National Tropical Botanical Garden

TO ENRICH LIFE THROUGH DISCOVERY, CONSERVATION, AND EDUCATION BY PERPETUATING THE SURVIVAL OF PLANTS, ECOSYSTEMS, AND CULTURAL KNOWLEDGE OF TROPICAL REGIONS.

LIVING COLLECTIONS: NTBG'S GARDENS & PRESERVES ARE SAFE HAVENS FOR AT-RISK SPECIES THAT OTHERWISE MIGHT DISAPPEAR FOREVER. 140 ACRES ARE FORMALLY MAINTAINED. THE GARDEN CURRENTLY HOLDS 117,332 LIVING PLANT TAXA MADE UP OF 1923 SPECIES. A HORTICULTURAL CENTER IS USED TO PROPOGATE AND MAINTAIN LIVING COLLECTIONS OF THREATENED & ENDANGERED SPECIES OF HAWAII & OTHER PACIFIC ISLANDS. MANY SPECIES THAT ARE ALMOST EXTINCT IN NATURE HAVE BEEN REINTRODUCED TO THEIR HABITAT BY NTBG'S BOTANISTS. NTBG'S COLLECTIONS ARE STUDIED BY VISITING SCHOLARS, REARCHERS AND STUDENTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD. NTBG'S GARDEN IN FLORIDA, THE KAMPONG, IS THE FORMER ESTATE OF DR. DAVID FAIRCHILD, THE FAMED BOTANICAL EXPLORER. OUR GARDEN IN MAUI, KAHANU GARDEN, IS HOME TO THE PI'ILANIHALE HEIAU, BELIEVED TO BE THE LARGEST ANCIENT MAN-MADE STRUCTURE IN POLYNESIA.

SCIENCE & CONSERVATION: THIS PROGRAM IS FOCUSED ON PROTECTING & CONSERVING TROPICAL PLANTS. OUR FIELD BOTANISTS SURVEY MANY AREAS IN HAWAII TO ASSESS THREATS TO NATIVE SPECIES & COLLECT SEEDS & CUTTINGS FOR PROPOGATION, & ARE EITHER OUTPLANTED,PRESERVED IN THE HERBARIUM OR PLACED IN SEED STORAGE. OUR HERBARIUM HOLDS OVER 90,000 SPECIMENS. OUR SEED BANK, WHICH STORES SEEDS IN SPECIAL FREEZERS TO PRESERVE THEM CONTAINS ALMOST 17 MILLION SEEDS OF MORE THAN 900 TAXA. THE BOTANICAL RESEARCH CENTER WHICH IS THE HOME FOR THE GARDEN'S HERBARIUM & SEED BANK ALSO CONTAINS A RARE BOOK LIBRARY THAT IS TEMPERATURE & HUMIDITY CONTROLLED & HOLDS OVER 1,200 VOLUMES OF BOOKS-SOME THAT DATE BACK TO THE 1500'S. THESE COLLECTIONS ARE CRUCIAL FOR OUR RESEARCH, PUBLICATIONS AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS. THE GARDEN'S BREADFRUIT INSTITUTE MANAGES THE LARGEST & MOST DIVERSE COLLECTION OF BREADFRUIT SPECIES & VARIETIES IN THE WORLD, WITH OVER 120 VARIETIES CONSERVED IN FIELD GENE BANKS. THE INSTITUTE PROMOTES THE CONSERVATION & USE OF BREADFRUIT FOR FOOD SECURITY, AGRICULTURAL SUSTAINABILITY & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. NTBG IS ALSO A COLLABORATIVE PARTNER WITH FIU IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR TROPICAL BOTANY IN FLORIDA. THE CENTER IS DESIGNED TO EDUCATE & BRING TOGETHER BOTANISTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD TO SHARE KNOWLEDGE.

EDUCATION: NTBG BELIEVES THAT EDUCATION IS KEY FOR PRESERVATION OF TROPICAL PLANTS & ECOSYSTEMS. EDUCATIONAL TOURS ARE OFFERED THROUGH ITS GARDENS TO EDUCATE THE GENERAL PUBLIC ABOUT THE NEED TO PRESERVE TROPICAL FORESTS RICH WITH NATIVE BIODIVERSITY AND TO PROTECT OUR ECOSYSTEMS & RESOURCES THAT WE RELY ON FOR OUR OWN WELL-BEING. IN 2021, OUR BOTANICAL GARDENS HAD 73,519 VISITORS FROM AROUND THE WORLD. OTHER EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES INCLUDE FORMAL AND INFORMAL LECTURES FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC, BOTANICAL ILLUSTRATORS COURSES, INTERNSHIPS, & WORKSHOPS FOR COLLEGE PROFESSORS, HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS & ENVIRONMENTAL JOURNALISTS. SCIENCE STAFF REGULARLY PROVIDE ARTICLES IN SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS AND HAVE PUBLISHED SEVERAL BOOKS ON TROPICAL FLORA. THE LOY MCCANDLESS MARKS BOTANICAL LIBRARY CURRENTLY HOLDS OVER 20,000 VOLUMES, 3,000 ORIGINAL BOTANICAL ARTWORKS AND PRINTS, 6,000 PHOTOGRAPHS & 16,000 COLOR SLIDES. THE LIBRARY COMPRISES ONE OF THE FINEST COLLECTIONS OF TROPICAL BOTANICAL & HORTICULTURAL REFERENCE COLLECTIONS IN THE PACIFIC BASIN. WE ALSO HAVE DR. FAIRCHILD'S MUSEUM WHICH IS LOCATED AT THE KAMPONG IN FLORIDA.