Plants for life: - Sacred Seeds Sanctuary

8. Towards an action plan for medicinalplant conservation by BGCI• Link this data to the PlantSearchdatabase and make available via aninformation portal. Continue todevelop PlantSearch as a means ofmonitoring and recording medicinalplants in botanic garden collections,as well as identifying regions where thisis a priority.• Coordinate the collection of casestudies, analysis of best practice andsharing of lessons, helping to improveboth collection management andconservation practice.Use the information available foreducational purposes (see below).2. Provide education and trainingmaterials on medicinal plants and theirconservation• Identify and publish case studies aboutsuccess in medicinal plant conservation.• Provide information and educationalmaterials about relevant policy andscientific issues, for example the ISSC-MAP and CITES and ABSrequirements.• Develop models and outreach materialsfor 35 priority species relevant to alllevels of botanic garden visitors, staffand volunteers, as well as for donorsand decision makers.The role of BGCI is to support and enablebotanic gardens to act on therecommendations made for medicinalplant conservation in the previous sectionof this report. The questionnaire surveyand consultation during this projectresulted in a very wide range ofsuggestions of activities BGCI couldundertake. These suggestions, togetherwith discussions between BGCI staff,member gardens and other medicinalplant conservation agencies have led tothe development of an action plan forBGCI’s medicinal plant conservation work,as well as the identification of key partnersfor future activities, such as TRAFFIC,the IUCN/SSC MPSG and PlantlifeInternational, as well as various nationaland local organisations and stakeholders.Activities at the global level1. Information gathering andawareness raising for over 400suggested priority species (at Annex 5)• Collect detailed information on the exsitu conservation status of these speciesand work towards ensuring that all aresecure in ex situ collections (at least 5botanic gardens), with well-documented,diverse genetic representation.Develop education materials that informkey stakeholders about the need forbotanic gardens and their role inmedicinal plant conservation.3. Promote the role of botanic gardensin CITESQuestionnaire responses to CITES issuesfavoured the promotion of appropriatecultivation of CITES listed species andlocal community participation in this,incentivising compliance andconservation without threateninglivelihoods. It was felt the focus ofcapacity building should be on24Plants for life: Medicinal plant conservation and botanic gardens