All Life Depends on Plants
Why should we care about what happens to the plants? Why does it matter?
We rely on plants for everything that sustains life: Air. Food. Clothing. Shelter. Clean Water. Medicine. A seemingly obvious fact, but one that most people do not realize. Now that you do, Join us. Save the Plants. Save the Planet.
Why are plants at risk?
There are many factors that are driving the endangerment of plants. Agriculture, urbanization, invasive species, pollution, and global warming have all played a role. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report: Climate Change 2007, “A global assessment of data since 1970 has shown it is likely that anthropogenic (human-caused) warming has had a discernable influence on many physical and biological systems.”
The report, compiled by leading scientists worldwide, is comprehensive in scope, compelling in message: the world is warming up and we humans are to blame. Our impact on this earth is having profound repercussions, changing the planet as we know it.
The reports are serious, but not hopeless—if we act now. Learn more about the issues and the role the Chicago Botanic Garden is playing in protecting the world’s plant species.
The healing power of plants
Did you know Rosy Periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus) treats four out of five children with leukemia?
A Chinese Magnolia (Ho Po) is effective for previously untreatable cancers?
Hundreds of medicinal plant species, whose naturally occurring chemicals make up the basis of over 50 percent of all medicinal drugs, are facing global extinction. Plants for Life, a recent report by the Botanic Gardens Conservation International, is seeking to identify which medicinal plant species are most at risk and what steps are needed to protect them.
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Plant Conservation
Habitat Fragmentation
Climate Change
Land Management
Restoration Genetics
Rare Plant Restoration