Botanical gardens, as centres of expertise on botany and horticulture, can play an important role in conservation of local biodiversity. Conservation and restoration of plant diversity is a complex and multidisciplinary process. Depending on the design, infrastructure and natural condition of the garden, there are several ways to contribute.

Regardless of the presence of natural land, botanical gardens are ideally placed to establish a seed bank dedicated to the conservation of rare and endangered indigenous plant species. In our seed bank we save seeds for the future. We currently conserve 70% of the endangered species of the Belgian flora, and our seed collections have made it possible to resurrect a globally extinct species.

In Meise Botanic Garden, the combined provision of botanical expertise and state-of-the-art seed bank and plant propagation facilities, offers the opportunity to actively contribute to in-situ conservation of selected plant species by reintroduction and reinforcement of populations in threatened ecosystems.