Learn what’s new and exciting at the Hawai’i Island Seed Bank by reading the periodic newsletters below. Further down the page are pertinent research articles about seed collecting, seed banking and the vital importance of this activity in combating climate change and preserving the planet’s biodiversity.
Hawai’i Island Seed Bank Newsletters
- HISB Newsletter 1.1 Spring 2020 Content: Seeds for Our Future, ‘Ōhi’a Seed Collections, Meet the HISB Interns and Seed Collections at Nāpu’u Conservation Project.
- HISB Newsletter 2.1 Spring 2021 Content: A New Home for HISB, Seed Collections at Ka’ūpūlehu Dryland Forest Preserve, Environmental Defenders Uganda: Terraformation’s Newest Seed Banking Partner
Seed Banking Research & Strategies
- “Seed freeze sensitivity and ex situ longevity of 295 species in the native Hawaiian flora” – This extremely important research effort investigates native Hawaiian seed viability and longevity in storage. The ongoing research is vital to conservation and land managers who are working diligently to conserve Hawaii’s threatened and endangered flora and restore Hawaii’s degraded forests.
- “Challenges to the Reforestation Pipeline in the United States” – This latest research points “to a lack of a robust seed supply that impedes the ability to achieve reforestation goals.” … “In addition to the limited supply of seeds, the ability to properly clean, process, and store seeds requires specialized expertise, equipment, and storage facilities to ensure seed viability is maintained for years or decades.”
- The National Seed Strategy – The U.S. National Seed Strategy helps guide ecological restoration for native plant communities across the United States. This is accomplished by fostering interagency collaboration to guide the development, availability, and use of seed needed for timely and effective restoration.
- Hawaii Strategy for Plant Conservation – Hawaii also has a strategy and groups collaborating to conserve and reduce threats to native plant species. The first phase of Hawaii’s strategy is to strengthen ex situ conservation efforts by “building capacity and increasing the quality and quantity of collections at seed banks, botanical gardens, nurseries and other facilities working to prevent plant extinction.”