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Why store seeds in a seed bank? The ultimate goal of our work is to help plants survive in the wild. One off-site (ex situ) method we use is seed collection and storage in our Seed Bank. It might seem paradoxical that it is sometimes necessary to store seeds away from the wild in order to improve plant survival in the wild. Consider what options we have when plants become extinct. If plants disappear in the wild, their unique genetics can be resurrected ONLY if seeds have been stored elsewhere. Temporary seed storage is a relatively inexpensive yet effective way of providing us with a type of insurance policy for plants. Material stored off-site is neither an end in itself nor a replacement for protection of wild plants (on-site, or in situ conservation). Instead, ex situ work supports in situ work. In combination, these two approaches form an effective strategy to increase the survival of plants in the wild. Comprehensive, integrated plant conservation programs will include both in situ and ex situ work.
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