Skip to content

Heritage Ireland

Biodiversity Week: The International Conifer Conservation Programme

Price

Free of charge

Dates

21/05/2024 - 21/05/2024
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Location

The John F. Kennedy Arboretum

Two magnificent monkey puzzle trees (Araucaria araucana) stand side by side like sentinels at the entrance to John F Kennedy Arboretum. They are tall tree with spiky dark-green leaves. Beyond them we can see various species of trees stretching into the distance.

Meet with Dr Hannah Wilson, Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh, and Dr Darach Lupton, Curator at the National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, and learn about the International Conifer Conservation Programme and the threatened conifer species planted at John F Kennedy Arboretum.

Free event but booking essential. Contact John F Kennedy Arboretum:

jfkarboretum@opw.ie  +353 46 942 3490

Conifers are of major importance worldwide. 34% of all conifer species are threatened with extinction. The International Conifer Conservation Project promotes in-situ and ex-situ conservation. John F Kennedy Arboretum are one of the Irish sites taking part in this vital project to safeguard international biodiversity.

 In a world in which extinction and loss of plants and animals is a recurrent and depressing theme there are occasional glimmers of hope and examples of extraordinary survival. One such was the Wollemi Pine (Wollemia nobilis) of Australia, discovered alive in a remote sandstone gorge of Wollemi National Park and previously only known from 20 million year old fossils.

Twelve of these precious trees were recently planted within two of Ireland’s most important botanical collections, with six trees at the John F. Kennedy Arboretum in Co. Wexford, and six at the National Botanic Gardens, Kilmacurragh in Co. Wicklow.

Find out more about this project at John F Kennedy Arboretum with Dr Hannah Wilson, Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh, and Dr Darach Lupton, Curator at the National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin

Contact

Ballysop
New Ross
Co. Wexford
Y34 KA48

0469423490

Getting Here

Located 12 km south of New Ross (off R733)

Open location in Google Maps

Click the relevant icon below to open Maps directions

Heritage Card

Unlimited access to Ireland’s past

Buy one today

Join our mailing list

Are you happy to receive marketing material via email from Heritage Ireland

Subscribe