National Tropical Botanical Garden
Encyclopedia
The National Tropical Botanical Garden is a group that sponors preservation of plants native to the tropics
in a network of botanical garden
s and preserves.
The group is a not-for-profit non-governmental institution holding a congressional charter
under Title 36 of the United States Code
.
The mission of the NTBG is to enrich life through discovery, scientific research, conservation, and education by perpetuating the survival of plants, ecosystems, and cultural knowledge of tropical regions.
This mission would be achieved through: a network of diverse gardens and preserves in Hawai`i and Florida, each with significant biological, cultural, and historical resources; conservation, research, and reference collections (living, library, and herbarium) assembled through discovery and collaboration; research in botany, ethnobotany, horticulture, conservation biology, and restoration ecology through programs and institutes; educational courses, publications, lectures, and visitor programs; and facilities and infrastructure to conduct this work.
NTBG is headquartered in Kalāheo
, on the island of Kauai
in the state of Hawaii
at 3530 Papalina Road, 21°54′24"N 159°30′40"W.
The building was originally designed by architect Vladimir Ossipoff
.
The Juliet Rice Wichman Botanical Research Center building constructed in 2003 under Dean Sakamoto was made of concrete to survive hurricanes. Hurricane Iniki
devastated the area in 1992.
Garden sites are:
Thousands of species have been gathered from throughout the tropical world, through hundreds of field expeditions by staff and through collaborations with other institutions and researchers. Its living collections include the largest assemblages of native Hawaiian plant species and of breadfruit cultivars in existence.
Tours of each of the gardens are available.
Preserves are also an important component of the NTBG. The preserves are seen as a refuge for nature, providing habitat for native and tropical plant species to mature and reproduce in a natural setting without the influence of human activity. They have also provided scientists the necessary means for the reintroduction of critically endangered species that are no longer found in the wild. These preserves act as large laboratories for experiments in conservation biology. The NTBG currently possesses and manages three preserves: the Ka‘upulehu
Preserve, which was acquired in the early 1970s on the island of Hawai‘i
; the Awini Preserve, which was acquired in 1975 on the island of Hawai‘i; and the Limahuli Preserve, which was acquired in 1994 on the island of Kaua‘i.
At present, preserves are not open to the public.
as a highly nutritional answer to global food shortages.
The mission of the Breadfruit Institute is to promote the conservation and use of breadfruit for food and reforestation. The Institute is taking a leading role in the conservation of breadfruit diversity and ethnobotanical research documenting traditional uses and cultural practices involving breadfruit.
Tropics
The tropics is a region of the Earth surrounding the Equator. It is limited in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere at approximately N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere at S; these latitudes correspond to the axial tilt of the Earth...
in a network of botanical garden
Botanical garden
A botanical garden The terms botanic and botanical, and garden or gardens are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word botanic is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is a well-tended area displaying a wide range of plants labelled with their botanical names...
s and preserves.
History
In the early 1960’s a group approached the U.S. Congress to charter a tropical botanical garden on U.S. soil. In 1964, Public Law 88-449 was enacted which chartered the Pacific Tropical Botanical Garden (which would later be changed to National Tropical Botanical Garden).The group is a not-for-profit non-governmental institution holding a congressional charter
Congressional charter
A congressional charter is a law passed by the United States Congress that states the mission, authority and activities of a group. Congress issued federal charters from 1791 until 1992 under Title 36 of the United States Code....
under Title 36 of the United States Code
Title 36 of the United States Code
Title 36 of the United States Code outlines the role of Patriotic Societies and Observances in the United States Code.*Subtitle I—Patriotic and National Observances and Ceremonies*Subtitle II—Patriotic and National Organizations...
.
The mission of the NTBG is to enrich life through discovery, scientific research, conservation, and education by perpetuating the survival of plants, ecosystems, and cultural knowledge of tropical regions.
This mission would be achieved through: a network of diverse gardens and preserves in Hawai`i and Florida, each with significant biological, cultural, and historical resources; conservation, research, and reference collections (living, library, and herbarium) assembled through discovery and collaboration; research in botany, ethnobotany, horticulture, conservation biology, and restoration ecology through programs and institutes; educational courses, publications, lectures, and visitor programs; and facilities and infrastructure to conduct this work.
Sites
Kalaheo, Hawaii
Kalāheo is a census-designated place in Kauai County, island of Kauai, Hawaii, United States...
, on the island of Kauai
Kauai
Kauai or Kauai, known as Tauai in the ancient Kaua'i dialect, is geologically the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands. With an area of , it is the fourth largest of the main islands in the Hawaiian archipelago, and the 21st largest island in the United States. Known also as the "Garden Isle",...
in the state of Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
at 3530 Papalina Road, 21°54′24"N 159°30′40"W.
The building was originally designed by architect Vladimir Ossipoff
Vladimir Ossipoff
Vladimir ‘Val’ Ossipoff was an American architect best known for his works in Hawaii.Vladimir Ossipoff was born November 25, 1907 in Vladivostok, Russia, but grew up in Tokyo, Japan, where his father was a military attaché of the Russian embassy, and emigrated to the United States in 1923...
.
The Juliet Rice Wichman Botanical Research Center building constructed in 2003 under Dean Sakamoto was made of concrete to survive hurricanes. Hurricane Iniki
Hurricane Iniki
Hurricane Iniki was the most powerful hurricane to strike the U.S. state of Hawaii in recorded history. Forming on September 5 during the strong El Niño of 1991–1994, Iniki was one of eleven Central Pacific tropical cyclones during the 1992 season. It attained tropical storm status on...
devastated the area in 1992.
Garden sites are:
- McBryde GardenMcBryde Gardenis a botanical garden located on the south shore of Kauai, Hawaii. It is one of five gardens of the non-profit National Tropical Botanical Garden .The garden is situated above Lāwai Bay, in a valley transected by the Lāwai Stream...
- Kauai island, Hawaii
- Allerton GardenAllerton GardenAllerton Garden , also known as Lāwai-kai, is a botanical garden, originally created by Robert Allerton and John Gregg Allerton, located on the south shore of Kauai, Hawaii. The garden covers an area and is situated beside the Lāwai Bay, in a valley transected by the Lāwai Stream...
- Kauai island, Hawaii
- Limahuli Garden and PreserveLimahuli Garden and PreserveThe Limahuli Garden and Preserve is a botanical garden and nature preserve on the north shore of Kauai island, Hawaii. It is one of the five gardens of the non-profit National Tropical Botanical Garden.-Description:...
- Kauai island, Hawaii
- Kahanu GardenKahanu GardenKahanu Garden is a botanical garden located on the Hāna Highway near Hāna, Maui, Hawaii. It is one of five gardens of the non-profit National Tropical Botanical Garden, the others being McBryde, Allerton, and Limahuli Garden and Preserve on Kauai, and The Kampong in Florida.The garden was...
- MauiMauiThe island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest of Maui County's four islands, bigger than Lānai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. In 2010, Maui had a population of 144,444,...
island, Hawaii
- The KampongThe KampongThe Kampong is an 11-acre tropical garden in the Coconut Grove neighborhood of Miami, Florida United States. It is one of the five gardens of the non-profit National Tropical Botanical Garden , and is open to visitors. An admission fee is charged.-History:The Kampong was bought as their winter...
- Biscayne BayBiscayne BayBiscayne Bay is a lagoon that is approximately 35 miles long and up to 8 miles wide located on the Atlantic coast of South Florida, United States. It is usually divided for purposes of discussion and analysis into three parts: North Bay, Central Bay, and South Bay. Its area is...
, Coconut Grove, FloridaCoconut Grove, FloridaCoconut Grove is the oldest continuously inhabited neighborhood of Miami, Florida in Miami-Dade County, United States. The neighborhood is roughly bound by North Prospect Drive to the south, LeJeune Road to the west, South Dixie Highway and Rickenbacker Causeway to the north, and Biscayne Bay to...
Thousands of species have been gathered from throughout the tropical world, through hundreds of field expeditions by staff and through collaborations with other institutions and researchers. Its living collections include the largest assemblages of native Hawaiian plant species and of breadfruit cultivars in existence.
Tours of each of the gardens are available.
Preserves are also an important component of the NTBG. The preserves are seen as a refuge for nature, providing habitat for native and tropical plant species to mature and reproduce in a natural setting without the influence of human activity. They have also provided scientists the necessary means for the reintroduction of critically endangered species that are no longer found in the wild. These preserves act as large laboratories for experiments in conservation biology. The NTBG currently possesses and manages three preserves: the Ka‘upulehu
Kaupulehu, Hawaii
Kaūpūlehu is the site of a historic settlement on the west coast of Hawaii island, the largest of the Hawaiian Islands.Devastated by a lava flow, the area is now the home of luxury hotels such as the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai.-Geography:...
Preserve, which was acquired in the early 1970s on the island of Hawai‘i
Hawaii (island)
The Island of Hawaii, also called the Big Island or Hawaii Island , is a volcanic island in the North Pacific Ocean...
; the Awini Preserve, which was acquired in 1975 on the island of Hawai‘i; and the Limahuli Preserve, which was acquired in 1994 on the island of Kaua‘i.
At present, preserves are not open to the public.
Breadfruit Institute
The Breadfruit Institute was created by the National Tropical Botanical Garden in 2002 to increase focus on breadfruitBreadfruit
Breadfruit is a species of flowering tree in the mulberry family, Moraceae, growing throughout Southeast Asia and most Pacific Ocean islands...
as a highly nutritional answer to global food shortages.
The mission of the Breadfruit Institute is to promote the conservation and use of breadfruit for food and reforestation. The Institute is taking a leading role in the conservation of breadfruit diversity and ethnobotanical research documenting traditional uses and cultural practices involving breadfruit.