12. Event title:
Conserving rare and special garden plants - Plant Heritage and the Threatened Plants Project
13. Description of the core message of your event and key topics to be covered (c.100 words):
Many valuable and interesting plants of garden origin have become rare. Which? Why? Can we still find them? Does it matter? Whether you love heritage fruit or remember flamboyant pre-war hothouse flowers, find out why cultivated plant conservation is finally making waves internationally, and what Plant Heritage and the National Plant Collections do for you - in the North East, and throughout Britain and Ireland.
14. Does the event have particular local relevance?:
15. If so, please indicate what this is:
Plant Heritage has 18 National Plant Collections in North East.
16. How does your event relate to this year's theme of 'Making waves'?:
2010-2020 international agreements, the new Global Strategy for Plant Conservation and Aichi Biodiversity Target 13, are the first ever to specifically include culturally as well as socio-economically valuable plants. Plant Heritage is the leading organisation for garden plant conservation and celebrates its 35th anniversary in 2013.
The Threatened Plants Project, which has been running since 2009 in partnership with many organisations such as the RHS, the National Trust, botanic gardens, our own National Collections and private individuals, can now report its first results and conservation successes, and call for wider participation in the future.
