The BGCI - Botanic Gardens Conservation International launched the Global Seed Conservation Challenge Awards. With over 180 member gardens, the GSCC works to both support and challenge botanic gardens to work outside their garden walls to collect, bank and conserve seeds of threatened species towards Target 8 of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation. As part of the GSCC, BGCI will be awarding prizes for seed conservation at the 6th Global Botanic Garden Congress (6GBGC).

There will be a GSCC Award for the botanic garden that;

1. Has made the greatest progress in collection of seeds
2. Conserves the greatest proportion of threatened species in their collection
3. Conserves the most interesting useful species
4. Conserves the most difficult species to collect
5. Conserves the rarest or most threatened species

Nominations
Prize winners for the 1st and 2nd award will be chosen by BGCI based on PlantSearch records and supporting information. We are asking botanic gardens to nominate themselves for the 3rd, 4th and 5th awards. Please see the attached flyer and guidelines for more information on how to enter the competition! Gardens can apply to multiple categories.

Judges
Our judging panel will comprise of a 3 representatives from The Crop Trust, RBG Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank Partnership and BGCI.

Prizes
Winning gardens will have their registration costs to the 6GBGC covered and receive a plaque to commemorate their achievement.

Deadline
The deadline to apply is 20th of March and applications can be made by filling in the GSSC Awards Form.

For more information visit the Global Seed Conservation Challenge website