Excellent! - excellentdevelopment.com

In a new collaboration with the world-renowned Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, Excellent Development make great strides in the protection of critically endangered plant species.

Through the 'Seeds for Life' project at the Millennium Seed Bank, Kew, a new strategic partnership aims to halt the decline of over a thousand Kenyan species by sharing Kew's considerable skill & expertise. Training on seed collection, storage, germination and plant husbandry with local partners, aims to capacitate disadvantaged communities with more effective ways of managing a variety of native species of plants and trees. Many of these highly valuable and culturally important species are currently under threat from deforestation and unsustainable farming. Dr. Kate Gold, Millennium Seed Bank Training Manager, commented “Many communities lack the know-how to propagate native species and those that do are in need to proper seed storage facilities”.

A series of training days aims to encourage farmers from the districts of Makueni, West Pokot and Mbeere to set up seed collection centres in order to conserve indigenous plant and tree species like African Ebony, which make up one of their greatest natural resources. Farmer groups on the scheme will also benefit from visiting groups in other districts to compare notes on best practice.

“Supporting the sustainable management of precious natural resources is at the heart of what Excellent Developments does in Kenya”, remarked its founder Simon Maddrell.

To find out more about Kew's "Seeds for Life" project click here.