Project Partnership
PLEDGE brings together botanic gardens, nature conservation agencies and research institutions to jointly develop and implement plant conservation solutions.
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National Botanic Gardens of Ireland, Office of Public Works
The National Botanic Gardens of Ireland is part of the Office of Public Works. The OPW is a government department with responsibility for the protection of heritage, including National Monuments, National Historic Properties and numerous parks, landscapes in the West of Ireland, including a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Under the National Biodiversity Action Plan, the National Botanic Gardens has responsibility for the ex-situ conservation of the Irish flora. As lead partner, the National Botanic Gardens of Ireland has responsibility for project coordination and communications. They will be actively involved in all work packages. Key outcomes of the project will be to upscale capacity of the National Seed Bank, establish Ireland's first plant cryopreservation facility, explore the genetic diversity of priority flora and expand the diversity of plant species preserved in ex-situ conservation collections,
Natural Science Institute of Iceland
NATT is a national governmental research institute under the Ministry of the Environment, Energy and Climate. NATT’s mandate is to conduct research in botany, zoology and geology; to systematically document Icelandic nature; and to curate national scientific collections and databases. NATT will contribute with scientific expertise on Iceland’s red-listed vascular plants and bryophytes, with primary involvement in WP1 and WP2. NATT will support species prioritisation, conservation planning, and data mobilisation, ensuring that Icelandic Red List knowledge and occurrence data inform project actions. A key role for NATT is supporting Reykjavík Botanic Garden in establishing Iceland’s first seed bank facility, contributing national expertise while benefiting from knowledge exchange with National Botanic Gardens of Ireland and Nordic partners. NATT will assist in developing collection strategies, documentation standards, and links between in situ data and ex situ collections. Through management of Iceland’s national herbarium and biodiversity databases, NATT will provide reference material, verification support, and data integration.
Reykjavík Botanic Garden, City of Reykjavík
The Reykjavík Botanic Garden has long experience cultivating and documenting Iceland’s native flora and plays an active role in public education and biodiversity awareness. As a municipal botanic garden, RBG shows how local authorities can contribute to national and transnational plant conservation. The Reykjavík Botanic Garden (RBG) will help strengthen Iceland’s capacity for ex situ plant conservation in PLEDGE WP1 & WP2. Working with the Natural Science Institute of Iceland and drawing on Irish experience, RBG will pilot Iceland’s first seed bank. RBG will support species prioritisation, conservation planning and fieldwork, and contribute to shared protocols, knowledge exchange and data management. It will also join seed collection, processing, quality control and germination testing, ensuring Icelandic accessions are part of a wider safety network. Through public engagement, education and stakeholder outreach, RBG will help raise awareness of plant biodiversity loss and the role of ex situ conservation in climate adaptation.
Biodiversity Unity & Botanical Garden, University of Oulu
University of Oulu is one of the largest universities in Finland, with a broad academic base. UoO’s main contributor to the PLEDGE project will be the Botanical Garden, which is part of the Biodiversity Unit and closely connected to the Ecology and Genetics research unit and the Biology degree programme. The Botanical Garden operates a dedicated micropropagation laboratory with expert staff who have gained extensive experience in propagating endangered plant species. In addition, the laboratory is equipped with a cryopreservation facility. UoO has extensive expertise in the conservation genetics of threatened taxa and operates a dedicated laboratory for genetic analyses. UoO will contribute to most activities in PLEDGE, including preparatory actions, project communication, and networking, as well as prioritising the project’s focal species within WP1. UoO will also expand its ex situ collections and participate in seed banking activities, conduct genetic analyses of endangered plant species and share its existing expertise in micropropagation and cryopreservation with project partners and will optimise and scale up these facilities for the conservation of the Finnish flora.
