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THE STATE BOTANICAL GARDEN OF GEORGIA

Until 1995 there had been little statewide coordination of plant conservation efforts. The Plant Conservation Program at the State Botanical Garden has sought to improve the way plant conservation is orchestrated and implemented in Georgia. This has been accomplished through our own research, education, and conservation programs and the creation of a statewide partnership of botanical gardens, government agencies, and non-profit environmental organizations—the Georgia Plant Conservation Alliance. The objectives of the SBG Conservation Program are:

1. to expand the State Botanical Garden's programs and public outreach in the areas of environmental education, research and conservation of rare and endangered plant species of the southeastern United States;
2. to coordinate the Georgia Plant Conservation Alliance, a statewide alliance for plant conservation supporting collaborative, statewide research and education projects; and
3. to share knowledge gained from research and education projects with the broader horticultural, conservation, and scientific communities, including its 150,000 visitors each year.

The Plant Conservation Program at the State Botanical Garden is guided by a six year strategic plan which outlines our conservation goals and activities. Our goals and programs through 1998 (year three of the plan) are summarized below.

Research
Our SBG research programs focus on endangered plants of Georgia and the southeastern United States and medicinal plant projects in the southeast U.S. and South America. As a University garden, we draw upon expertise from many academic departments including genetics, botany, ecology, and horticulture. Students participate in many of our research projects and receive hands-on training in the process. Our horticulture conservation studies enable us to propagate species for field restoration projects, garden displays, and greenhouse research collections. Current research projects include:

• endangered species of the southeast U.S.: (1) Spigelia gentianoides (gentian pinkroot), an attractive herbaceous perennial found only in the Florida Panhandle and central Alabama. Investigations include surveys of genetic diversity, analyses of reproductive biology, and development of more effective propagation techniques. This study is funded in part by The Nature Conservancy and the National Biological Service, (2) Elliottia racemosa (Georgia Plume), and (3) Baptisia arachnifera (Hairy Rattleweed); both are endemic to Georgia, and (4) southern U.S. medicinal species Sanguinaria canadensis (Bloodroot) and Serenoa repens (Saw Palmetto).
• parallel and comparative research concerning harvest, production, and conservation of aromatic and medicinal species in Argentina.
• international collaborations with Latin American botanical gardens, academic and government institutions, and conservation organizations to promote utilization, study, and conservation of aromatic and medicinal plants.

Education
The State Garden has developed innovative education programs for children and adults to communicate why plants in Georgia are endangered and what is being done to help their recovery. Programs include:

• statewide programs using the distance learning facility at the UGA Center for Continuing Education. This interactive video technology allows the presenter to communicate with students in five schools simultaneously, reaching more than 600 students around the state in 1997.
• puppet shows featuring endangered plant characters, hands-on environmental education activities, science inquiry and garden rambles.
• the Georgia Endangered Plant Stewardship Network (GEPSN). Students working with GEPSN project endeavor to reverse trends that threaten the environment by raising plants and awareness for Georgia's rare flora and their habitats.
• Green Plant Blues teacher training workshops. Teachers learn to propagate, cultivate, and create outdoor classrooms featuring endangered plants of Georgia. Science inquiry is a major activity of this program developed by SBG's Education Coordinator, Anne Shenk.

Paul McClendon and Anne Shenk with puppets