Botanic Garden

Researchers at the New York Botanical Garden have published a series of papers in the journal Plants, People, Planet arguing that growing threats to plant diversity are narrowing the options for building healthier, more resilient food systems. The papers explain why food plant diversity matters and set out a vision for collaboration between scientists, growers and communities to protect it. The warning highlights how the loss of crop varieties and wild relatives could undermine global food security.

A botanic garden has hired a fire scientist to research how flammable native plants are. The role will focus on understanding which native species burn more readily, informing fire safety and landscaping choices in fire-prone regions. The move reflects growing attention to wildfire risk and the relationship between native vegetation and fire behaviour.