Northwestern University is now an affiliate of the Climate Change Alliance of Botanic Gardens
The Northwestern University Ecotourism Park and Botanic Gardens (NUEBG) is verified and assessed as one of the three botanical gardens in the country, as recognized by the Climate Change Alliance of Botanic Gardens.
It was in October 2020 that the NUEBG, headed by Michael Agbayani Calaramo, submitted their research papers to the Alliance. On November 10, 2020, the Alliance officially acknowledged NUEBG as one of its members.
The Alliance was formed in 2018 during the world’s first Climate Change Summit in Australia, with people from diverse cultures, languages, and organizations from around the world responding to the global impacts of climate change. It comprises over 65 botanical organizations, gardens, and arboreta from across the world including peak industry bodies: Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI), International Association of Botanic Gardens (IABG), Botanic Gardens Australia and New Zealand (BGANZ) and the American Public Gardens Association (APGA).
“NUEBG spent more than a decade documenting the plant diversity of the Northwestern Luzon Philippines. Its endemic plants are threatened by harsh climatic conditions and human exploitation,” Mr. Calaramo said. “It is therefore the mission of the NUEBG to conserve these rare flora from extinction through ex-situ conservation in the botanic garden, and to be able to create a backup population in the wild; in the event of devastation brought by the changing climate, we will be able to augment the critical species by reintroducing new plants back into the wild, and it’s a very long and laborious work,” he added.
NUEBG’s efforts are well-aligned with the Alliance’s mission. The following are its objectives, as stated in its Charter: 1) Safeguard and steward resilient botanic gardens for the benefit of people and the planet; 2) Share knowledge and expertise to assist botanic organizations and governing bodies to make informed decisions about climate change adaptation; 3) Provide a credible and authoritative voice in the world’s response to climate change with respect to botanic gardens and plants; 4) engage our communities in how climate change is impacting our collections and landscapes, and empower them to act; 5) Provide professional development opportunities in botanic garden and landscape management in response to climate change.
See the list of members here: https://www.rbg.vic.gov.au/plants-and-landscapes/climate-change-alliance/alliance-members
