Ph.D. María Luján González Portela, M. Id

It is a great honor for our beloved Padre Julio Marrero Botanic Garden of Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador Sede Santo Domingo to be hosts of the International Symposium “Strategies for in situ and ex situ conservation of endangered plant populations in NW Ecuador’s Biodiversity Hotspot”.

This very important event is taking place within the framework of the project “Improving ex situ plant conservation: scaling up zoo pedigree management approaches to critically rare plants in the Pacific Rim” funded by the Walder Foundation, along with important institutions such as Chicago Botanic Garden and Atlanta Botanical Garden. Additionally, in Ecuador we partner with our great friends from Fundación Jocotoco, Reserva Tesoro Escondido and Jardín Botánico de Yachay.

This symposium promises to be an ocassion to present the efforts of botanic gardens and others ex situ and in situ conservation strategies developed in the NW of Ecuador. Furthermore, the exchange of experiences and the use of tools such as Botanic Gardens Conservation International’s PlantSearch.

I anticipate a warm welcome to our symposium.

Best wishes,

Ph.D. María Luján González Portela, Md. I
Executive director of Padre Julio Marrero Botanic Garden
Prorector of Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador Sede Santo Domingo