Global knowledge sharing and capacity building for seed conservation
A group of volunteer experts in the IUCN Species Survival Commission
The mission of the Seed Conservation Specialist Group is to promote seed conservation by providing a network for knowledge-sharing in different ecosystems around the world, and aiding in prioritization, capacity building, and development of best practices.
We have > 100 members, from > 25 countries on 6 continents, including seed bank managers, academic researchers, conservation practitioners, national and international coordinators, and other specialists from around the world.
We work with the IUCN Species Survival Commission to achieve “a just world that values and conserves nature through positive action to reduce the loss of diversity of life on earth.”
Latest News
SCSG members coauthor The Global Seed Bank Index
Members of the SCSG collaborated on a white paper just released by Terraformation, The Global Seed Bank Index: Thousands of Seed Banks Are Needed to Address Seed Supply Shortages in Ecosystem Restoration. It can be freely viewed and downloaded here.
Contributions Invited for SCSG Newsletter
Our latest special issue of the SCSG Newsletter can be found here. We are currently accepting contributions, including original research and features about seed conservation projects. Contact us to contribute your work to our next issue.
Seed Conservation Directory of Expertise
The Seed Conservation Directory of Expertise contains information on individuals, facilities, and expertise related to seed conservation, focused on plant species of wild origin. This free, interactive, online tool benefits the global plant conservation community through expanding seed conservation networks, facilitating the exchange of information and ideas, and enabling better seed conservation stewardship by facilitating connections, collaborations, and exchange.
IUCN Guidelines for Seed Conservation
One of our ongoing projects in 2020 is creating IUCN Guidelines for Seed Conservation. Existing guidelines (like the ones pictured) mention plants and seeds briefly, in the context of all biodiversity. Our guidelines will build on existing IUCN and national-level documents to create a plant-focused, global overview of best practices for using wild seeds in conservation programs.
Seed photographs, listed from top to bottom: Sterculia nobilis (ping po, China), by Marian Chau; Acampe rigida (a rare orchid, China) by Fan Xuli