The Cornell Botanic Gardens is a botanical garden located on the campus of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. It is one of the oldest and largest botanic gardens in the United States, with a collection of over 7,000 plant species from around the world.
The Cornell Botanic Gardens is actively engaged with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the world’s oldest and largest conservation organization. IUCN brings together national governments, state agencies, and NGOs (including universities, gardens, and zoos) to set international conservation priorities, best practices, and collaborations.
Cornell Botanic Gardens is a member of IUCN’s Species Survival Commission (SSC), which is the world’s largest network of scientists working to conserve threatened species. The SSC is responsible for assessing the conservation status of species and developing conservation plans. Cornell Botanic Gardens researchers and staff are involved in a number of SSC projects, including the Red List of Threatened Species, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, and the IUCN Red List Index.
Cornell Botanic Gardens is also a member of Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI), a global network of botanic gardens that promotes plant conservation. BGCI provides training and resources to botanic gardens around the world, and it helps to coordinate international conservation efforts. Cornell Botanic Gardens is involved in a number of BGCI projects, including the Millennium Seed Bank Partnership and the Global Tree Seed Bank.
In addition to its work with IUCN and BGCI, Cornell Botanic Gardens is also involved in a number of other conservation initiatives. These include the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI), which is a project to inventory the biodiversity of the Cornell University campus; the Biocultural Gardens Network, which is a network of botanic gardens that are working to conserve cultural biodiversity; and the Global Partnership for Plant Conservation (GPPC), which is an international consortium of organizations that are working to implement the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation.
Cornell Botanic Gardens is a leader in plant conservation, and its work with IUCN and other conservation organizations is making a significant difference in the fight to save threatened species.