International Plant Conservation Scientists Visit Rookery Bay Islands

Rookery Bay Stewardship Coordinator, Jared Franklin, hosted an international group of plant conservation experts for a field visit to Rookery Bay’s Cannon and Keewaydin Islands a few weeks ago.   The visiting scientists were in Southwest Florida for a meeting hosted by Naples Botanical Garden as part of the Caribbean and Central American Botanic Gardens Network. This group brings together conservation leaders working to protect plant biodiversity throughout the region. The group included Colin Clubbe, emeritus director of Conservation Science from the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew; William Cinéa, director of the Jardin Botanique des Cayes, Haiti’s first botanical garden and Gloria Blaise, group leader of the Miami Community Resilient Sea Project. They were also joined by Lina Ramirez from Naples Botanical Garden. The scientists explored Cannon Island to observe tropical plant species growing in the coastal habitats of the Reserve.  The visit was a valuable opportunity to share knowledge about plant conservation, habitat protection and ecological connections across coastal ecosystems. The day together in the field offered the perfect occasion for bridge-building between different plant conservation professionals who all work within the greater Caribbean region.