How BGCI helped gardens through COVID-19

COVID-19 has had a huge impact in the past couple of year across the world, in terms of our abilities to go about our normal lives and also on our finances. BGCI has supported botanic gardens during these hard times through our materials on our website, online training courses, freely available to members; and also financially, through our Global Botanic Garden Fund, Covid-19 Support Grants. 

One of the recipients of the 2020 Covid-19 Support Grants was Puebla University Botanical Garden (JBU-BUAP) in Mexico through the project “Support in operational activities for Puebla University Botanical Garden as a result of COVID19”.  

“We wholeheartedly appreciate the support received and hope to continue working with you as before” Michelle Xicotencatl Lozano

During the pandemic the Puebla University Botanical Garden was closed to the public, receiving very little financial help for basic maintenance. Through the GBGF, Puebla University Botanical Garden continued propagation of 1,135 plants like Quercus tuitensis, Pinus culminicola, Beaucarnea gracilis, B. olsonii, B. macrocarpa and Croton rosarianus. The project also covered supplies for the seed laboratory, for example, for the processing of the seeds of Furcraea macdougallii (a species Extinct in the Wild), Jatropha oaxacana, and general maintenance of laboratory equipment.

Finally, the project also covered maintenance of herbarium specimens with 1,500 bristol cardboard purchased serving to mount 60 samples on the Herbarium open day.  

The project was 100% completed, benefiting three areas of the Garden which are: Herbarium, Propagation and Seed Bank.

See Michelle Xicotencatl Lozano talking about the impact of COVID-19 on their botanic garden and how the GBGF helped alleviate some of the problems.