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INTRODUCING THE CANADIAN BOTANICAL CONSERVATION NETWORK (CBCN)
The Canadian Botanical Conservation Network is a new
initiative to develop participation in biodiversity conservation
programs among ex-situ botanical institutions and organizations
in Canada. CBCN is presently a project of Royal Botanical Gardens
with partners Environment Canada, McMaster University, and
corporate partners Merck Frosst Canada Inc., and Glaxo Canada
Inc.
The CBCN Project was officially opened on June 27, 1995, by
Ms Paddy Torsney, Member of Parliament for Burlington South, in a
brief ceremony at Royal Botanical Gardens.
The objective of CBCN is to develop a national network among
Canadian botanical organizations for their participation in the
Canadian Biodiversity Strategy. The project is at the early
development stage and is based at Royal Botanical Gardens.
Fifteen organizations have expressed an interest in participating
in the network. At this time the network secretariat consists of
one full time staff member carrying out background research,
making contacts with interested organizations, and other
development tasks. Funding support has been secured for the first
two years of the project.
At both the national and international levels there are
calls for the organized participation of botanical gardens and
arboreta in cooperative conservation efforts. These voices range
from the Convention on Biological Diversity (the 1992 "Rio
Convention") to the 1995 Canadian Biodiversity Strategy and
reports from a Canadian group examining off site (ex situ)
propagation of plants.
During the past decade there has been an effort to develop a
professional network to coordinate ex-situ conservation of native
and non-native species among botanical organizations. In 1984 the
Canadian Plant Conservation Programme was established, but this
lasted only a few years. More recently a Plant Collections
Newsletter has been produced at Devonian Botanic Gardens,
University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta.
It is planned that the Canadian Botanical Conservation
Network will be a group of organizations and individuals
cooperating to promote the conservation of botanical genetic
resources and biological diversity across Canada. The objective
of the network will be to develop active participation in
coordinated in-situ/ex-situ conservation efforts for native and
rare exotic plants in Canada.
A great deal of information on botanical diversity already
exists in botanical gardens, universities and other research
centres. A majority role for CBCN will be to seek new ways to
provide wide access to existing data. CBCN will look for new
areas for research and development in biodiversity conservation
programs and promote new projects. There are also many important
opportunities for public education, commercial participation and
cultural enhancement inherent within CBCN.
Funding to secure the development of the CBCN Project has
been obtained from five sources to date. Royal Botanical Gardens
has contributed $25,000, $100,000 has been commitment from
Environment Canada and $5,000 from McMaster University. In 1995,
funding of $2,000 was received from Glaxo Canada Inc. and a
commitment of $5,000 for each three years was received from Merck
Frosst Canada Inc.
In the future, a wide variety of information will be
accessible through CBCN, using the Internet in addition to more
conventional routes. The Canadian Botanical Conservation Network
has already established an Internet World Wide Web home page that
provides information on the CBCN project, and numerous links to
other sources of information. Visitors to the Web page can find
details on Canadian and international programs on biodiversity,
genetic resources, botany, biology and ecological gardening.
Environment Canada and McMaster University can also be reached
through the Web. A directory of Canadian botanical gardens and
arboreta is also available through the CBCN home page.
The prototype CBCN home page can be reached through the
Internet's World Wide Web protocol. The URL address (case
sensitive) for the CBCN home page is:
http://www.science.mcmaster.ca/Biology/CBCN/homepage.html
I would be grateful to receive your comments and suggestions on
this project. Please drop me a line for more information or with
your ideas.
Thanks for your attention,
Dr. David A. Galbraith - Coordinator
CANADIAN BOTANICAL CONSERVATION NETWORK
at Royal Botanical Gardens
P.O. Box 399
Hamilton, Ontario
Canada L8N 3H8
Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Tel: (905) 527-1158, Ext. 295
Fax: (905) 577-0375
