Press Release, 02/22/2013

March 5 presentation by explorer of rainforests in South America

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Kalāheo, Kaua‘i, HI USA (February 22, 2012) - National Tropical Botanical Garden and Kaua‘i Community College present a free public lecture by renowned British botanist and rainforest explorer Professor Sir Ghillean Prance on Tuesday, March 5, at 5:30 p.m. in the cafeteria at the KCC Campus Center.

Sir Ghillean, one of Britain’s most celebrated modern botanists, has explored tropical regions of the world in part to better understand the vital relationship between people and plants. Prof. Prance has long been a global champion of plant conservation and environmental education. In addition to his work in the tropics, he served as the director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and helped establish both the Millennium Seed Bank Project and the Eden Project. Prance is a Trustee of the National Tropical Botanical Garden and serves as a scientific advisor to the institution.

In his upcoming lecture “Ethnobotany of the Guarani of the Argentina Rainforests”, Prof. Prance will describe the intimate relationship this indigenous group has with its natural environment, the challenges they face, and lessons we can learn from them as they fight to preserve their surroundings and way of life.

The Guarani, who live in what little remains of the Atlantic rainforests in Argentina, face threats to their sacred sites and native biodiversity as development and climate change alter this fragile region. In his fieldwork, Prof. Prance has found that some of the best-preserved forests are those in indigenous territories and has played an active role in partnering with the Guarani to establish conservation practices.

Prof. Prance’s lecture will be the first in the new “Around the World of Plants” lecture series, which is one of many collaborations between the National Tropical Botanical Garden and Kaua‘i Community College. Both NTBG and KCC share a common goal of quality education to truly change lives. NTBG is a not-for-profit institution, headquartered in Kalāheo. KCC, which is part of the University of Hawai‘i system, operates a large campus in Līhu‘e.

For information on the institutions, visit their respective websites at www.ntbg.org and kauai.hawaii.edu

---
Media contact: Janet L. Leopold, administration@ntbg.org, (808) 332-7324, ext. 213 or Jon Letman, jletman@ntbg.org, at NTBG Headquarters

  Download Adobe PDF