NEWS
April 2010
The seed bank has officially launched its Restoration Collection by posting a species target list on this website. The list comprises 543 species of vascular plants that are characteristic of common native habitats in the tallgrass prairie region and are important for habitat restoration work. Our goal is to collect seeds of each species from a population in each of 12 ecoregions represented in the tallgrass prairie. We are soliciting botanists throughout the Midwest to help us reach our goal. A stipend of $90, plus shipping expenses will be awarded for each collection.
October 2009
The Millennium Seed Bank Project completed its goal of banking seeds of 10% of the world’s flora or 24,200 plants. The Dixon National Tallgrass Prairie Seed Bank contributed over 1,300 collections towards that goal. Although that project is complete we will continue to collect the species that remain on MSB target list.
November 2007
Thanks to American Eagle Outfitters and the volunteer group they put together to help clean seeds of tallgrass prairie plant species on November 7th here at Chicago Botanic Garden! Their hard work contributed to our efforts to seedbank native plant species as part of the Seeds of Success and Millennium Seed Bank Project.
Recently Mary Byrne, National Collections Data Manager, and the national Seeds of Success project office published the 2006 Seeds of Success Annual Report. Have a look to learn more about Chicago Botanic Garden’s role in the national project, as well as more information on the other participating collecting institutions.
2006 Seeds of Success Annual Report
October 2007
Great article from The Nature Conservancy Magazine profiling Jay Stacy and his work at Nachusa Grasslands Preserve in north-central Illinois. Our project has collected many seeds from Nachusa and their staff and volunteers have been so helpful and knowledgeable in helping with our efforts to conserve native seeds. Check out their extraordinary work here: http://www.nature.org/magazine/autumn2007/features/index.html
September 2007
Thanks to the group of students and faculty from Lake Forest College who volunteered to clean seeds for the Seeds of Success/Millennium Seed Bank Project here at CBG, as part of their International Day of Service on Saturday September 29, 2007!
August 2007
We sent off our first shipment of cleaned seeds from the 2007 field season to the Millennium Seed Bank Project, Wakehurst Place, UK on August 20, 2007. Thanks to all the hard work from our volunteers!