Conservation Principle No.4
Individuals can make a difference
It is very easy to be overwhelmed by the scale of the problem of plant conservation if you spend too much time looking at the plethora of data about rates of extinctions and habitat destruction. However, there are many examples of individuals who have not been disheartened to the point of inactivity. These people have triumphed in plant conservation programmes ranging from the planting of 30 million trees in East Africa to the safeguarding of the only UK population of the downy woundwort (Stachys germanica).
In East Africa Wangari Matthai founded the Green Belt Movement in Kenya with the help of Norwegian finance. This landmark project saw the planting of millions of trees, largely by disempowered women, providing then with sustainable livelihoods. For this work Wangari Matthai was awarded the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize.
In central England lies the town of Witney whose claims to fame include the manufacture of blankets, electing the British Prime Minister, and the last know location in the UK of the downy woundwort. This is a handsome plant that lives on the edges of bridleways but it needs the soil to disturbed for its seeds to germinate. Jo Dunn initiated the recovery programme in the 1980s and she now has a team of volunteers and institutions involved including the Millennium Seed Bank Project of Kew Gardens. These plants are important because it is the most northwesterly population of the species and in a time of climate changes these genetically distinct populations on the edge of the distribution are precious.
Whether it is 30 million new trees or one locally endangered species, individuals can make a difference and create a lasting legacy.
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