Advancing Botanical Discovery
Montgomery Botanical Center is excited to support research, conservation, and study of plants from tropical habitats possible worldwide. Generous funding from Dr. Lin Lougheed and others makes these efforts possible through the MBC Plant Exploration Fund. This newly dedicated fund advances plant science and exploration efforts for Montgomery and its partners—and connects Montgomery to emerging plant researchers and garden leaders internationally.
Already, the MBC Plant Exploration Fund has led to the discovery of new species, greater understanding of wild plants, and more effective conservation of threatened palms and cycads, by linking Montgomery experts with our international botanical colleagues. Below, please see some of the recent advances made possible through this fund.
As the Fund’s founder, Dr. Lougheed will give a matching gift of $100,000 to encourage others who believe in the irreplaceable value of plants to contribute to the Fund. As an author, explorer and language expert, Dr. Lougheed sees great value in these collaborative efforts. He states: “You can’t help endangered animals and plants without preserving and conserving their habitat. All things depend on plants.”
We look forward to many more discoveries!
Lin Lougheed, center holding Explorers Club flag, with American and Madagascar team, August 2006.
In its first year, the Plant Exploration Fund already fielded 12 projects in 8 countries on 4 continents, supported 9 students from 6 universities, described 2 new species, and published 3 scientific studies—a tremendous reach! See below for some exciting examples.
Please join our search for new discoveries—please consider giving to the Plant Exploration Fund.
Every gift of every amount is doubled through the matching gift from Dr. Lougheed—your $20 gift means $40 for the Fund, your $100 will increase the fund by $200, and so on. Let’s meet Lin’s challenge to raise $200,000!
Plant Exploration Fund
Montgomery Botanical Center
Support Montgomery Botanical Center’s commitment to developing educational and scientifically-valuable tropical plant collections with a tax-deductible donation of:
In order to make an offline donation we ask that you please follow these instructions:
- Make a check payable to “Montgomery Botanical Center“
- On the memo line of the check, please indicate that the check is a donation to the Plant Exploration Fund.
- Fill out this online form, or print and complete the printable PDF form located here.
- Please mail your check and printed form to:
Montgomery Botanical Center
11901 Old Cutler Rd
Coral Gables, FL 33156
All contributions will be gratefully acknowledged and are tax deductible.
Thank you to all who have contributed and had their generous gift matched:
Lin Lougheed
Alan Curtis
Alan Meerow
Alicia Burnham
Andrew Huber
B.B. Gould
Beba & Michael Errichetti
Bob Johnson
Bradley Kelly
Bruce & Libby Mahaffey
Carl Bauer
Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart
Catherine Gratz-Griffin
Charles Beck
Charles McQuaid
Charles P. & Dorothy† Sacher
Cheryl Solomon
Chip Jones
Christine Grosse
Col. Justin Haynes
Curtis Brown
Cynthia Hernandez
Dale Brown
Dale Holton
Dale Kammerlohr
David & Sally Manz
David Dewsnap
David Martin
Debra DeMarco
Dolly MacIntyre
Don Evans
Don Hemmes
Doug Goldman
Edward Silvestri
Ellen Gall & Joe Penchansky
Elvis Cruz
Emily Hernandez
Ethan Johnson
Faith Bishock/Fessenden Family Fund
Frank Streeter
Gregory Hood
Horace & Marise Hobbs
Jennifer Richards
Joe Hibbard
John Popenoe
Jon Alexiou
Juan Espinosa-Almodovar
Juanita & Lynn Muir Sr.
Judith Parker
Judy Shaw/Shaw’s Home Maintenance & Landscape
Julie & Martin Franklin Family Foundation
Karen Lawrence
Kenneth & Nancy Graves
Kevin & Lynn McLaughlin /McLaughlin Family Gift Fund
Kim & Al Eiber
Lazaro Priegues
Lelan Nishek
Linda Apriletti Talbott
Lori Welbono
Louis Biagi
Luisa & Patrick Kelly
Lynn & Terry Cantrell
Lynn Bauer
Lynn Leverett & Lane Park
Lynn Savits
Margaret Beatty
Marian Brusberg
Mark Kraus
Mark Mason
Marlin Ebbert
Marta Magellan
Mary-Randolph Ballinger
Michael Dosmann
Michael Katz
Mike Harris
Mr. & Mrs. Kevin McLaughlin
Nancy Lee & Jonathan Kemper
Nick & Barbara Kelly
Palm Beach Palm & Cycad Society
Patricia Hicks
Paul & Beth Klugerman
Pauline Myers
Peter Mayotte
Peter† & Jean Manz
Phillip & Patricia Frost
Sallye Jude†
Sam Schmerler
Silvia Baltin
Stephen & Laurie Anderson
Steve Pearson
Susanna & Anna Ball
Sylvia Baltin
Terry Beaty
Tim Gregory
Tom Kenan
Tom S. Kenan III
Tonya & Patrick Griffith
Walter Haynes
Remote Amazonian Palms
Joanna’s studies of Attalea palms showed how these towering giants respond to deforestation, which changes how they flower. The Plant Exploration Fund sent Joanna to Acre, Brazil to further these studies of palm flowering and its relationship to conservation.
New Palmetto Species
This palm only thrives in remote corners of Curacao and Bonaire, and is new to science as of 2017. The Plant Exploration Fund sent Patrick Griffith to work with local botanist John De Frietas to determine its natural history. In addition, the Fund allowed Montgomery’s Peter R. and Stuart Y. Jennings Intern, Imena Valdes, to work with a team of Dutch students to survey these rare plants, resulting in a scientific paper on palm conservation.
New Zamia species from Brazil
Dedicated fieldwork and study by Rosane Segalla and Michael Calonje discovered this new species in remote Western Brazil. This international collaboration of students and experts also provided a detailed conservation assessment of the new species.
Tree Conservation
Montgomery is leading a Federally-funded, multi-national effort to determine the best ways to conserve trees in a garden environment. This advancement would not be possible without field-collected DNA samples from wild populations of Cacheito Palm, from a remote plateau in the Dominican Republic. The Plants Exploration Fund recently sent Xavier Gratacos and Patrick Griffith to work with expert botanists Teodoro Clase and Pedro Toribio.
Colombian Cycads
Great advances in understanding Zamia are being made in Colombia, due to the efforts of Dr. Cristina Lopez-Gallego, Michael Calonje and the Colombian Cycad Society. Exploration of new habitats, monitoring of imperiled populations, and careful study of biology and morphology are producing many new findings.
Australian Cycad Conservation
Experts from the California Academy of Sciences and Montgomery worked together to study the conservation genetics of Australian Cycas, taking the team to remote areas of Queensland. Aerial survey — by drone and helicopter — helped to locate and inventory these living treasures.
Palm Studies in Casamance
Montgomery joined in a scientific mission with Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques Genève, Université Cheikh Anta Diop, and Les Eax et Forets Sengalais to document and conserve the palms of Casamance, Senegal. New data, important herbarium specimens, novel living collections, important ethnobotanical findings, and student training resulted from this international collaboration.
Chiapan and Oaxacan Cycads
Miguel Angel Perez-Farrera, a longtime colleague of Montgomery, invited Michael Calonje to collaborate on studies of cycads in Chiapas and Oaxaca. Extensive fieldwork resulted in morphometric data, specimens, and an updated confirmation of the conservation status of these threatened species.
New Advances in Conservation Horticulture
Yarey, a threatened palm of Hispaniola, requires better understanding of the best germination media in order to improve protective cultivation. The Plant exploration Fund allowed careful seed collections which were used in experiments to gain this knowledge – resulting a featured article in HortTechnology. This scientific advancement was a collaboration between Jardin Botanico Nacional Rafael Moscoso, Montgomery and Fairchild.
Thank you, in advance, for your consideration and support!
