.
Morning fog at Montgomery
Botanical Center
December 31, 2007
The
Villagers Grant Funds for Montgomery Guesthouse Restoration
Designed
by architect Robert Fitch Smith and completed circa 1934, the Arthur Montgomery
Guesthouse is experiencing the effects of over 70 years of use;
exposure to south Florida moisture has affected the subflooring of the
structure. Generous funding from The Villagers Incorporated will allow
Montgomery Botanical Center (MBC) to begin restoring the Guesthouse,
ensuring the long-term stability of this important part of the original
Montgomery Estate.
Notable
biologists visited the Montgomerys from as early as the 1930s. Liberty
Hyde Bailey frequently stayed at the Guesthouse in the 1930s and 1940s.
Richard Archbold visited in March of 1938, just weeks prior to his
famous expedition to New Guinea. In 1980, Nell Montgomery Jennings
expressed her desire that the Montgomery Estate be used "for visiting
scientists, for educational or scientific purposes". In the Arthur
Montgomery Guesthouse, MBC has hosted researchers from every continent
representing internationally recognized institutions.
Dr.
Arthur Montgomery, the youngest of Colonel Robert Montgomery's sons,
was one of the original 1959 incorporators of Montgomery Botanical
Center. A noted mineralogist, he founded what is now the Montgomery
Botanical Fellows Program, which is continued through the Kelly
Foundation. The Guesthouse was formally named the Arthur Montgomery
Guesthouse in March 1992. Arthur died in December 1999; he was 90 years
old.
Montgomery
Botanical offers the Arthur Montgomery Guesthouse, without charge, to
scientists, educators, students, and researchers so they can maximize
their time with MBC's scientific plant collections.
Dr
. Patrick Griffith, MBC executive director, stated, "MBC
gratefully acknowledges The Villagers for their generous funding. This
historic structure has continuously supported the scientific community
since its construction -- this generous grant helps that tradition
continue."
December 14, 2007
Montgomery
Palm and Cycad Collections Designated
Collections of National Significance
Following
an in-depth review by the North American Plant Collections Consortium
(NAPCC), Montgomery Botanical Center's (MBC) Palm Collection and Cycad
Collection were both certified as Collections of National Significance.
"These
are important accreditations for Montgomery Botanical, which directly
verify our mission," stated Dr. Patrick Griffith, MBC's executive
director. "Each member of the Montgomery team can share the credit for
these achievements."
Chad
Husby, MBC collections manager, stated, "MBC and NAPCC share the common
goal of promoting focused and responsible plant conservation. Public
recognition of MBC's palm and cycad collections reflects the success of
MBC's ongoing efforts to practice excellence in ex-situ conservation."
Pam
Allenstein, NAPCC coordinator, writes, "[MBC] stands among a
prestigious group of gardens and arboreta that have committed
themselves to the conservation and care of specific plant collections
curated at the highest professional level." The American Public Gardens
Association (formerly the American Association of Botanic Gardens and
Arboreta), through the NAPCC, is working to promote high standards of
curation for plant collections nationwide.
December 13, 2007
Montgomery
Botanical Advances International Ex-situ
Conifer Conservation
With
support from a USDA Agricultural Research Service Germplasm Exchange
Grant, Chad Husby, Montgomery Botanical Center (MBC) collections
manager and botanist, and Ronald Determann, conservatory and
conservation director for the Atlanta Botanical Garden, successfully
obtained living tropical conifer material from the Royal Botanic Garden
Edinburgh (RBGE). For many years, the RBGE, through its International
Conifer Conservation Programme, has collected tropical conifer
germplasm for ex-situ
conservation and research. The material will be distributed among the
participating U.S. institutions including the National Plant Germplasm
System of the USDA.
For
additional details, please see the MBC
International Conifer Conservation Exchange Project Report.
December 7, 2007
Doctoral
Candidate, Craig Brodersen, Studies MBC Collections
For Photosynthesis Research
Craig
Brodersen, doctoral candidate at the University of Vermont, is using
Montgomery Botanical
Center's (MBC) extensive palm and cycad collections for
his research on photosynthesis. Palms and cycads, many of which are
well adapted to a high light environment, are good study species for
this work. Cycads are key to this study because they proliferated
during the Mesozoic Era, a time of high atmospheric carbon dioxide. By
investigating cycads in this way, Mr. Brodersen's research can
illuminate how deep plant lineages cope with changes in atmospheric
conditions.
While
here, Mr. Brodersen presented A
New
Paradigm in Leaf-level Photosynthesis: Direct and Diffused Light Are
Not Created Equal. The photo at right
shows Mr. Brodersen and
the laser-powered apparatus he designed to investigate how leaves
function under different light conditions. (Photo, courtesy Nathan
Poirier)
November 29, 2007
Ian
Watt, Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens, and Stephen Wagner
Study Montgomery Botanical's Cycads
Ian
Watt of Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens, United Kingdom, and his
colleague, Stephen Wagner, studied Montgomery Botanical Center's (MBC)
cycad collections, evaluating their horticultural potential for
southern England. Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens, located on the
Jurassic Coast (a World Heritage Site), is a location where many
fossils continue to be recovered from the local shale deposits.
While
at MBC, Mr. Watt presented a seminar on the history of Abbotsbury
Subtropical Gardens, established in 1765, which shared visuals of the
rare and exotic plants grown there. In 2006, Abbotsbury Subtropical
Gardens received a Silver Flora at Chelsea for their presentation,
which featured cycads and other Jurassic plant lineages.
November 21, 2007
Montgomery
Botanical Palm Biologist, Dr.
Larry Noblick, Presents Research and
Studies Palms in Peru
Dr. Larry Noblick, Montgomery Botanical Center (MBC)
palm biologist, was invited to speak at the recent symposium, Research for the Development of Palms in
South America. The symposium focused on the diversity and
richness of palms by country and the state of taxonomy in the genera of
major importance. Dr. Noblick presented two talks: The Palms of Paraguay, Uruguay, and
Argentina; and another on the genus, Syagrus, which Dr. Noblick
has studied for over 25 years. Dr. Noblick also participated in two
workshops, which presented objective methods for determining the
conservation status of South American palms.
Following
the seminar, the group visited palm populations in the northern Andes
including areas near Gocta Falls, where many palm species remain
undescribed. Dr. Noblick studied populations of an undescribed species
of Ceroxylon and an Attalea not believed to be in
cultivation. The group also visited a large reserve, finding Aiphanes weberbaueri and the rare Aiphanes spicata.
"The
Peru symposium was an excellent opportunity for MBC to build
collaborative relationships with the palm scientific community," said
Dr. Noblick. "Equally important was the educational opportunity to
share our knowledge with the graduate students in attendance."
November 15, 2007
Dr.
Alberto Taylor Named Montgomery Botanical Research Fellow
Dr. Alberto S. Taylor, professor at the Universidad de Panamá,
was recently appointed a Montgomery Botanical Research Fellow. During
his visit to Montgomery Botanical Center (MBC), Dr. Taylor collaborated
with MBC executive director, Dr.
Patrick Griffith, MBC cycad biologist, Michael Calonje, and MBC
collections manager and botanist, Chad Husby, studying MBC's Panamanian
cycad collections. While at MBC, Dr. Taylor presented a public lecture:
The Coontie Butterfly
(Eumaeus sp.), Foe or Friend of Cycads?
Dr.
Taylor is an expert in Zamia
biology and a longtime colleague of Montgomery Botanical Center.
Universidad de Panamá and MBC have collaborated in fieldwork
since 2000. Ongoing biogeographical work by MBC and the Universidad de
Panamá has done much to illuminate patterns of Zamia diversity. Dr. Taylor is
serving as conference chair for the 8th International Conference on
Cycad Biology to be held in Panama in January 2008.
The
Montgomery Botanical Fellows Program encourages scientific and
educational study of MBC's palm and cycad collections, linking
distinguished scientists and their work with other scientists,
educators, our next generation of scientists -- the students, and the
community. The Montgomery Botanical Fellows Program is supported by
generous funding from the Kelly Foundation.
November 1, 2007
Dr.
Wenheng Zhang, Harvard Postdoctoral Fellow
Dr.
Wenheng Zhang
studied live floral material at Montgomery Botanical Center during
the lastith
her colleague, Dr. Chuck Davis,
Dr. Zhang is researching the
evolution of floral
development in the Malpighiaceae, which has shown transitions between
radial, subradial, and zygomorphic symmetry
in its history.
During
her research visit, Dr. Zhang utilized the live plant collections at
Montgomery, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, and The Kampong of the
National Tropical Botanical Garden. She performed delicate dissections
of these
diminutive flowers, isolating the organs of interest, and then froze
these specimens in liquid nitrogen for transport back to her lab at
Harvard University.
Montgomery
Botanical is dedicated to advancing research in botany through live
plant collections; Dr. Zhang's innovative research using live
collections affirms Montgomery Botanical Center's mission.
October 2007
Montgomery
Botanical Center Establishes The Paul Drummond Fund
With
a very generous gift from Jeff Shimonski, the Paul Drummond Fund has
been established at Montgomery Botanical Center (MBC). The Fund honors
the life and work of Paul Drummond, past president of the International
Palm Society and lifelong palm enthusiast. MBC's Paul Drummond Fund
will be used to advance the conservation of palms through expeditions
to collect palm germplasm.
Mr.
Drummond was born in 1924 and raised in New York City. He first admired
a palm as a young boy at the New York World's Fair of 1939 and 1940; at
the Fair's Florida exhibit he saw the Sabal
palmetto. His love of the tropics and palms led to his moving to
Miami in 1948.
Paul
Drummond passed away on September 15, 2007. The palms he generously
distributed as seeds and seedlings from his vast collection remain a
lasting tribute. With the Paul Drummond Fund, Montgomery Botanical
Center will continue to honor Mr. Drummond through dedicated fieldwork
for palm conservation.
September 2007
Equipment
Upgrade Made Possible by Nick Kelly and Kelly Tractor
Recently, Montgomery Botanical Center (MBC) was able to
upgrade its equipment fleet with significant in-kind support from Nick
Kelly and Kelly Tractor. The Caterpillar 420DIT (pictured in front of
the Loyd G. Kelly Spindle Palm Grove) is an ideal machine for MBC's
needs. Its turbo diesel and four wheel drive capabilities will allow
significant advancement of MBC's work capacity, greatly improving
efficiency in collections' care. Montgomery Botanical Center deeply
appreciates this important donation.
Previously,
MBC's 1995 Caterpillar 416B saw 12 years of service; the MBC team
derived maximum value from that backhoe. It was integral in helping
develop the South Palmetum, building habitat for a large number of
conservation collections, and invaluable in MBC's 2005 hurricane
recovery efforts. Loyd Kelly and Kelly Tractor generously donated the
416B in 1995. (Please see Montgomery Botanical's Spring 2007 newsletter
for additional information on MBC's equipment fleet.)
The
Loyd G. Kelly Spindle Palm Grove honors Mr. Kelly's leadership and
support during his tenure as president of The Montgomery Foundation
from 1990 to 1996 -- the very important period immediately following
Nell Montgomery's passing.
The
Spindle Palm -- Hyophorbe
verschaffeltii -- is native to Rodriguez Island in the Mascarene
Islands where it is in danger of extinction.
September 27, 2007
Dr.
Angelica Cibrian Jaramillo, New York Botanical Garden, Studying
MBC's Cycas
micronesica
Dr.
Angelica Cibrian Jaramillo, postdoctoral associate at the New York
Botanical Garden, is studying Montgomery Botanical Center's (MBC) Cycas micronesica collection as
part of her population genetics research.
Cycas micronesica -- indigenous
to
Guam, Rota, Yap, and Palau -- is in steep decline on Guam and Rota due
to Aulocapsis yasumatsui
scale. In 2006, C. micronesica
was reassessed as Endangered on the IUCN (The World Conservation Union)
Red List. Montgomery Botanical Center recently received seeds of the
cycad from Guam and Rota and is playing a critical role in the
conservation of the species.
While
at MBC, Dr. Cibrian Jaramillo presented a public seminar:
Conservation Genomics of the Recently
Endangered
Cycas micronesica. Dr. Cibrian Jaramillo acknowledged
the conservation value of MBC's collections. Montgomery Botanical
Center will be collaborating with Dr. Cibrian Jaramillo on future
projects vital to the conservation of the endangered Cycas
micronesica.
September 24, 2007
Montgomery
Fellow, Dr. John Dowe, Studying
Oraniopsis appendiculata Populations
During
his visit to Montgomery Botanical Center (MBC), Montgomery Botanical
Research Fellow, Dr. John Dowe of the Australian Centre for Tropical
Freshwater Research, collaborated with MBC executive director, Dr.
Patrick Griffith, MBC palm biologist, Dr. Larry Noblick, and MBC
collections manager and botanist, Chad Husby, on his study of Oraniopsis appendiculata populations.
Dr. Dowe is gathering data on the morphological variations of the
upland and lowland populations of Oraniopsis
appendiculata in preparation for his paper on the implications
for evolutionary processes.
While
at MBC, Dr. Dowe presented two public lectures: The Palms of New Guinea and South
Pacific Palms: Diversity, Distribution and Extinction Processes on
Island Habitats. He also presented The Palms of New Guinea at Marie
Selby Botanical Gardens.
The
Montgomery Botanical Fellows Program encourages scientific and
educational study of MBC's palm and cycad collections, linking
distinguished scientists and their work with other scientists,
educators, our next generation of scientists -- the students, and the
community. The Montgomery Botanical Fellows Program is supported by
generous funding from the Kelly Foundation.
September 24, 2007
Prominent
Biogeographers, Dr. Liliana Katinas and Dr. Jorge V. Crisci, Hosted at
MBC's Arthur Montgomery Guesthouse
Montgomery
Botanical Center was pleased to host Dr. Liliana Katinas and Dr. Jorge
Crisci of the Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Argentina, in the
Arthur Montgomery Guesthouse while they studied at Fairchild Tropical
Botanic Garden's Herbarium with Dr. Lauren Raz.
Drs.
Katinas and Crisci are world-recognized authorities in biogeography and
have authored Historical
Biogeography: An Introduction (Harvard University Press). While
here, Dr. Katinas and Dr. Crisci presented a public lecture at
Montgomery Botanical Center: Southern
South American Phytogeography.
Montgomery
Botanical Center hosts scientists, educators, students, and researchers
at the Arthur Montgomery Guesthouse while they study Montgomery
Botanical's scientific plant collections. Since 1991, on-site
researchers from over 40 nations and every continent have stayed at the
Guesthouse.
September 17, 2007
Cycas Expert, Anders Lindstrom of
Nong Nooch Tropical Botanical Garden
Visits Montgomery Botanical
Anders
Lindstrom, director of botanical collections at Nong Nooch Tropical
Botanical Garden, Thailand, and Ex situ Conservation Subgroup leader of
the Cycad Specialist Group (IUCN), generously provided his insight and
expertise during a cycad walk-through at Montgomery Botanical Center
(MBC). Mr. Lindstrom evaluated MBC's cycad collections and provided
horticultural advice. MBC collections manager and botanist Chad Husby,
MBC cycad biologist Michael Calonje, MBC cycad curator Stella Cuestas,
MBC assistant cycad curator Steve Chickillo, and Christie Jones, palm
and cycad curator at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, participated in
the informative walk-through.
While
at Montgomery Botanical Center, Mr. Lindstrom also gave a public
presentation about Nong Nooch Tropical Botanical Garden. Nong Nooch is
at the forefront of cycad horticulture. It has a sizable landscaping
business and propagates thousand of cycads annually.
September 5, 2007
Fall/Winter 2007
Edition of Montgomery
Botanical News Available Online
To
keep up to date on
Montgomery Botanical Center news, including reports on
Montgomery Botanical's expeditions, research, and conservation efforts,
click on this link: Montgomery
Botanical News
August 2007
Ron
Determann of Atlanta Botanical Garden Visits Montgomery Botanical
Ron
Determann, conservatory and conservation director at the Atlanta
Botanical Garden, visited Montgomery Botanical Center (MBC) to share
his experience in conservatory horticulture. Chad Husby, MBC
collections manager and botanist, has a long-standing, collaborative
relationship with Mr. Determann. Atlanta Botanical Garden and MBC have
a history of exchanging plant material.
While
here, Mr. Determann presented a public lecture on the flora of New
Caledonia in Montgomery Botanical Center's Nixon Smiley Meeting Room.
He spoke extensively about the tropical conifer genus Araucaria. Montgomery Botanical
Center has a leading collection of tropical conifers. Conifers were one
of Colonel Robert Montgomery's early interests.
Before
coming to Florida in the 1930s, Col. Montgomery developed an extensive
private conifer collection at his summer home. The Montgomery Pinetum,
located on the Colonel's former Connecticut estate, is now a National
Registered Historic Site. A significant portion of those plants -- The
Montgomery Ornamental Conifer Collection -- also forms the core of the Benenson
Collection at The New York Botanical Garden.
Montgomery
Botanical Center is open by appointment to students, educators,
scientists, historians, botanical groups, and all others interested in
scientific plant collections.
July 2007
MBC
Hosts Dánae
Cabrera, Doctoral Candidate from Instituto de Ecología,
Xalapa
During
the month of July 2007, Montgomery
Botanical Center (MBC) hosted graduate student Dánae Cabrera in
MBC's
Arthur Montgomery Guesthouse. Ms. Cabrera is using MBC's collections
in a parallel project of her Ph.D. research, focusing on the
systematics and population
genetics of cycads.
Ms.
Cabrera is associated with the Instituto de Ecología A.C.,
Xalapa, Veracruz, México. Dr. Andrew Vovides, México's
leading cycad researcher and longtime Montgomery Botanical
collaborator, is her graduate advisor.
While
here, Ms Cabrera worked with Dr. Javier Francisco-Ortega in the Florida
International University/Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden Plant
Molecular Systematics and Conservation Lab. She was trained in the use
of a molecular marker (ISSR)
for Dioon genetic studies.
With
this project, Montgomery Botanical Center, Fairchild Tropical Botanic
Garden, and the Instituto de Ecología continue their history of
collaborating on cycad research.
July 26, 2007
Montgomery
Botanical Completes Successful
Cycad Conservation Expedition
Montgomery
Botanical Center's (MBC) cycad biologist, Michael Calonje, has returned
from MBC's Panama 2007 expedition to Kuna Yala Province. A generous
donation from MBC Heritage Member, Randal J. Moore, supported the
expedition. Mr. Moore's support also allowed for the participation of
Dr. Alberto Taylor, cycad researcher at the University of Panama.
Extensive
morphological measurements and field observations of two Zamia cunaria populations were
taken by Michael Calonje and Dr. Taylor, leading to a greater
understanding of the distribution and ecology of Zamia cunaria and laying the
groundwork for further study. Successful international collaboration
helped accomplish expedition objectives.
The
nine-day expedition resulted in the addition to MBC's collection of 471
seeds -- representing eight species and 17 accessions -- of palms and
cycads. The scientific data, photographs, herbarium specimens and seeds
collected during the expedition have greatly increased the scientific,
educational, and conservation value of Montgomery Botanical Center's
collection.
For
additional expedition information, please click on this link: MBC
Panama 2007.
June 2007
Dr.
Mónica Moraes
Rámírez Continues Research
Projects at Montgomery Botanical
Montgomery
Fellow, Dr. Mónica
Moraes R., of the Herbario Nacional de Bolivia at the Institute of
Ecology, Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, La Paz, collected
morphological data on Montgomery Botanical's Butiinae palm collections
to compare wild with cultivated specimens.
Dr.
Moraes also monitored the germination and seedling development of
Bolivia's Parajubaea and Bactris species as part of an
experiment in progress at MBC's greenhouses. Vickie Murphy, MBC's nursery curator, is working
with Dr. Moraes on this project.
While
here, Dr. Moraes presented a public lecture in Montgomery
Botanical Center's Nixon Smiley Meeting Room: Botanical Efforts in Conserving Palms in
Bolivian Gardens.
The
Montgomery
Botanical Fellows Program encourages scientific and educational study
of MBC's palm and cycad collections, linking distinguished scientists
and their work with other scientists, educators, our next generation of
scientists -- the students, and the community. Generous funding from
the Kelly Foundation supports The Montgomery Botanical
Fellows Program.
April 21, 2007
Montgomery
Botanical Center Completes
Successful
Palm Conservation
Expedition
Dr.
Patrick Griffith, Montgomery Botanical Center (MBC) executive director,
and Dr. Larry Noblick, MBC palm biologist, have returned from their
three-week expedition to Trinidad and Tobago.
Drs.
Griffith and Noblick collected a total of 4,884 seed. Of the 22 species
of native palm in Trinidad and Tobago, population collections of 14
taxa were collected, including 69 separate seed collections from the 14
species. For details of this palm conservation expedition please click
on this link: MBC
Trinidad & Tobago 2007.
During
this expedition, MBC collaborated closely with the National Herbarium
of Trinidad and Tobago at the University of The West Indies in St.
Augustine, and the Trinidad and Tobago Forestry Department.
The
2007 Montgomery Botanical Center Trinidad and Tobago Expedition was
funded by a generous grant from the South Florida Palm Society.
Montgomery Botanical and The South Florida Palm Society share a deep
commitment to palm conservation.
April 20, 2007
Montgomery
Botanical
Co-sponsors Gifford
Arboretum Lecture
at
University of Miami
Deborah
A. Clark, Ph.D., research professor for the Department of Biology at
the University of Missouri-St. Louis, presented the 2007 Gifford
Arboretum Lecture Tropical Rain
Forests and Global Climate Change: A Fast-changing Science. This
Gifford Arboretum Lecture was part of the Coalition for Excellence in
Tropical Botany (CETroB) lecture series.
Dr.
Clark is visiting Montgomery Botanical Center (MBC), planning future
research projects with Dr. Carol C. Horvitz, professor of biology and
director of the John C. Gifford Arboretum at the University of Miami,
and Dr. Jessica E. Metcalf, post-doctoral Fellow at Duke University.
While here, Dr. Clark has reviewed MBC's research collections,
reaffirming the importance of long-term studies.
April 13, 2007
Spring 2007
Edition of Montgomery
Botanical News Available Online
For
recent Montgomery Botanical Center news, including reports on
Montgomery Botanical's expeditions, research, and conservation efforts,
click on this link: Montgomery
Botanical News Spring 2007
April 3, 2007
Dr.
Damon Little of The New York Botanical
Garden Presents Public Seminar
in MBC Nixon
Smiley Meeting Room
Dr.
Damon Little, a research associate of The Lewis B. and Dorothy Cullman
Program for Molecular Systematic Studies at The New York Botanical
Garden, presented a public seminar at Montgomery Botanical Center (MBC)
on the Evolution and Circumspection
of the True Cypresses.
Dr.
Little spoke of the progress made in settling the confusion of the
sometimes controversial classification of species in the genus Cupressus. In his study, all 28
living species were sampled.
Combined
anatomical, morphological, and molecular data produced the most
complete hypothesis of evolutionary relationships to date; generic
boundaries were modified. Now, Cupressus
only applies to Old World species. New World species, formerly
classified as Cupressus, are
now placed in Callitropsis
resulting in 17 new combinations in Callitropsis.
Dr.
Little is visiting Montgomery Botanical to study cycad systematics with
Dr. Dennis Stevenson, also of The New York Botanical Garden. While
here, they have also helped in identifying and classifying MBC's
cypress collections.
Montgomery
Botanical Center educates the community through lectures, seminars, and
workshops. MBC is open by appointment to students, educators,
scientists, historians, botanical groups, and all others interested in
scientific plant collections.
March 23, 2007
MBC
Team Members Implement Data Management
Efficiencies
Chad
Husby, Montgomery
Botanical Center (MBC) collections manager and botanist, is
implementing a handheld, weather-resistant PDA interface system for
MBC. Laura Vasquez, MBC field supervisor, has also been instrumental in
this effort. The PDA interface system will allow users to view MBC's
database and enter data while in the field. Previously, field
specialists would communicate this information via radio. Using
handheld PDAs reduces the chance for error in the transcription of data
and eliminates redundancy in the time spent recording data first,
by hand, in the field and later, via computer, in MBC's database.
Michael
Calonje, MBC cycad biologist, has secured ArcGIS' ArcView software
through an Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI)-sponsored
Conservation Program grant. Using ArcView geographic information
systems (GIS) software, Michael has imported information from BGBase
(MBC's database), mapping data points on a world map. These
interactive, intuitive maps show the provenance of Montgomery
Botanical's research collections. Any portion of the map can be
magnified and, by clicking on a particular accession, its data easily
viewed. This is also an invaluable tool for evaluating the
effectiveness of MBC's collections strategy and for planning future
expeditions.
Dr.
Patrick Griffith, MBC executive director, in applauding these
developments, stated, "MBC's collections database has always been
useful and functional. Building enhanced capability and efficiency into
an existing system can be difficult, but these advancements go far
in upgrading our data management abilities. That these upgrades used
external funding makes this success even better."
March 10-11, 2007
Montgomery
Botanical
Hosts South Florida
Palm Society Sale
This
year, the South Florida Palm Society chose Montgomery Botanical Center
(MBC) as the location for its annual sale. More than 20 vendors
offered over 250 species of palms for sale during the weekend
event.
While
at the sale, visitors had the opportunity to tour Montgomery Botanical
Center grounds and see MBC's palm and cycad research collections.
"MBC
hosting the South Florida Palm Society's annual sale was a natural
partnership," said Dr. Griffith, MBC executive director. "We share a
fundamental commitment to palm conservation and horticulture."
February 8, 2007
Michael
Calonje Joins MBC Team as Cycad
Biologist
Michael
Calonje is the new cycad biologist at Montgomery Botanical Center. In
addition to broad experience in field botany and plant collecting,
Michael has worked for various botanic gardens internationally, in
management, collections, horticulture, and plant records.
Michael
brings important and specific expertise to Montgomery Botanical's cycad
program. Michael's M.S. thesis covered ex situ
conservation of cycads.
Michael has a productive history of working with MBC, having interned
in 2001 and 2002, and having conducted four international expeditions
on Montgomery's behalf from 2003-2006. Michael is well-known at MBC for
submitting excellent data, documentation, and reports.
Examples
of Michael's work can be found in MBC 2004 and 2006 newsletters.
In addition to his work with cycads, Michael has authored two botanical
field guides. MBC looks forward to significant advances in the cycad
program through Michael's efforts.
January
8, 2007
Chad
Husby Joins Montgomery Botanical
Center
as Collections Manager and Botanist
Chad
Husby has
joined Montgomery Botanical Center as collections manager and botanist.
Leading the Collections Development Department at MBC, Chad
brings a background in plant exploration, collections management and
botanical research to the position. Chad comes highly recommended by
the botanical community. "Chad possesses every skill we seek, and many
more skills -- we are lucky to find this considerable talent," states
Patrick Griffith, MBC executive director.
Chad
is ideally suited for MBC's needs, holding a B.S. in biology and
mathematics, an M.S. in horticulture, and a second master's in applied
statistics. Chad is currently completing his Ph.D. dissertation at
Florida International University, studying the Giant Equisetum. Chad
has a strong record of successful grantsmanship, local and
international collaboration, research experience in horticulture,
statistics, ethnobotany, morphology, and plant physiology, and a
serious commitment to scientific plant collections. MBC looks forward
to continued botanical accomplishments through Chad's work.
January
8, 2007
2006 Grounds Collection
Inventory Complete
Annual
grounds inventory ensures
that each plant in Montgomery Botanical Center's collection remains
solidly associated with its data. Each plant's label and mapped
location work together and provide redundancy for this all-important
linkage: inventory verifies the plant's labeled identity and its
location.
Statistics
from MBC's 2006 grounds inventory are now available on this website via
this link: www.montgomerybotanical.org/Pages/Collection.htm.
(MBC was not able to perform grounds inventory in 2005 due to the
unusually active hurricane season.)
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