Botanical gardens and their living collections have unique but underutilized resources for plant biology research. Living collections are essentially large common gardens able to advance fields of genetics, physiology, and anatomy, but too few researchers take advantage of them. We will explore how collections can be leveraged to develop collaborative research programs with academic partners by building on the experiences of panelists in five botanical gardens across the country. We will address issues of scholar engagement and management, data basing, tissue collections, and ways to integrate research partners into education and outreach programs.
Presenters: C. Baraloto, M. Maunder, ICTB, Florida International University, Miami, Florida; M.P. Griffith, Montgomery Botanical Center, Miami, Florida; K. Havens, Chicago Botanic Gardens, Chicago, Illinois; M. Dosmann, Arnold Arboretum, Cambridge, Massachusetts; S.K. Walsh, National Tropical Botanical Garden, Lihue, Hawaii.
