Westonbirt Arboretum seed collection expeditions
Westonbirt’s tree conservationists travel overseas and carry out permitted seed collection, following in the footsteps of intrepid ‘plant hunters’ 200 years ago.
Nowadays our overseas seed collection is carried out for scientific purposes to:
- Improve the level of identification and verification of a tree collection.
- Improving the status of the collection as a resource for science, research, study, education and learning.
- Increase conservation value of the collection.
- Collaborate with other botanic institutes to help conserve threatened trees nationally and internationally.
Since 2005 Westonbirt has once again participated in a programme of wild seed collecting, working in collaboration with international partners. Our expedition programme is ongoing.
Westonbirt has collected in:
2005 - Turkey
2008 - Japan
2009 - Chile
2011 - Japan
2014 & 2015 - USA
2016 & 2017 - Italy
2023 - Taiwan: read more about this expedition
2024 - Greece: read more about this expedition
We have been able to carry out these expeditions with thanks to funds raised by our partner charity the Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum.
Further expeditions are vital for us to continue this collaborative, international conservation work.