia and Africa.

Today, many tree-planting initiatives lack a solid scientific base, compromising their effectiveness in conservation and ecological restoration. Large-scale plantations of single species, or even those involving invasive exotic species, can be detrimental to ecosystems and biodiversity. Such approaches are often characterised by a lack of technical skills and long-term monitoring and by a failure to take the real needs of local communities, who are often excluded from the decision-making process, into account.

To address this issue, this project aims to build the knowledge and capacity of stakeholders engaged in tree conservation at various levels in three biodiverse regions. The aim is to ensure that conservation, planting and restoration initiatives are implemented where they are needed most, using a participatory approach that includes all stakeholders from start to finish.

The project has four main focus areas:

- Strengthening technical capacities of the stakeholders involved in tree conservation.

- The setting up of a participative "Train-the-Trainer" style training programme.

- The creation of appropriate training materials that are accessible online and multilingual to address local and regional priorities.

- Highlighting forest conservation issues, promoting the use of native species in plantations and restoration projects, and strengthening the role of local stakeholders.