CBCN Newsletter 7.4

The 2nd World Botanic Gardens Congress is an opportunity to meet botanic garden staff from all over the world and share your experiences in the beautiful city of Barcelona. A stimulating, comprehensive and extensive programme of network meetings, plenaries, keynotes, symposia, round-table discussions, debates and posters is being developed around the Congress themes as well as pre- and post- congress tours, excursions and social events.

There will be many focussed special events. For example, there will be a training workshop on the afternoon of Sunday 18th April, 2004 - "The CBD in practice - ideas and examples of implementation in botanic gardens." This workshop will help gardens worldwide implement the plant exchange articles of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

A North American Network meeting will be held on Saturday 17th April at the Botanic Institute of Barcelona coordinated by Pat Jasaitis, Program Director, BGCI (US) E-mail: PatriciaJasaitis "at" bbg.org and Laurel McIvor, Canadian Botanical Gardens Education Coordinator, E-mail: lmcivor "at" rbg.ca. The Congress organisers will be pleased to assist in helping to arrange network and satellite meeting opportunities for Congress partners.

For Further Information

If you would like to receive further information about the Congress, please visit the Congress or BGCI websites or complete the form in the first circular and send to 2nd World Botanic Gardens Congress, Manners Congressos, C/ Manresa 8, 1er 1, 08003 Barcelona, Spain. E-mail: botanicgardenscg "at" manners.es, or visit the Congress website: www.bcn.es/medciencies/botanicgardens2004.

If are unable to download the guidelines from the website and would like a printed copy, please contact the Scientific Programme Committee for the 2^nd World Botanic Gardens Congress, c/o Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI), Descanso House, 199 Kew Road, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3BW, U.K. Tel: +44 (0) 20 8332 5953, Fax: +44 (0) 20 8332 5956, E-mail: congresses "at" bgci.org.uk, BGCI Website: http//:www.bgci.org. Please send all suggestions for the scientific programme to BGCI.

CBCN's New Membership Fees

We've just dropped our membership fees by over 50%! Our new schedule of membership fees is:

What are the benefits of membership? Including participation in Canada's efforts to conserve plant diversity and promote sustainable use of our natural resources:

Individual Associate Members' Benefits

Associate Organizational Members' Benefits

Full Institutional Members' Benefits

Updates from Around the Network:

Biodiversity and Taxonomy Workshops at the Prairie and Northern Plant Diversity Center - 2003

The Prairie and Northern Plant Diversity Center (PNPDC) at Devonian Botanic Garden, University of Alberta, was established in 2000 to promote and facilitate the sustainable management of plant diversity through research, education, information services, and conservation activities. Since inception, the center has been particularly active in biodiversity education and has hosted numerous workshops covering diverse topics each year. In 2003, three workshops were held, with at least one more to be held before year-end.

All workshops presented by PNPDC are technical and aimed primarily at professionals working in plant conservation. This includes government biologists, consultants, or anyone who otherwise seriously wants to upgrade their knowledge of plants. So far, courses have focussed on taxonomy and identification of different plant groups, causes of plant rarity, and conducting rare plant surveys.

This spring, an "Introduction to Bryophyte Identification" workshop was presented to staff from the Alberta Research Council, as part of training for fieldwork related to the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Program (ABMP). The course was taught by Jennifer Doubt, a Research Associate at the Devonian Botanic Garden, who also was in large part responsible for development of the sampling protocols for ABMP.

In July, two 4-day courses, a lichen workshop and a willow workshop, were presented by renowned experts in the respective groups. The lichen workshop was taught by Dr Ernie Brodo, formerly curator of lichens at the National Museum (now retired), and the willow workshop featured Dr George Argus, also retired and former curator at the National Museum. The venue for both courses could not have been more spectacular, being held at the Palisades Environmental Center in Jasper National Park! Needless to say, the expertise and the venue attracted the maximum number of students that could be accommodated and both courses were very well received by participants.

Later this fall, PNPDC will sponsor a workshop entitled "Rare Plant Surveys: Methodology and Assessment". Next year, we plan to give courses on Bryophyte Identification (taught by René Belland and Wilf Schofield), Lichen Idenfication (tentative, taught by Dr Ernie Brodo) and a course on sedge identification (tentative). Anyone interested in attending should occasionally visit http://www.devonian.ualberta.ca/devonian/ and follow the links to see what as courses will be offered as facilities and instructors are confirmed.

Into the Wild Flowers: Flora of the Sub-Arctic

Held at the Churchill Northern Studies Centre, Churchill, Manitoba

Cost: $875 CDN, which covers all teaching, local tours accommodation and meals, plus a copy of Karen Johnson's excellent book: the Wildflowers of Churchill

Discover the colour and diversity of the plant world on this botanical tour of the sub-arctic! Summer in the arctic brings successive waves of beauty, as boreal and arctic wildflowers cover the landscape in their short but productive season. With over 500 different vascular plants, not to mention countless distinctive mosses and lichens, Churchill will challenge and intrigue any plant lover. Join us as we explore a range of very different habitats, from lichen woodlands to upland forests to dunes, fens, heaths and beaches. Learn about medicinal and edible plants, plant family recognition, how plants survive in the arctic, and how to participate in Plantwatch to track the effects of climate change. Identify a range of wildflowers with help from our in-house lab and herbarium.

A tour of Churchill's own 'Boreal Gardens' explores creative gardening techniques in a northern botanical garden and greenhouse. Finish your stay with a tour of the Churchill River, the Prince of Wales Fort, Beluga Whale viewing, and a community visit, including the Eskimo Museum.

We look forward to sharing the absolutely amazing biodiversity of Churchill with you this summer. Besides the blooms, the area is alive with many species of nesting birds, and in the river: beluga whales!

Instructors:

Elisabeth Beaubien did an MSc in Botany at the University of Alberta. Her main focus starting with this thesis in 1987 has been gathering flowering dates for wild plants, with the help of volunteer observers in Alberta and across Canada. Check out her Alberta webpage www.devonian.ualberta.ca/pwatch, as well as the federal Plantwatch program at and join us in the fun of tracking bloom times! Elisabeth has enjoyed teaching about alpine plants in the mountain parks since 1980, when she worked for Banff National Park as a naturalist. She currently works as a research scientist at the University of Alberta's Devonian Botanic Garden. Elisabeth can be reached days: (780) 987-3054, home: (780)438-1462 or by e-mail at e.beaubien "at" ualberta.ca

Linda Kershaw is a career botanist and avid naturalist whose research has taken her to many regions - from Canada's vast boreal forest to the majestic Rocky Mountains, and above tree line from the icy reaches of Ellesmere Island to the alpine tundra of the Mackenzie, Ogilvie and Richardson Mountains. She has a special interest in uncommon plants, which began with her MSc thesis in 1976, studying Canada's rare, endangered and extinct species. More recently, she was senior editor of Rare Vascular Plants of Alberta (2001). She has also authored and co-authored many field guides, including Plants of the Western Boreal Forest and Aspen Parkland, Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Rockies and guides to the wayside wildflowers of Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta.

Linda can be reached at (780) 662-3626 or by e-mail at lkershaw "at" incentre.net

For more information and to register, contact:

Churchill Northern Studies Centre, P. O. Box 610, Churchill, Manitoba, Canada R0B 0E0

A "Path to Biodiversity"

Laurel McIvor
Canadian Botanical Gardens Education Coordinator
A Partnership for Plants in Canada

Montreal Botanical Garden is now inviting visitors to learn more about local plant conservation by following their "Path to Biodiversity" as part of the Garden's ex situ conservation program for threatened plant species in Southern Quebec. Colourful and informative on-site exhibit panels have been installed, featured plants are now identified with distinct green labels, and an extensive section about the project has been added to the garden's web site. In addition, special guided tours are offered by The Friends of Montreal Botanical Gardens that highlight the project and the importance of conserving natural habitats.

For two years botanists have been collecting seeds and cuttings from a number of vulnerable and threatened plant species. Some of the seeds collected are sent to the Plant Gene Resources of Canada seed bank at the Saskatoon Research Centre and to the Millennium Seed Bank Project at Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew. The remaining seeds are propagated and transplanted in experimental and exhibition gardens for research and educational purposes. Sixty-six new plants, from the 243 provincially listed endangered or vulnerable species found in Southern Quebec, have been incorporated into suitable habitats in established display gardens.

The "Path to Biodiversity" provides a unique opportunity to appreciate the wealth of local plant life and to get a close look at plants that are difficult to observe in the wild, reminding both visitors and staff of the importance of protecting natural habitats and promoting sustainable development practices. As the project's long-term goal is to address and facilitate plant conservation more from the population level than just from the species level, the "Path to Biodiversity" is also an ideological path. Projects such as this demonstrate the role botanical gardens can play in balancing economic development, environmental protection and biodiversity conservation.

Note: This note was originally submitted to the BGCI Education Review: Roots, edition 27 (December 2003)

Updates from Botanic Gardens Conservation International

BGCI Launches Bi-monthly Electronic Bulletin

The first issue of Cultivate, BGCI's electronic bulletin was sent out in November. The bulletin is free and as well as BGCI's members and supporters, it is sent to anyone who subscribes on the BGCI website:

The contents of each issue are based on a particular theme, the first being "Plant Conservation" with subsequent themes ranging from Education to plant uses and sustainability. The bulletin contains news about the botanic garden community and featured articles. Each issue includes a profile of a "Featured Garden" and a reader survey.

BGCI web editor Jamie O'Connell said "With the free electronic bulletin we aim to raise awareness about the important work going on in botanic gardens around the world. We want to 'Cultivate' an interest in plant conservation, while at the same time providing something that is fun and interesting to read. We hope that the newsletter will be easy to understand, even for those who do not have English as their mother tongue."

If you have not already received a copy, please take a minute to subscribe. We especially welcome your feedback, as this will guide us in developing future issues.

IS YOUR GARDEN INFORMATION UP-TO-DATE?

The BGCI website features a unique global botanic garden search. Visit www.bgci.org to check if you are included and verify the information we have about your garden!!

This is a great opportunity to raise awareness about your garden - the database is used by a wide range of people - from the general public looking for a local garden to botanic garden professionals carrying out research - help us to make sure the information is as complete and accurate as possible.

Email info "at" bgci.org to request a username and password to update your garden records on-line or to request more information.

BGCI to Launch New Newsletter

BGCI plans to launch its new quarterly newsletter - Cuttings - in April 2004. The newsletter will contain up-to-date information from botanic gardens and plant conservation organisations around the world, in an attractive and easy-to-read format. Through Cuttings, BGCI aims to ensure that its members regularly receive all the latest news, as and when it happens. Cuttings will be distributed to all garden members of BGCI as part of their existing membership package.

With the launch of Cuttings, BGCI also hopes to increase its individual membership. There are many people working in the area of plant conservation who are keen to stay up-to-date with developments happening around the world - Cuttings will do just that. Cuttings will be available through an individual annual subscription of just £10.00 / US$15 / Euro 15. For more information visit www.bgci.org

Progress on the International Agenda for Botanic Gardens in Conservation

Dr Peter Wyse Jackson
Secretary General
Botanic Gardens Conservation International

The International Agenda for Botanic Gardens in Conservation was published in 2000 by BGCI to provide a global policy framework for botanic garden actions in biodiversity conservation, environmental education and sustainable development. Since then it has been widely welcomed by many conservation and botanic garden organisations and institutions worldwide. The Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity have recognised the International Agenda as representing the botanic garden community's response and contribution to the achievement of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation.

In early 2003 BGCI announced the establishment of a registration system for individual institutions and organisation worldwide that wish to record their contributions to implementing the International Agenda through their own activities. The development of the registration process was in response to recommendations included in the International Agenda on the need for information on the relevant activities of botanic gardens to be recorded, gaps identified and addressed awareness raised and coordination and cooperation fostered. A registration brochure was published and circulated by BGCI, including background to the International Agenda and its objectives, a section on frequently asked questions and a form including a simple declaration of support for the International Agenda that can be made as either an informal statement from senior staff or as a formal endorsement by an institution's governing body.

BGCI has been very pleased with the response to the launch of the registration process. To date 196 individual botanic gardens and other organisations have registered their support for the International Agenda, from 68 countries worldwide, very close to the target set of 200 participants for 2003. Nine organizations in Canada have registered to date (see right).

The next major milestone in the implementation of the International Agenda will be the 2nd World Botanic Gardens Congress, due to be held in Barcelona, Spain from 17-22, April, 2004 (see page 1). The Barcelona Congress will provide an opportunity for botanic gardens worldwide to review progress in implementation of the priorities identified for botanic garden actions, but also to consider how to address the resource gaps and difficulties faced by botanic gardens in many parts of the world. The link between the International Agenda and the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation will also be specifically addressed when the Congress will have an opportunity to consider and discuss a proposal for the development of a series of International Agenda targets in conservation, outlining what are the priorities and what can realistically be achieved by 2010, the date also chosen for the achievement of the 16 international targets included in the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation and as adopted by the world community through the CBD in 2002.

Copies of the registration brochure and the International Agenda itself are available in pdf form on the BGCI website (www.bgci.org). Please contact BGCI if you would like to be involved in its implementation (info "at" bgci.org), for further information.

Dr Peter Wyse Jackson
Secretary General
Botanic Gardens Conservation International
Descanso House
199 Kew Road
Richmond
Surrey TW9 3BW, UK

Tel +44 (0)208 332 5953
Fax: +44 (0)208 332 5956
nternet: www.bgci.org.uk
Email: pwj "at" bgci.rbgkew.org.uk

Canadian Organizations Endorsing the International Agenda for Botanic Gardens in Conservation to date:

The Arboretum, University of Guelph (Guelph, ON)
Assiniboine Park Conservatory (Winnipeg, MB)
Canadian Botanical Conservation Network
Memorial University of Newfoundland Botanical Garden (St. John's, NL)
Morgan Arboretum, McGill University (Montreal, QC)
Musée du Château Ramezay (Quebec, QC)
Royal Botanical Gardens (Hamilton/Burlington, ON)
Tofino Botanical Gardens (Tofino, BC)
University of Alberta Devonian Botanic Garden (Edmonton, AB)

CBCN Welcomes Three New Board Members; President Reappointed

David A. Galbraith
Executive Director, CBCN and
Manager of Biodiversity Projects, RBG

For a small not-for-profit organization there is no more important group of volunteers than the Board of Directors. During the summer of 2003, our Board of Directors authorised some major changes that should help CBCN evolve and grow, and to continue to link people and institutuions interested in the conservation and sustainable use of plant diversity across Canada.

The most important change we've implemented is to expand our Board from four to seven people, and to seek where possible to fill those positions with qualified and enthusiastic individuals from regions right across the country.

The new Board of Directors actually took shape on the evening of Thursday 23 Octrober 2003, at the annual meeting of full members. Full (voting) membership in CBCN has always been reserved for institutuional members, and representatives of these gathered at Royal Botanical Gardens to carry out the annual business formalities of the Network. The Board includes the following four people who are still serving:

It is a real pleasure to welcome our new Board members: Michel Labrecque, Wilf Nicholls, and Iain Taylor, who were each elected for four year terms on 23 October 2003. Congratulations are also extended to Richard Jones, who was appointed as our President for another year.

Each nominee was asked to provide a short profile of their careers and a paragraph describing what they felt they could bring to CBCN:

Michel Labrecque

I am the curator and head of the Department of Research and Scientific Development of the Montréal Botanical Garden. A specialist in ecophysiology, I have conducted a number of projects in urban forestry and on the production of woody biomass using fast growing species. I've published more than forty scientific articles in international journals, and have delivered over fifty scientific conference presentations. I am also well-known as a science broadcaster on French-language CBC radio, and have published some sixty popular science articles. I've initiated research and conservation projects in particular on Quebec's rare plants. From 1996 through 1999 I was also a member of the "Radeau des Cimes" (Raft of the Canopy) research teams, which explored the canopies of an equatorial forest with specialized aerial rafts and diverse equipment.

Being involved in conservation for many years and having worked on many boards of non-profit organizations, I believe my expertise will be useful for the CBCN board. I was president of the Friends of the Montreal Botanical Garden (14,000 members) from 1991 to 1998, vice-president of the "Société de l'Arbre du Québec" (Tree Society of Quebec) from 1997 to 2001, and a member of the Coordinating Committee on Quebec Forest Research (1997-2002). I know Quebec's botany and horticulture communities very well, which will be good for links that CBCN wants to develop with other representatives across the country. As a francophone living and working in Quebec, I think I could play a dynamic role in CBCN to work with other members for the achievement of the network's objectives.

Wilf Nicholls

After nine years as a research scientist with UBC Botanical Garden I joined Memorial University of Newfoundland Botanical Garden in 1997 as director. I am also cross-appointed into the department of biology where I teach and serve on graduate committees. Currently I am heading up the ex situ conservation endeavors for the COSEWIC listed brayas (B. longii and fernaldii - endangered and threatened respectively) and Salix jejuna (endangered). All are endemics of the limestone barrens of the Great Northern Peninsula. We are partnered with community groups and other scientists in local stewardship activities while conducting more academic research pursuits in cooperation with the department of biology at Memorial. We have recently taken on a graduate student to elucidate ex situ germination and cultivation protocols for these rare arctic/alpine calciphiles as I feel it is imperative that successful, reproducible and documented protocols for these plants must be developed.

Far too often rare plants have been a matter for collection and cultivation almost as trophies. Our goals must be the conservation of the genetic diversity. This requires significant dedication of labour and space to accommodate inter- and intra-populational variation. Cultivation and maintenance is exactly the skills that botanical gardens have become known for. It is time for each garden to dedicate resources to exercise those skills in conservation efforts that are appropriate to the climate and conditions of their region.

Iain E. P. Taylor

I have more than 40 years of active public advocacy for Botanical Gardens and floristics both locally and internationally. I am project manager for the UBC Biodiversity Research Centre, which will re-house UBC's biological archival collections so that they are more available to the ecological, conservation and evolutionary biology communities. Native plant conservation a central plank in the UBCBG & CPR mandate. We are searching for partners throughout the Province to make the BC Ecological Reserves system a more active research resource, and are currently seeking funds to establish a native plant seed bank for BC.

My convenient location at UBC gives me direct access to the conservation community. I retire from UBC in January 2004, and can devote time to the Network. I am committed to UBC until at least 2006 for construction of both the Biodiversity Research Centre and the UBCBG&CPR, as well as to edit Davidsonia, the Garden's scientific journal. I have 35 years experience in BC, both at the university and with the Association of Professional Biologists, and have worked for actions based on sound science and a certain level of distrust for the status quo.

CBCN Invasive Plants Program Welcomes Two Students

Over the past year increasing attention has been paid to the problem of invasive plants. CBCN is now working on new approaches to the problem, both to refine the issue in Canada and also to help find attractive and practical alternatives. Earlier this year, CBCN was approached by the Canadian Botanical Association with the suggestion of working together on this problem. Elements of that new joint program are now coming together.

We are pleased to announce that two students at McMaster University are now actively working on invasive plants issues. Welcome to Jennifer Gibb, a fourth year biology student, who is working on the relationship between invasive plants and their ecological contexts for her fourth year independend studies project, co-supervised by Dr. Susan Didley and Dr. Galbraith. Welcome also to Kelly Woltman, a fourth year geography student, who is doing a volunteer internship arranged by the university as experiential learning. Kelly is focussing on assembling background information and developing a list of alternatives to invasive plants for gardeners.

Putting the International Agenda for Botanic Gardens in Conservation to Use: Part 3: Developing an Botanical Garden Action Plan

David A. Galbraith
Executive Director, CBCN and
Manager of Biodiversity Projects, RBG

What kind of practical planning steps can a botanical garden or arboreta take to really make use of the International Agenda for Botanic Gardens in Conservation? This important document, described on page 6 of this issue by BGCI's Secretary General Peter Wyse Jackson, provides a framework for individual botanical gardens and for networks of gardens to fit their own efforts into a truly global perspective.

Despite all the positive attributes of the International Agenda, its very comprehensive nature can present a daunting task to any organization that actually is planning to implement it. Botanic Gardens Conservation International has prepared a simpleand logical process by which individual institutions can register that they are intending o use the International Agenda as a guide and framework. However, this registration process itself is not enough to come to terms with actually applying the International Agenda.

Set a Benchmark: Compare Present Programs to the International Agenda

Once an institution has taken the step of registering with BGCI, the next logical step is to compare of the content of International Agenda with the programs of the institution. The large number of individual recommendations can make this a complex task. To simplify such a basic comparison, I've prepare a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet that lists all of the recommendations for individual institutions and provides space to tally whether your institution is "doing"; the recommendation now, "is considering" to do it in the future, or is not considering a particular recommendation. Send me an email message to request this spreadhseet if you think it would be helpful.

The spreadsheet then summaries all of the recommendations for the institution on a Summary page, which gives a relative indication of the strengths of your institutions programs in the many different topical areas covered by the International Agenda.

Once you have an overview of your institution's present activities the degree of correspondence may be surprising. Without any planning of new programs in light of the International Agenda, I discovered that the programs of Royal Botanical Gardens have some correspondence to at least 60% of the recommendations of the International Agenda. There certainly were areas within the document that our organization is not doing, and will not likely do. It should also be noted that this tally process does not give any indication of the strengths of any particular program, just whether or not there is at lease some correspondence with each recommendation.

Write An Action Plan

Once you have an overview of your present programs, writing a realistic action plan becomes possible. Compare the recommendations of the International Agenda to your own program and institutional priorities. Are there specific areas recommended within the International Agenda that your institution is not, at present, doing? Of these, are any practical through a simple shift of emphasis, or would they require significant new resources?

I suggest making a list of possible new actions within areas recommended by the International Agenda, and prioritizing these on the basis of their contribution to conservation, their relevance to the direction and capacity of your own institution, and of course by the practicality of available resources.

Use the prioritized list as the basis for planning to do something new in the coming year. Review your lists from time to time to see how many new items might be practical.

Over time, perhaps every year or two, review the progress you've made with all of the recommendations within the International Agenda. The spirit of the International Agenda is that it functions best when we all make use of it, and that it's really much more like a menu in a restaurant than a specific recipe for any one institution. After all, it was assembled from the recommendations of literally hundreds of people and institutions who responded to BGCI's call for participation in the project. No wonder it's so sweeping!

As the number registered institutions grows, no doubt many examples of putting the International Agenda to use will come forward. There is no set formula for this process, beyond the recommendations for adoption within the International Agenda itself.

If you find these suggestions useful please let me know, or contact BGCI directly at the address on page 6 with your ideas or questions.

A Microsoft Excel spreadsheet has been prepared by the author to help individual institutions tally their programs against the individual recommendations within the International Agenda for Botanic Gardens in Conservation. For more information please contact the author at: dgalbraith "at" rbg.ca

Botanic or Botanical? Inquiring Minds Want to Know!

David A. Galbraith
Executive Director, CBCN and
Manager of Biodiversity Projects, RBG

I recently took a look at the list of public gardens of Canada to answer the age-old question is the "correct" form "Botanic Garden" or "Botanical Garden?" There are certainly precedents for both, and there seems to be a difference in geographic usage as well. In looking over the names of these institutions in Canada, I came up with three that currently are "botanic" gardens:

So, at this time in Canada, 20% use "Botanic" and 80% use "Botanical" in their legal names.

As the overwhelming number of instances of use are for the "al" form, I feel comfortable using "botanical" as a general term for these institutions in Canada.

Regardless of whether there is some nuance to the two forms "vive la difference!"

Positions Available

Botanical gardens, arboreta and other organizations involved in plant conservation in Canada are invited to submit "Positions Available" notices for CBCN Newsletter at no charge. This service is provided at no charge.

Persons Seeking Positions

Students and others seeking experience or positions in plant conservation or related fields are invited to submit a note for CBCN Newsletter at no charge. One announcement per person per year, please. This service is provided at no charge.

Student Seeking Experience in Plant Conservation

My name is Tracey Tomlik, and I am currently a student at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College, located in Truro, Nova Scotia. I have already received my diploma of Environmental Horticulture, and am now currently completing my Bachelor of Technology, also in Environmental Horticulture. As the year quickly moves on I am very excited to enter the professional world of Horticulture and plants.

Within the four years of this program, I have gained a wealth of knowledge in a variety of horticulture and environmental aspects. It is this mix of environmental awareness and Horticulture practices that has created a new outlook on the landscape and horticulture industry. I have worked as a horticulture technician at a plant nursery and also as a horticulturist at the St. FXU campus. In both of these areas I was exposed to the cultural expectations of the public, and how these expectations did not always consider the environmental and ecological functions. This balance of the "wants" of the clients and the "needs" of the environment is where I feel I fit.

I am hoping to become involved with plant conservation, habitat restoration, education and landscape consulting and planning. I hope that the communication between horticulturist and conservationist can become stronger and that positive changes can continue in the future.

Horticulture Student Seeking Internship

My name is Lourdes Niehaus, I'm an Ornamental Horticulture student in Olds, Alberta. I have been looking for internship opportunities starting in the Spring/Summer of 2004.

Apart from my schooling in Horticulture, I have a Forestry Technician Diploma, two years of studies in Biology, and a keen interest in native plant ecology and preservation.

You can easily contact me at ticalula "at" hotmail.com, or call anytime at (403) 556-1747.

Books Just Out

Botanica North America
Marjorie Harris, 2003. Published by Harper-Collins. MSL $89.95 in Canada; ISBN 0-06-270231-9 in hardcover)

One of the biggest challenges that people concerned with the conservation of plant diversity face is expressing the intrinsic beauty and value of native plants to the general public. There's a gulf between the "biophillia" of the specialist and our ability to capture and transmit the deep excitement and levels of understanding to the general public.

Marjorie Harris is one of Canada's most accomplished garden writers, and her new book Botanica North America goes a long way to bridging the gap between the specialist and the general public. It's the product of a large team of writers and researchers, with participation of hundreds of specialists across North America.

This is a beautiful coffee-table product, basically a "people's flora." It's not systematic, synoptic or taxonomic; instead it brings to life hundreds of native plant species and all sorts of anecdotes about them, from all regions of North America.

It's also important to note that this is not a "gardening" book - there's no information on propagation, design or management. It's about the biology and natural history of the plants, arranged by broad biogeography regions, and it's intended to generate a sense of place more that anything else. It's really all about the plants themselves, and stories about them ranging from exploration to evolution to ethnobotany.

This volume should be an enormous service to the popularization of botany, natural history, and the beauty and utility of native plants. It covers about 430 species in detail; something under 3% of the native flora of North America. So, it's selective and attractive, but it's not intended as a scientific resource. Instead it's intent is to fire the appreciation of the native plants of North America in the millions of people who appreciate and love plants but for whom the scientific literature, and the language of the botanist, may be distant if not impenetrable.

The arrangement of the material in the book is a simplified version of the concept of biogrographic regions. North America is divided into ten large ecozones, which range from the boreal forest and the tundra to "swamps and marshes" in the south. As a result there's little coverage of ecological diversity below this broad scale, and each of these regions is covered by the individual species descriptions of only a few species. The intent is to give the flavour of the region in a capsule version, not provide a text book or field reference.

The individual species accounts are lively and interesting. They are each led by a box of technical information on the taxonomy and evolutionary relationships of the species. The bulk of each species account is an informal and conversational narrative touching on natural history, interesting ecological relationships, uses by indigenous peoples, social history and more conventional economic botany, where each pertains.

This book is illustrated with lavish photographs throughout. There isn't necessarily one photo per species, but the photos that are present bring the accounts to life and make this one of the most beautiful books on botany that I've seen in a very long time.

Coming Events

Please send any notices of upcoming events for inclusion in this listing to: cbcn "at" rbg.ca

Thanks to Lorna Allen of Parks and Protected Areas, Edmonton, Alberta, and her e-mail list "Plant Happenings" for many of the events listed here. Lorna can be contacted at: Lorna.Allen "at" gov.ab.ca

Events listed here are only presented for the information of readers. A listing does not imply either participation of or endorsement by CBCN or anyone affiliated with the network.

We make every effort to ensure that event information is listed correctly, but please confirm time, dates, and details directly with sources before planning to attend any listed event. Items are listed in chronological order including: date, venue, title, contact or other information. Electronic contact information is provided. If no such information is available, other contact information will be listed.

1-5 December 2003
Montreal, QC
Convention on Biological Diversity ABS WG 2: Second meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Access and Benefit-Sharing
For inforamtion: Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity
393, Saint Jacques Street, suite 300
Montreal, Quebec, Canada H2Y 1N9
Tel: +1 (514) 288-2220; Fax: +1 (514) 288-6588; E-mail: secretariat "at" biodiv.org; Web: http://www.biodiv.org

3 December 2003
Calgary, AB
Green Roofs for Healthy Cities: Local Development Workshop in Calgary.
Hosted by a membership-based network of organizations working to further the green roof industry in North America.
Dec. 3, 2003, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Rosza Centre, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta

4 December 2003
Edmonton, AB
Green Roofs for Healthy Cities: Local Development Workshop in Edmonton.
Hosted by a membership-based network of organizations working to further the green roof industry in North America.
Dec. 4, 2003, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Fine Arts Building, University of Alberta, 89th Avenue and 112th Street, Edmonton, Alberta

8-12 December 2003
Montreal, QC
Convention on Biological Diversity WG8J 3: Third meeting on the Ad Hoc Open-ended Inter-sessional Working Group on Article 8(j) and Related Provisions of the Convention on Biological Diversity
For information: Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity
393, Saint Jacques Street, suite 300
Montreal, Quebec, Canada H2Y 1N9
Tel: +1 (514) 288-2220; Fax: +1 (514) 288-6588; E-mail: secretariat "at" biodiv.org; Web: http://www.biodiv.org

16-18 December 2003
Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
The Clearing-House Mechanism: exchange of experiences on its implementation at national level and developing scientific and technical cooperation
For information: Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity
393, Saint Jacques Street, suite 300
Montreal, Quebec, Canada H2Y 1N9
Tel: +1 (514) 288-2220; Fax: +1 (514) 288-6588; E-mail: secretariat "at" biodiv.org; Web: http://www.biodiv.org

6-16 January 2004
Ohana Keauhou Beach Resort, Kailua-Kona on Hawaii's Big Island
Plants in Human Affairs
A 12-day intensive on the big island of Hawaii. This twelve-day, four-credit intensive introduces students to the science of ethnobotany, ethnopharmacology, and plants in human affairs through lectures, field trips and presentations by local experts. For information, visit www.kohalacenter.org, call 612-624-5166 or email feinthal "at" umn.edu
Editor's note: Anyone who feels so inclined is heareby courdially invited to send the editor to this meeting.

15-16 January, and 27-18 January 2004
New London, CT and Villanova, PA
Inside Out: Inspired Spaces for Outside Living
14th Annual New Directions in the American Landscape Symposium, Natural Design in Context: Intimate to Grand, Connecticut College Arboretum, New London, CT, Jan 15-16, 2004 and at Villanova University, Villanova, PA, Jan 27-28. Symposium examines state-of-the-art ecological landscape design. It features a diverse and accomplished group of designers, horticulturists, and scientists in an informal, interactive forum. For a complete brochure contact 215-247-5777, ext. 156, or jlm "at" pobox.upenn.edu

5-7 February 2004
Swift Current, SK
Working Together: Native Plants and the Living World
The Native Plant Society of Saskatchewan
For information, write to: info "at" npss.sk.ca

9-20 February 2004
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
COP 7: Seventh Ordinary Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity
For information: Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity
393, Saint Jacques Street, suite 300
Montreal, Quebec, Canada H2Y 1N9
Tel: +1 (514) 288-2220; Fax: +1 (514) 288-6588; E-mail: secretariat "at" biodiv.org; Web: http://www.biodiv.org

14 February 2004
Global
Darwin Day: Celebrate Charles Darwin's 195^th Birthday in your own way!
For information: www.darwinday.org

23-27 February 2004
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
COP/MOP 1 First meeting of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety
For information: Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity
393, Saint Jacques Street, suite 300
Montreal, Quebec, Canada H2Y 1N9
Tel: +1 (514) 288-2220; Fax: +1 (514) 288-6588; E-mail: secretariat "at" biodiv.org; Web: http://www.biodiv.org

26-29 February 2004
Calgary, Alberta
Keeping the Wild in the West: 7th Prairie Conservation & Endangered Species Conference
Held at the Coast Plaza Hote1, Calgary. Web: http://www.albertawilderness.ca/PCESC/

18-19 March 2004
SE Pennsylvania and Delaware
2004 Longwood Graduate Program Symposium: Creative Approaches to Expanding Your Audience
Organised by the Longwood Graduate Program in Public Horticulture, University of Delaware, Newark DE.
18 March: Speaker and reception at Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, PA; 19 March: Full-day symposium at Winterthur, in Winterthur, DE, on March 19. For information contact Gerry Zuka at 302-831-2517 or on the Web at: www.udel.edu/LongwoodGrad

March 2004 (Date TBA)
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Seventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP 7)
Organised by the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity. E-Mail: secretariat "at" biodiv.org; Web: http://www.biodiv.org

17-22 April 2004
Barcelona, Spain
Botanic Gardens - A World of Resources and Heritage for Humankind
2nd World Botanic Gardens Congress, sponsored by Botanic Gardens Conservation International. Web: http://www.bgci.org; Email: botanicgardenscg "at" manners.es

20 April 2004
Medford Leas Retirement Community, Medford, NJ
Healing Gardens: Horticultural Therapy and Site Design for Health Care Settings and Adult Communities
Co-sponsored by Medford Leas Continuing Care Retirement Community and the Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania. For information, call 215-247-5777, ext 156 or 125, or e-mail jlm "at" pobox.upenn.edu.

17-22 May 2004
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, Sarasota. FL
Second International Orchid Conservation Congress
For information: 941-955-7553, ext 111, or by email to: whiggins"at" selby.org

9-12 June 2003
Dallas, TX
2004 AABGA Annual Conference: The How-To Conference
Dallas Fairmont Hotel, Dallas, TX. Hosted by The Dallas Arboretum in Texas. For information visit the AABGA web site at www.aabga.org or call 302-655-7100

17-21 June 2004
Lyon, France
5th International Carnivorous Plant Congress
World's largest meeting of carnivorous plant enthusiasts, scientists and growers; held every two years. If you wish to make an oral or written communication, please send your document with the title, the names & addresses of the authors before December 31st, 2003 to: l.legendre "at" uws.edu.au and namour "at" lyon.cemagref.fr; to contact the organizers:
Ass. Dionée, - 5th Carnivorous Plant Congress Parc de la Tête d'Or, 69459 Lyon cedex 06, France
CM, 15 place Bellecour, BP 2313, 69002 Lyon
Web: http://www.dionee.org
Web: http://www.jardin-botanique-lyon.com
Tél : 00 33 (0)4 72 82 35 00
Fax : 00 33 (0)4 72 82 35 09
e-mail : president "at" dionee.org
e-mail : damien.septier "at" mairie-lyon.fr

24-29 June 2004
Churchill Northern Studies Centre, Churchhill, MB
Plant Diversity Course: Into the Wild Flowers: Flora of the Sub-Arctic
Instructors: Elisabeth Beaubien & Linda Kershaw; Cost: $875 CDN, which covers all teaching, local tours accommodation and meals, plus a copy of Karen Johnson's excellent book: The Wildflowers of Churchill; Limited to 16 participants. For more information and to register, contact: Mike Goodyear (204) 675-2307 or cnsc "at" churchillmb.net or on the web: www.churchillmb.net/~cnsc

25-30 July 2004
Utrecht, The Netherlands
The 7th Intecol International Wetlands Conference
Organised by International Association of Ecology. E-Mail: INTECOL "at" fbu.uu.nl; Web: http://bio.uu.nl/intecol/index2.htm

24-26 August 2004
Venue to be determined
Regional Workshop on Taxonomy
for information: Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity
393, Saint Jacques Street, suite 300
Montreal, Quebec, Canada H2Y 1N9
Tel: +1 (514) 288-2220; Fax: +1 (514) 288-6588; E-mail: secretariat "at" biodiv.org; Web: http://www.biodiv.org

1-5 November 2004
Venue TBA
Convention on Biological Diversity: Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group meeting on targets, baselines and indicators
for information: Secretariat of the CBD
393, Saint Jacques Street, suite 300
Montreal, Quebec, Canada H2Y 1N9
Tel: +1 (514) 288-2220; Fax: +1 (514) 288-6588; E-mail: secretariat "at" biodiv.org; Web: http://www.biodiv.org

2005 (Date TBA)
Hamilton, Ontario
Science for Plant Conservation 2 - An International Conference for Botanical Gardens
Web: http://www.rbg.ca/cbcn/science2

29 June-3 July 2005
Chicago, Illinois
AABGA Annual Conference
Web: http://www.aabga.org

6-9 July 2004
Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle and Collège de France, Paris, France
The First International Phylogenetic Nomenclature Meeting
For information, email laurin "at" ccr.jussieu.fr and type "PhyloCode 2004 Meeting" in the subject field. To read the meeting announcement circular (in PDF format), visit http://www.dzg-ev.de/workshops-Dateien/PN%20meeting.pdf

About CBCN

The Canadian Botanical Conservation Network - Le réseau canadien pour la conservation de la flore is a Canadian registered charitable organization (Revenue Canada business number 87277 5697 RR 0001) aiding botanical gardens, arboreta and related organizations, individuals and others to increase their participation in plant conservation and biodiversity programs.

CBCN Newsletter is produced by the Botanical Conservation office of RBG on behalf of CBCN, and is edited by Dr David A Galbraith, Executive Director of CBCN. Unless otherwise indicated, articles in CBCN Newsletter were written by Dr Galbraith. Thanks to the many contributors to this issue. Kelly Woltman helped with making editorial corrections.

We welcome submissions of short articles, notices, book reviews or any other material of interest to the plant conservation, habitat rehabilitation and botanical collection/curation communities of Canada and abroad.

This Newsletter is produced in partnership with Royal Botanical Gardens and Botanic Gardens Conservation International under the "Partnership for Plants in Canada" project, in part through a grant from the W. Garfield Weston Foundation. No reproduction of any article or other material in CBCN Newsletter, in any form or by any medium, may be made without the written permission of the editor.

For more information on CBCN, membership and institutional membership dues, please contact us at:

Royal Botanical Gardens
Attention: CBCN
P.O. Box 399
Hamilton, Ontario L8N 3H8 Canada

Is This Your Last Issue?

Don't miss out on our future! CBCN Newsletter has been mailed out free of charge to hundreds of addresses in Canada and around the world now since 1996. In order to keep directing our resources where they're most needed we can't continue the practice of sending out free print copies to non-members.

This issue (7.04) is the last that we will send out to our original mailing list. To receive future issues of the newsletter in print you must take out a membership in CBCN.

Join CBCN Today!

Joining CBCN has never been easier. In order to encourage wider participation, we've just dramatically reduced our membership fees. An Associate Individual Membership is now just $25 per year, plus GST. Associate memberships for organizations are now just $50 per year, plus GST. Full membership for institutions that share CBCN's goals is now just $100 per year, plus GST.

The Electronic Option

We're committed to making sure that the content of our newsletter will always be available free of charge in electronic form on our Web site.

If you would like to receive our newsletter in electronic form, you can send an email message to me at:

with the words "Subscribe eCBCN" in the subject line. I will add your email address to a list that will only be used to send out our newsletter in electronic form.

CBCN Newsletter
incorporating Plant Collections Newsletter: Canada

Invitation to the 2^nd World Botanic Gardens Congress

Botanic Gardens - A World of Resources and Heritage for Humankind

For Further Information

CBCN's New Membership Fees

Individual Associate Members' Benefits

Associate Organizational Members' Benefits

Full Institutional Members' Benefits

Updates from Around the Network:

Biodiversity and Taxonomy Workshops at the Prairie and Northern Plant Diversity Center - 2003

Into the Wild Flowers: Flora of the Sub-Arctic

Held at the Churchill Northern Studies Centre, Churchill, Manitoba

Instructors:

For more information and to register, contact:

A "Path to Biodiversity"

Updates from Botanic Gardens Conservation International

BGCI Launches Bi-monthly Electronic Bulletin

IS YOUR GARDEN INFORMATION UP-TO-DATE?

BGCI to Launch New Newsletter

Progress on the International Agenda for Botanic Gardens in Conservation

Canadian Organizations Endorsing the International Agenda for Botanic Gardens in Conservation to date:

CBCN Welcomes Three New Board Members; President Reappointed

Michel Labrecque

Wilf Nicholls

Iain E. P. Taylor

CBCN Invasive Plants Program Welcomes Two Students

Putting the International Agenda for Botanic Gardens in Conservation to Use: Part 3: Developing an Botanical Garden Action Plan

Set a Benchmark: Compare Present Programs to the International Agenda

Write An Action Plan

Botanic or Botanical? Inquiring Minds Want to Know!

Positions Available

Persons Seeking Positions

Student Seeking Experience in Plant Conservation

Horticulture Student Seeking Internship

Books Just Out

Coming Events

About CBCN

Is This Your Last Issue?

Join CBCN Today!

The Electronic Option

CBCN Newsletter incorporating Plant Collections Newsletter: Canada

Invitation to the 2nd World Botanic Gardens Congress

Botanic Gardens - A World of Resources and Heritage for Humankind

For Further Information

CBCN's New Membership Fees

Individual Associate Members' Benefits

Associate Organizational Members' Benefits

Full Institutional Members' Benefits

Updates from Around the Network:

Biodiversity and Taxonomy Workshops at the Prairie and Northern Plant Diversity Center - 2003

Into the Wild Flowers: Flora of the Sub-Arctic

Held at the Churchill Northern Studies Centre, Churchill, Manitoba

Instructors:

For more information and to register, contact:

A "Path to Biodiversity"

Updates from Botanic Gardens Conservation International

BGCI Launches Bi-monthly Electronic Bulletin

IS YOUR GARDEN INFORMATION UP-TO-DATE?

BGCI to Launch New Newsletter

Progress on the International Agenda for Botanic Gardens in Conservation

Canadian Organizations Endorsing the International Agenda for Botanic Gardens in Conservation to date:

CBCN Welcomes Three New Board Members; President Reappointed

Michel Labrecque

Wilf Nicholls

Iain E. P. Taylor

CBCN Invasive Plants Program Welcomes Two Students

Putting the International Agenda for Botanic Gardens in Conservation to Use: Part 3: Developing an Botanical Garden Action Plan

Set a Benchmark: Compare Present Programs to the International Agenda

Write An Action Plan

Botanic or Botanical? Inquiring Minds Want to Know!

Positions Available

Persons Seeking Positions

Student Seeking Experience in Plant Conservation

Horticulture Student Seeking Internship

Books Just Out

Coming Events

About CBCN

Is This Your Last Issue?

Join CBCN Today!

The Electronic Option

CBCN Newsletter
incorporating Plant Collections Newsletter: Canada

Invitation to the 2^nd World Botanic Gardens Congress