for immediate release

Plant Conservation Benefits Gained from Simple Changes

Sharing the responsibility for protecting the environment

Media Only:
Julie McCaffrey
(847) 835-8213
jmccaffrey@chicagobotanic.org

GLENCOE, Ill. (August 26, 2009) — As part of an extensive effort to expand awareness of plant conservation issues and the critical need to address them, the Chicago Botanic Garden’s new Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Plant Conservation Science Center includes opportunities for visitors to learn more about the essential roles plants play in everyday life, and why saving plants is essential for saving the planet. Eight interpretive stations, each linked to a research laboratory or tool, will provide suggestions on changes individual people can make that will have a positive impact on protecting plants and the natural world.

Suggestions in the “Taking Action” panels include the following:

Learn which plants are invasive; remove all that are; avoid planting any new ones.
Encourage pollinators by gardening with plants that produce nectar and pollen, and provide food for larvae.
Protect pollinators by limiting pesticide use.
Encourage healthy and diverse habitats by planting native perennials, an array of flower colors, and plants that bloom in a range of seasons.
Grow plants in clusters to provide pollinators with nectar and pollen oases.
Garden with local, native seeds, and bank your seeds for future plantings.
Encourage conservation to protect habitats and plants before they become endangered or extinct.
Encourage the use of a wider range of plants.
Learn more about the plant products you use, such as where and how they were grown.
Add locally grown produce to your dinner table.
Buy plant products such as foods, woods, and fibers that are grown in a way that doesn’t harm ecosystem health.
Learn more about “community gardening” and urban agriculture.
Get involved with tracking endangered plants or collecting seeds.
Protect plant genetic diversity by conserving the wild place we have, and restore others to health.
Follow directions on fertilizers carefully to avoid adding too much nitrogen and other elements to soil.
Choose gardening and lawn-care options, such as companion planting and natural pest management, that work with natural processes.
Support tighter emission standards for cars and factories; let your elected officials know you support legislation to reduce carbon emissions.
Become a volunteer steward in the restoration of local natural areas.
Advocate for the preservation and creation of more habitat as refuges and corridors where plants facing climate change can migrate.

Because all life depends on plants, the Plant Science Center hopes to engage more people in sharing responsibility for protecting the environment.

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Editors, please note: The Chicago Botanic Garden's newsroom is online at www.chicagobotanic.org/pr. For digital images, contact Julie McCaffrey at (847) 835-8213 or at jmccaffrey@chicagobotanic.org.

The Chicago Botanic Garden, one of the green treasures of the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, is a 385-acre living plant museum featuring 23 distinct display gardens surrounded by lakes, as well as a prairie and woodlands. With events, programs and activities for all ages, the Garden is open every day of the year. Admission is free; select event fees apply. Parking is $20 per car; free for Garden members. The Garden is located at 1000 Lake Cook Road in Glencoe, Ill. Visit www.chicagobotanic.org, or call (847) 835-5440 for seasonal hours, images of the Garden and commuter transportation information.

The Chicago Botanic Garden is managed by the Chicago Horticultural Society. It opened to the public in 1972 and is home to the Joseph Regenstein, Jr. School of the Chicago Botanic Garden, offering a broad array of adult classes in plant science, landscape design and gardening arts. Through the Division of Plant Science and Conservation, Garden scientists work on plant conservation, research and environmental initiatives that have global impact. The Center for Teaching and Learning brings the wonder of nature and plants to children, teens and teachers. The Garden's Horticultural Therapy and Community Gardening programs provide nationally recognized community outreach and service programs. A program of the Chicago Botanic Garden, Windy City Harvest is an organic vegetable and plant production enterprise that provides instruction in sustainable horticulture and urban agriculture to residents of Chicago’s North Lawndale and West Side neighborhoods.

The Chicago Botanic Garden is accredited by the American Association of Museums and is a member of the American Public Gardens Association (APGA). The Chicago Botanic Garden is also host to Botanic Gardens Conservation International-U.S., and a member of the Center for Plant Conservation. In 2006, the Chicago Botanic Garden received the Award for Garden Excellence, given yearly by the APGA and Horticulture magazine to a public garden that exemplifies the highest standards of horticultural practices and has shown a commitment to supporting and demonstrating best gardening practices.