A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of visiting two of the United Kingdom’s most esteemed scientific and cultural institutions: the Royal Botanic Gardens (RBG), Kew, at both its London and Wakehurst, Sussex locations, and the Natural History Museum of London. As part of a delegation from the UP Los Baños Museum of Natural History and the Masungi Georeserve Foundation, we participated in the formal handover of JC’s Vine (Strongylodon juangonzalezii) specimens to RBG, Kew. This donation marks a significant step in promoting the Philippines’ unique biodiversity and strengthening international collaboration on the research and conservation of this rare species.
Prior to the seed donation, the parties took careful measures to ensure proper inspection and transportation of the plant material and to guarantee fair access and benefit-sharing in accordance with international guidelines. The importance of collaborating with global botanic gardens like RBG, Kew, in conserving endemic species cannot be overstated. Both in-situ (in the wild) and ex-situ (outside natural habitat) conservation efforts are critical, especially when a species' natural habitat faces severe threats from destructive activities and short-sighted policies.
“We look forward to seeing JC's Vine thrive outside its natural habitat, allowing more people to appreciate its beauty,” said Michelle D.R. Alejado, a member of the team that discovered JC’s Vine in 2015, during the turnover ceremony.
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