The denver botanic gardens will advance work on the long-term care and protection of alpine plants and ecosystems in north america

The Denver Botanic Gardens received a $520,561 Project Grant award from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Museums for America program (CFDA 45.301) to advance the long-term care and protection of alpine plants and ecosystems in North America. The three-year project, running from September 2024 to August 2027, will involve a cross-departmental team of experts in seed conservation, plant conservation science, and scientific data management, working in collaboration with public garden partners. Key activities include developing a web portal, increasing conservation seed collections, managing stored collections, and acquiring an X-ray machine to assess seed quality. The data gathered will be shared with the broader botanic garden community to support alpine habitat and plant conservation efforts across North America.

The team of cross departmental staff will be led by experts in seed conservation, plant conservation science, and scientific data management in collaboration with public garden partners across the country. Project activities will include developing a web portal, increasing conservation seed collections, and managing stored conservation collections. The team will acquire an x-RAY machine to conduct a quality assessment of the seed collections currently banked and those collected through this project. Data will be shared with collaborators working in alpine plant conservation and the broader botanic garden community. As a result, the garden will make progress towards the goal of understanding and conserving alpine habitats and plants in north america.