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Local-Global Connections Though Plants, People, and Biodiversity Protection (September 2001- March 2004) Funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development's (USAID) Development Education Program (DevEd), the goal of the Plants, People, and Biodiversity Protection project was to increase U.S. public understanding and awareness for the (a) importance of native plants in the U.S. and abroad, (b) usefulness of native plants to millions of people worldwide as sources of food, medicine, and fiber, (c) local/global commonalities in the historical and day-to-day use of plants, and (d) role of USAID in protecting native plants and biodiversity through international, community-based conservation projects. The project focused on the species-rich and traditional plant use cultures of the Himalayas, Andes, and Appalachians. Project partners included The Mountain Institute (TMI), the National Gardening Association (NGA), Virginia Tech (VT), the U.S. Botanic Gardens, Washington, D.C.; Augusta Heritage Center, Elkins, West Virginia; Davis and Elkins College, Elkins, West Virginia; Community Arts Center, Elkins, West Virginia; and local schools in Nepal, Peru, and the U.S. Educational resources produced by the project include: a. Six (6) thematic articles on the importance of native
plants (hardcopy and online) b. New, innovative mountain curricula (“Mountain Adventures”) developed with U.S. teachers and participants http://www.kidsgardening.com/TMI/teachers/introduction.html, c. Development and implementation of an online collaborative student project involving U.S., Nepali, and Peruvian students http://www.kidsgardening.com/TMI/project/index.htm, e.The "Native Plants Kit," designed to teach students about the importance of native plants and biodiversity protection in their own communities, was produced by the National Gardening Association. Items within each kit include (a) Teacher’s Guide (which highlights USAID and its work to protect global biodiversity, p. 9-10, (b) Botany Flip Chart, (c) 25 Native Plant Field Journals, (d) National Audubon Society’s “First Field Guide: Wildflowers”, (e) 100 White Seed Envelopes, and (f) flower seeds (one complete kit attached to this report). The Native Plants Kit is available through NGA’s Gardening with Kids store http://store.yahoo.com/nationalgardening/22-5112.htm f. “Where Heaven Meets
Earth: Plants, People, and Biodiversity Protection”, a photographic, live plant, and
artifact exhibit featuring the DevEd project at the U.S. Botanic
Gardens, Washington, D.C. (June-August 2003) i. An article on the U.S. Botanic Gardens exhibit in the June, 2003 edition of USAID’s Frontlines Newsletter www.usaid.gov/press/frontlines/fl_jun03.html , j. “Mountain Adventures: Increasing Children’s Awareness of the Importance of Native Plants through an Online Curriculum”, an article by Alton Byers and Amy Gifford, was featured in the Vol.13, No. 2 issue of Children, Youth and Environments http://cye.colorado.edu/FieldReports/MountainAdventures.htm Other educational links of interest can be seen at:
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