Until 1995 there had been little statewide coordination of plant conservation efforts. The Plant Conservation Program at the State Botanical Garden has sought to improve the way plant conservation is orchestrated and implemented in Georgia. The Plant Conservation Program at the State Botanical Garden is guided by a six year strategic plan which outlines our conservation goals and activities. Our SBG research programs focus on endangered plants of Georgia and the southeastern United States and medicinal plant projects in the southeast U.S. and South America. As a University garden, we draw upon expertise from many academic departments including genetics, botany, ecology, and horticulture.
Students participate in many of our research projects and receive hands-on training in the process.
Our horticulture conservation studies enable us to propagate species for field restoration projects, garden displays, and greenhouse research collections. Investigations include surveys of genetic diversity, analyses of reproductive biology, and development of more effective propagation techniques. The State Garden has developed innovative education programs for children and adults to communicate why plants in Georgia are endangered and what is being done to help their recovery. This interactive video technology allows the presenter to communicate with students in five schools simultaneously, reaching more than 600 students around the state in 1997. Green Plant Blues teacher training workshops.