Frequently asked questions
Plantlife International is often asked questions on a range of topics. The answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about our international work can be found below.
What types of plants does Plantlife International work with?
Where does Plantlife work internationally?
Where have Important Plant Areas(IPAs) been identified?
I want to start an IPA project in my country. How do I go about it?
We are moving to France/Spain (or any other European country) and I would like to support a charity committed to wild-plant conservation in this country. Can you help?
Who funds Plantlife International?
Can Plantlife International fund our project?
Do you have any job or volunteer vacancies?
How many members does Plantlife International have?
Who does Plantlife International work with?
What types of plants does Plantlife International work with?
As well as vascular plants, Plantlife International also works with non-vascular plants such as bryophytes (including mosses and liverworts) and lichens. Fungi are also included in Plantlife's work, although biologists do not classify them as plants (fungi now form one of the five major kingdoms of living organisms in their own right: bacteria, single-celled organisms, fungi, plants, animals).
Where does Plantlife work internationally?
In Europe, Plantlife joins more than 60 other organisations from 34 countries in the Planta Europa network, and has active partners in the Important Plants Area programme in 13 European countries.
National partners in the central and eastern European IPA project (2002 – 2005):
Belarus
IUCN Office for Russia and CIS
Institute of Experimental Botany, National Academy of Sciences
Czech Republic
Agency for Nature Conservation and Landscape Protection of the Czech Republic
Estonia
The Environmental Protection Institute
Poland
The W. Szafer Institute of Botany, Polish Academy of Sciences
Romania
The Association of Botanical Gardens of Romania
Slovakia
Daphne - Institute of Applied Ecology
Slovenia
Botanical Society of Slovenia
Centre for the Cartography of Flora & Fauna
Plantlife International will soon be assisting projects in Cameroon, Costa Rica, Madagascar, Morocco, Philippines, Sri Lanka, the Himalayas and east Africa. See the Plants and Livelihoods section or the IPA global section to learn more about these activities.
To learn more about Plantlife’s activities in the UK, please follow this link.
Where have Important Plant Areas (IPAs) been identified?
Turkey was the first country in the world to identify its IPAs. To date, IPAs have been identified in 11 central and eastern European countries, with a major project soon to start in south-eastern Europe. In western Europe, the UK has reached the most advanced level of IPA identification and protection.
Other countries have committed themselves to identify and protect IPAs across the globe within the framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity and its Global Strategy for Plant Conservation. Plantlife International, as a lead partner for the implementation of this target, supports IPA activities internationally. IPA identification is, for instance, part of a major IUCN/Plantlife International project in Cameroon, Costa Rica, Madagascar, Morocco, Philippines and Sri Lanka.
I want to start an IPA project in my country. How do I go about it?
Plantlife International can provide technical information about IPA methodology and share information from past and current projects. Plantlife International can also help establish contacts between various partners interested in starting a project in their country, and with those in neighbouring countries that might already have a project running . Furthermore, Plantlife can offer the opportunity to become part of the IPA on-line database as a way of storing and sharing information on the best sites for plant conservation. Please contact Seona Anderson (seona.anderson@plantlife.org.uk) if you require more details.
We are moving to France/Spain (or any other European country) and I would like to support a charity committed to wild plant conservation in this country. Can you help?
Plantlife International is the leading plant conservation charity carrying out and stimulating plant conservation activities across the globe. In Europe, we are working with more than 60 partner organisations; this includes governments, scientific institutions, botanical gardens but also national charities, from 34 countries to ensure that wild plants are being looked after. If you want to support a national organisation, you might look up Planta Europa members in your country at or contact the Planta Europa secretariat at plantaeuropa@plantlife.org.uk.
Who funds Plantlife International?
Plantlife International is a registered charity, and depends on donations to fund most of its work. Anyone can become a member and contribute through membership subscriptions, donations, and by remembering Plantlife International in their will.
Charitable trusts also contribute to the cost of Plantlife International's work, as do companies. English Nature, Scottish Natural Heritage, the Countryside Council for Wales and the Heritage Lottery Fund contribute significantly to species recovery and other work.
Other major funders include the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality through the PIN/MATRA Funds of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the the Allachy Fund for Livelihoods from Wild Plants.
Can Plantlife International fund our project?
Plantlife International does not make grants to other organisations. In the UK, there are a number of directories listing funding sources for environmental projects available from the Directory of Social Change or you may wish to try the Heritage Lottery Fund. You could try to get in touch with your local or national governments to find out about funding opportunities in your area and country. The EU has several funding lines committed to nature protection and a concise “Handbook for Environmental Project Funding” on their website. Another useful source of information about EU funding for the environment is the WWF publication "EU Funding for the Environment - A handbook for the 2007-13 programming period”.
Good luck with your fundraising!
Do you have any job or volunteer vacancies?
All of Plantlife International's paid vacancies are posted on our website and are advertised in the local or national press. Please only respond to advertised positions.
In addition, as a charity, we welcome and value volunteers in our offices. Office volunteer tasks in the international unit range from researching information, developing communication material and assisting with project proposals and administrative tasks. Volunteering for Plantlife can provide you with a good insight into the international plant conservation sector. The working language in the Plantlife International office is English, though additional European languages are an asset. For information or an informal discussion, please contact us on +44 (0)1722 342730 or e-mail: enquiries@plantlife.org.uk.
How many members does Plantlife International have?
Approximately 10,500 as of June 2008.
Who does Plantlife International work with?
Plantlife International collaborates widely in the interests of wild plant conservation. Please read the Partners and Networks section to learn more.
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