美国 植物保护中心 CPC – 拯救美国及加拿大境内最濒危的野生植物

机构概况与历史沿革

美国植物保护中心 (Center for Plant Conservation, 简称 CPC) 是 1984 年成立的非营利 501(c)(3) 组织, 总部起初设在马萨诸塞州牙买加平原 (Jamaica Plain, MA), 后迁至加利福尼亚州埃斯孔迪多/怀尔德马一带, 并加入 IUCN 会员网络。机构由植物学家 Don Falk 等人联合发起, 联邦税号 EIN 22-2527116, 运作宗旨是把美国本土、属地及加拿大境内最濒危的野生植物物种从灭绝边缘挽救回来。

国家收藏与参与机构网络

CPC 牵头维护的「国家收藏」(National Collection) 是北美最重要的迁地保护 (ex situ) 活体植物集合之一, 目前收录约 2,600 余种北美最濒危的本土植物, 跨越种子库、苗圃、园艺展示、组织培养与液氮冷冻保存等多种形式。整个网络由 85 家左右的参与机构 (Participating Institutions) 共同托管, 成员覆盖植物园、树木园、动物园、大学标本馆与政府部门, 每家机构对所托管物种承担长期保存责任。

重点项目与区域协作

围绕国家收藏, CPC 推动多项区域性保护计划。California Plant Rescue (CaPR) 自 2014 年起联合加州八家植物园与加州本土植物学会, 系统收集加州及加州植物区系的稀有物种; Florida Plant Rescue (FLPR) 则针对佛罗里达州约 200 种全球性稀有植物开展种子抢救, 已收录 3,200 余种该州原生植物。机构还维护「传粉者数据库」(Pollinator Database)、「再引入登记」(Reintroduction Registry) 与「稀有植物查找器」(Rare Plant Finder), 为研究与野外回归提供数据支撑。

教育与最佳实践研究

CPC 设立 Rare Plant Academy 在线学院, 把机构数十年沉淀的保护方法整理成体系化课程与视频, 配套运行 Community Forum 供从业人员讨论种子库、文档管理、非常规物种保育 (Exceptional Species Curation) 等专题。Best Practices 系列手册涵盖常规种子库、非常规种子库、再引入、园艺栽培与监测等环节, 由 Institute of Museum and Library Services 等机构资助。CPC 还与 San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance 合作开展种子寿命与冷冻保存研究, 是同类研究的主要协作方之一。

公众参与与倡导

CPC 通过「物种认养计划」(Plant Sponsorship Program) 让公众为单个物种提供长期经费支持, 起步金额 10,000 美元, Premium 等级 25,000、50,000、100,000 美元不等; 也接受一次性捐赠和遗产捐赠。机构在联邦层面开展政策倡导, 推动与原生植物保护相关的立法, 每年举办全国年会 (National Meeting) 汇集全美保育人员交流方法。

Organization Overview

The Center for Plant Conservation (CPC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1984, originally based in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, and now headquartered in the Escondido–Wildomar area of Southern California. Co-founded by botanist Don Falk, CPC joined the IUCN membership network in January 1988 and operates under EIN 22-2527116. Its mission is to prevent the extinction of the rarest native plants of the United States, its territories, and Canada.

National Collection and Partner Network

The National Collection is the backbone of CPC’s work, currently safeguarding more than 2,600 of the rarest native plants of the United States in ex situ forms including seed banks, nursery beds, garden displays, tissue culture and cryopreservation tanks. The collection is distributed across approximately 85 Participating Institutions, ranging from botanical gardens and arboreta to zoological institutions and university herbaria. Each institution takes long-term responsibility for the species it stewards.

Programs and Regional Partnerships

Beyond the National Collection, CPC coordinates several regional and applied programs. The California Plant Rescue (CaPR) network, launched in 2014, brings together eight California gardens to conserve the state’s flora; Florida Plant Rescue (FLPR) targets roughly 200 globally rare Florida species within a state flora of more than 3,200 natives. CPC also maintains the Pollinator Database, Reintroduction Registry, Rare Plant Finder, and a California native plant seed initiative that together support reintroduction and recovery work.

Education and Best-Practices Research

CPC runs the Rare Plant Academy, an online hub that converts decades of institutional experience into structured courses and video modules. A Community Forum accompanies the Academy, with topical boards on conventional seed banking, exceptional species curation, and documentation. The Best Practices series covers collecting, banking, cultivation, and reintroduction. Cryopreservation research is conducted in partnership with the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and supported by grants such as an Institute of Museum and Library Services National Leadership Grant.

Public Engagement and Advocacy

CPC’s Plant Sponsorship Program invites individuals and groups to fund the long-term care of a single species, with a base level of US$10,000 and Premium levels of US$25,000, 50,000, and 100,000. The organization also runs a national-level advocacy program, mobilizes supporters around legislation that affects rare plants, and hosts an annual National Meeting for conservation practitioners from across the United States.

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