In 1995, representatives from a diverse group of organizations agreed to form a new statewide organization—the Georgia Plant Conservation Alliance. The driving concept behind the new Alliance was to bring together institutions from around the state to develop and implement a cooperative agenda of plant conservation programs.

Our hope was that by sharing our individual resources and fields of expertise we could collectively begin to reverse the patterns of extinction and destruction of critical habitat that are overwhelming our native flora. We also hoped to cut through some red tape and bureaucratic inertia in the process.

We organized our activities around four specific projects, chosen to represent a range of research and management approaches. We also adopted what is known as an "integrated conservation strategy," combining on-site and off-site activities and utilizing a range of technologies drawn from ecological, genetic, and horticultural sciences. Each project involves a team of participants—botanical garden staff, land managers, state and federal botanists, and university-based scientists—working side-by-side. In most cases the informal network of collaborators has grown to include private landowners, volunteers, and conservation professionals in Georgia and adjacent states. Our first four projects are identified and described in this newsletter. The details of their design illustrate the many-faceted but cooperative nature of GPCA's approach.

The second major commitment of the Alliance is to highlight Georgia's rich natural heritage and its present state of endangerment. This effort draws upon one of the greatest resources of the Alliance—a built-in audience of hundreds of thousands of people who visit and support its member institutions. GPCA participants include skilled educators experienced in bringing the subject of plant conservation to life through in-school programs, garden exhibits, publications, field trips, and electronic media. Establishment of the Georgia Endangered Plant Stewardship Network is one of the Alliance's most exciting accomplishments.

One of the most pleasant surprises during our first two years has been how relatively smoothly the gears of this new organization have meshed. In part this is due to the fact that many GPCA participants have been working together on smaller projects for years; pieces of the network were already in existence. We also made a conscious decision to stay lean and grow slowly. By focusing on specific projects, we hoped to avoid creating a bureaucratic marshmallow that would collapse upon itself when initial funds or enthusiasm ran out. Finally, the timing was right. Georgia needs a coordinated effort to protect its endangered flora. GPCA member institutions saw the wisdom of joining forces in the effort. We hope this webpage will explain our mission to interested individuals as well as to all the other organizations around the state that are working towards similar goals. Save the plants!

Above: GPCA Chair Jim Affolter and UGA student Kitty Esco