Seed banking is one form of conservation that occurs away from
the plants' natural habitat; therefore, it is considered an ex-
situ conservation method. While the best conservation method for
rare plants is to protect their natural habitat (in-situ
conservation); this method is sometimes not feasible or
sufficient. Seed banks can reduce the probability of extinction,
and preserve some of the genetic diversity of natural
populations. Stored seed can be used to reintroduce plants to an
area where they used to occur, as well as augment existing
populations that are threatened with extinction. Our seed bank
currently holds seeds of our region's rarest plants. These seeds
are held at low temperatures to maintain their viability over
time. The seeds in our seed bank can be used for plant
reintroductions in the wild as well as rare plant research.
Interested in volunteering with the seed bank? Volunteers help
us maintain the seed bank for rare and endangered plants, update
our seed bank database, and perform germinat