Institutes & Programs

Serving an important role in the protection and preservation of Hawaii’s and the Pacific’s botanical and cultural heritage and of its people, the National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG) offers a wide range of institutes and programs to protect and preserve tropical ecosystems and cultural knowledge for future generations. Among these institutes and programs:

Managing the most extensive breadfruit collection in the world, NTBG is home to over 120 varieties of breadfruit at its Kahanu Garden on Maui. Created in 2002 to promote the conservation, study and use of breadfruit for reforestation, sustainable agriculture and as a food source, this incredible collection is completely documented with an extensive computerized database containing location, accession numbers, names, provenance information, and general descriptions. Further research is being done to establish systematic evaluation and description of the collection, which is critical in using and sharing this valuable resource. Hopeful of developing breadfruit as a sustainable agriculture crop, research is currently underway in the Pacific and Caribbean Islands to incorporate this important food staple.

The National Tropical Botanical Garden has been a leader in the preservation of plants in Hawai‘i and the greater Pacific area since 1970. With more than one-third of all tropical plants threatened with extinction, the Conservation Program at NTBG is focused on protecting and preserving tropical plants. Each of NTBG’s gardens and preserves contains important and threatened natural resources positioning the Garden for its conservation and restoration programs. These conservation and restoration programs allow NTBG to focus on supporting plant preservation strategies including projects to control alien species, watershed management, ecological monitoring, conservation education and the preservation and protection of ethnobotanical and endemic plants.

NTBG’s core focus has been on discovering rare endemic species in addition to the collection of seeds and other plant materials for propagation and ex situ (the conservation and protection of plants outside of their native habitats) conservation. Collecting expeditions over rough terrain and high cliffs have brought NTBG field botanists far and wide throughout Hawai‘i and other Pacific islands to hand-pollinate endangered species and gather seeds of rare species, some of which are now extinct in the wild, for use in reintroduction efforts. These conservation efforts extend beyond in situ (the conservation and protection of plants within their native habitats) habitat management to incorporate a coordinated strategy that integrates conservation with education, scientific research, curation of living collections, and propagation of at-risk plants ex situ. NTBG botanists have successfully rediscovered nearly two dozen species in Hawai‘i that were originally thought to be extinct, and have discovered approximately 20 new species previously unknown to science. Central to conservation efforts, the discovery of unknown species is crucial.

More than botanical gardens, NTBG gardens are living classrooms for students of all ages and backgrounds. NTBG’s educational programs are multifaceted and multileveled, reaching out to local, national and international audiences. Underlying the educational programs is a commitment to promote public understanding of tropical plants and their ecosystems as well as traditional knowledge and practices. Through these programs as well as through publications, lectures and tours of the gardens, NTBG strives to increase the public’s awareness of the fragile state of many ecosystems and plant populations and what can be done to save them.

Garden As Classroom – Kaua‘i gardens Horticultural Internship Program

Science Teachers' Enrichment Program Tropical Ethnobotany Course
School Program - Kahanu Garden Science Teachers’ Enrichment Program Junior Restoration Team College Biology Professors’ Fellowship
Apprentice Program Environmental Journalism Fellowship
Physicians’ Course

NTBG’s Living Collections and Horticulture Program develops horticultural practices to care for the collections, propagate at-risk plant species, and ensure that the living collections in the gardens are properly interpreted and cared for. All plants introduced to the collection are recorded, documenting the origin of plant material and its status in the collections. Numerous and diverse, the categories of collections in NTBG’s gardens require an incredible range of expertise, and at times require developing new protocol for a species that has never before been cultivated. NTBG research resources include state-of-the-art nursery facilities in McBryde Garden and smaller greenhouses in the other gardens; a micro-propagation laboratory where in vitro trials are being conducted; and a seed bank, which serves as a repository for genetic resources. When determining how to give the most at-risk plants their last and best chance for survival, all techniques and methods are considered, enhancing the likelihood of survival.

Ideally situated to explore, study and conserve the endangered flora of the Pacific region, the Garden’s scientific research is fundamental to the mission of NTBG and its conservation, education and horticulture programs. NTBG’s considerable Living Collections, coupled with its Herbarium and Library, provide outstanding resources for research in tropical plant systematics (classification and naming of organisms) as well as floristics (study of the plants of a geographically or politically defined region). Emphasizing the plants of Hawai‘i and the greater Pacific region, research is focused on identifying, documenting, understanding, and conserving the rich diversity of plants and their habitats in the tropics. In conjunction with systematics and floristics, staff specializes its research on plant propagation, economic plants and ethnobotany, paleoecology, invasive species, and restoration ecology. NTBG’s journal Allertonia, covers NTBG’s scientific research and findings. Information compiled in this journal, as well as the research done, is indispensable to staff scientists and outside researchers, and is used in NTBG’s Education programs.

As a non-profit organization that was Federally chartered in 1964, NTBG relies on support from the community, private foundations, donors and its members to fulfill its mission to preserve and perpetuate tropical plants for future generations. As such, NTBG has launched a new membership campaign—Our Garden. Our World.—with new membership levels and benefits. Members’ dues help support the vital activities that make the difference in saving and understanding tropical plants, which are at the most risk of extinction. Memberships range from $50 to $1,000 and include unlimited admission for garden tours, 10 percent discount at the Garden Shops, members’ publications and invitations to NTBG lectures and events. Supporting Member ($500) and Silver Fellow ($1,000) membership levels offer additional benefits such as special edition Our Garden. Our World. gardening gloves or an Our Garden. Our World. t-shirt. For more information please visit OurGardenOurWorld.com or call (808) 332-7324 x246.

Media Contact
Caroline Witherspoon or Danielle Douglass
Becker Communications, Inc. (808) 533-4165