One problem with conserving threatened bulbous (or other) plants in private collections is that in many countries protective laws are so strict that it may be illegal to grow them, and especially to share material of them. Once a species is being grown in a garden, private or public, it's also exposed to other species with which it will hybridize. I confess that I grow several endangered species, at least one of which originated as wild-collected (not by me) seed. I try to get the seeds of these plants to other specialists, but they have to know that crosses may have occurred. The ideal way to preserve species is to preserve their habitats, but as Erik wrote, climate change can make this impossible. Yet we must accept that the climate has been changing again and again over the millennia, and millions of species have become extinct before human activities accelerated change. A plant species that has a single population may have come to that situation before humans intervened, perhaps as a mutation that doesn't disperse readily or that uniquely tolerates an unusual site. If it turns out to be amenable to cultivation, and pleases us, we should indeed grow it, but regard that as gardening rather than ecological conservation. Jane McGary Portland, Oregon, USA On 4/30/2017 11:07 PM, Erik Van Lennep wrote: > Here's a topic that has been on my mind for some time: > > As changing climate conditions now threaten the survival of entire > ecosystems and not just individual species, how might bulb growers create a > network of refugia to help conserve the species that grow best in their own > regions and microclimates? Are there existing projects, programs, networks > which link and include hobbyists with, for instance, botanic gardens. I'm > thinking something quite intentional and strategically focused..... > > looking forward to the discussion! > > Erik van Lennep (currently coastal Spain, zone 9-10) > > > http://www.linkedin.com/in/erikvanlennep/ > @Green_Heart > > youth and elders short video <http://vimeo.com/62177578/> > <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> > > “I know of no restorative of heart, body, and soul more effective against > hopelessness than the restoration of the Earth.” > —BARRY LOPEZ” > > .................. > > > On 30 April 2017 at 19:36, Jane McGary <janemcgary@earthlink.net> wrote: > >> ..... >> perhaps one or more of you would like to step forward and offer topics in >> subsequent weeks. Please do! There must be things you've been observing and >> thinking about in your bulb collection that would encourage others to join >> in. >> >> So think about a topic you'd like to start, and send your post, please! >> ..... >> >> >> >> > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@mailman1.ibiblio.org > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/ _______________________________________________ pbs mailing list pbs@mailman1.ibiblio.org http://pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/