Chile IN PICTURES: A conservation adventure

16.11.09

In March 2009 plant collectors from the UK and Chile set off to hunt for rare and endangered species with the vision of conserving these species for the future.

They collected 95 species - made up of over 500,000 seeds - that will join seed collections at the Millennium Seed Bank in the UK and the INIA Seed Bank in Chile.

All images courtesy of Jo Wenham, Plant Propagation and Conservation Manager, Wakehurst Place, Kew.

plant collecting team on a boat

The team hunting for specimens by boat in a fjord

data collecting in chile

Jo Wenham gathering data about native Chilean plants

collecting specimens from pampas grass

Collecting seed from pampas grass

fuchsia magellanica

Fuchsia magellanica, found wild in Chile, has become popular in cultivation

auracaria auracana in chile

Stands of monkey puzzle trees grace the skyline in Chile

auracaria araucana and chilean landscape

Monkey puzzles are listed as vulnerable on the Red List of threatened species

collecting seeds from auracaria araucana

It is said there are more ornamental monkey puzzles in the UK than remain wild in Chile

cones of araucaria araucana

The male cones of a monkey puzzle tree

chaiten village

The town of Chaitén was all but destroyed by a volcanic eruption in 2008

sea lion in chile

Sea lions watched the team collect seed from the fjords

sunset over chilean expedition

Related links:

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