Chris Beardshaw supports call to support plant diversity

“Plants in all their shapes and sizes, known and unknown, are fundamental to our lives and to our enjoyment of our open spaces,” says TV presenter Chris Beardshaw. “But we need to be aware that plants are not just here for our benefit; we must recognise the role they play in complex habitats such as rainforests, prairies, woodlands and grasslands around the world. We cannot afford for plants to be threatened and made extinct – we need a cohesive directive from the highest level of worldwide government.”

Chris Beardshaw is supporting a global call to all governments to commit to saving the world’s plant species from extinction by endorsing a vitally important global plan of action at the biodiversity summit in October.

‘Plants for the Planet’ is the new online campaign launched by Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) to raise the profile of plants in the biodiversity debate and demonstrate popular support for plant conservation. BGCI wants to show world leaders that people care about and recognise the fundamental importance of plants. BGCI will use the campaign to persuade governments to adopt a strong Global Strategy for Plant Conservation for the coming decade. Politicians, prominent figures from conservation and many members of the public have already joined the campaign.

Sara Oldfield, Secretary General of BGCI, said: “If we don’t take this opportunity then we could lose our best hope for finding a cure for cancer, the next miracle diet or a plant with drought-defying qualities that could save hundreds of millions of people from starvation. The Global Strategy for Plant Conservation needs to be strongly endorsed and implemented.”

In the 2010, the UN Year of Biodiversity, governments will gather in Nagoya, Japan for a meeting of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) where they will be asked to ratify the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation. The strategy includes 16 targets to be met by 2020 that have been developed to address the greatest challenges facing plant species, including climate change and the global trade in endangered species.

Support for the campaign will help BGCI send a strong message to governments that countries must act now to halt plant extinction.

For more inormation or to join the campaign visit www. bgci.org or visit www.plantsfortheplanet.com now to pledge your support for plant conservation.