Korea National Arboretum Selects 20 Institutions from 18 Countries for Global Seed Conservation Grants Program

The Korea National Arboretum and Garden Management Office (hereafter referred to as the Korea National Arboretum) announced on September 22 that it has selected 20 institutions from 18 countries to participate in the 'Global Seed Conservation Grants Program (GSC Grants Program)', which is being promoted in cooperation with Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI).

Exterior view of Baekdudaegan Global Seed Vault. Provided by Korea National Arboretum

The program will be carried out over the next three years starting this year, with the aim of duplicating and storing seeds of global plant species threatened by the climate crisis in the Baekdudaegan Global Seed Vault. Funding for the program has been provided through donations from IGIS Asset Management, and the institutions announced today will participate in the first phase of the program.

Previously, the Korea National Arboretum conducted an open call for project proposals over a two-month period starting in May. A total of 52 institutions applied. The Korea National Arboretum evaluated the applicants based on their plans for collecting seeds of plant species, considering plant diversity conservation and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, as well as their program management plans, and selected 20 institutions.

The countries represented by the institutions participating in this year's program include six countries in Africa, five in South America, five in Europe, one in Asia, and one in North America, totaling 18 countries. Unlike previous years, when seeds were mainly donated by Asian countries, this year's expansion marks a significant step toward global participation.

The first phase of the program is scheduled to conclude by December next year, with seeds being stored in the Baekdudaegan Global Seed Vault according to the program plan.

For institutions that were not selected this year, the Korea National Arboretum plans to provide feedback on how to revise and supplement their applications submitted during the first phase, in order to encourage participation in next year's program.

Further details about the program can be found on the Botanic Gardens Conservation International website.

Shim Sangtaek, Chairman of the Korea National Arboretum, stated, "The fact that so many institutions from around the world applied to participate in the program's first year demonstrates the international community's strong interest in collaborative efforts to address the climate crisis. The Korea National Arboretum will continue to strengthen the role of the Baekdudaegan Global Seed Vault as an international seed storage facility."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.