Center for Conservation Strategy: Get Involved

Science Talk Blog

From the field to the lab, The New York Botanical Garden’s scientists aren’t just about white coats and microscopes—they’re adventurous and determined globe-trotters who live to discover, understand, and preserve Earth’s biodiversity. To reveal the complex and challenging nature of the groundbreaking research taking place here and around the world, NYBG has launched Science Talk, a blog dedicated to the far-reaching work of the Garden’s botanical specialists.

More information: Science Talk Blog

Conservation Symposia

Each year, NYBG hosts a public symposium on a timely plant, algal, or fungal conservation topic. The symposium consists of presentations by invited experts, followed by a panel discussion, and concludes with questions and answers. The events help mobilize the public around conservation priorities, and past symposia include a Native Plants Summit and an Invasive Species Summit.

2017 Symposia:

March 3, 2017: Entwined: Plants, Exploration, and Our Future
March 9, 2017: Threshold: Biodiversity, Climate, and Humanity at a Crossroads
March 10, 2017: Preserving the Mighty Oak

Citizen Science Program

Citizen science, or public participation in scientific research (PPSR), is the use of scientifically-literate people to collect data, generate results, and generally conduct science. Citizen science projects have the ability to collect large amounts of data, due to large volunteer groups, but usually require technical or scientific staff to analyze data and decipher patterns. At its simplest, citizen scientists collect data following clear protocols and report those back to researchers. At NYBG, most of our citizen science programs relate to seasonal changes in plants, animals, and the environment.

If you are looking to get involved with NYBG citizen science, please contact Volunteer Services or visit NYBG Citizen Science.

Small Grants Program

The CCS is launching an annual competitive small grants program to provide pilot funding to Honorary Research Fellows who are at organizations other than NYBG. The program will stimulate studies on targeted plant, algal, or fungal conservation themes, and foster new biodiversity leaders in association with the CCS and its affiliates to build and sustain the conservation community.

For more information, contact bboom@nybg.org.

NYBG Field Trips

Each year trips are organized to local and regional sites of conservation concern. Trips are advertised and available on a first-come basis. NYBG experts and their collaborators co-lead these day trips.

For more information, contact bboom@nybg.org.

NYBG Urban Naturalist Program

Starting in spring 2017, NYBG will offer a new NYBG Urban Naturalist Program, which will provide an overview of the living and nonliving components that make up Nature in today’s urban landscapes. Through this new program, graduates will become certified to work as volunteer or entry level researchers, making original observations and collecting quality data needed by scientists studying aspects of urban biodiversity.

More information available in the Fall/Winter NYBG Adult Education Catalog

Science Internships

Each year, the Botanical Garden places 25–30 post-graduate, undergraduate, and high school interns in its diverse programs in plant science and conservation. Working directly with Garden scientists and their technical teams, interns participate in cutting-edge research in systematic botany, molecular phylogenetics, structural botany, genomics, bioinformatics, geographic information systems, economic botany, and conservation. Internships offer a taste of the culture of plant research, allow students to explore their interests in science and conservation, and provide excellent educational experiences to include in resumes.

More information: Science Internships

NYBG Adult Education

The Garden’s Adult Education Program offers more than 30 courses in plant science. In addition, the Botany Certificate Program allows students to select one of three areas of concentration: Field Botany, Plant Systematics, or Ethnobotany.

More information: NYBG Adult Education, Current Catalog