We are Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden, Hong Kong (www.kfbg.org) would be 
quite keen to know more about the Australian and other experiments in urban 
regreening. We love to hear from organisations and individuals with relevant 
experience. Also, can you please point us to useful literature? Thank you.

Manab Chakraborty
Executive Director
KFBG
Email: manab@kfbg.org
 
 

>From: "Ishwaran, Natarajan" <N.Ishwaran@unesco.org>
>To: "'David Duthie '" <David.Duthie@unep.org>,   "'bioplan@undp.org '" 
><bioplan@undp.org>
>Subject: RE: BIOPLAN - CBD article 8(c) - backyard biodiversity
>Date: Thu, 23 Aug 2001 12:00:42 +0200
>
>bioplan
>"Ishwaran, Natarajan" <N.Ishwaran@unesco.org>
>who defines "unnecessary loss"? what is the operational definition in use?
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: David Duthie
>To: bioplan@undp.org
>Sent: 8/22/01 3:32 PM
>Subject: BIOPLAN - CBD article 8(c) - backyard biodiversity
>
>bioplan
>"David Duthie" <David.Duthie@unep.org>
>Dear BIOPLANNERS,
>
>For biodiversity conservation and sustainable use to succeed, it is
>imperative that an culture of "no unnecessary loss of biodiversity"
>become
>a way of thinking about the whole world and not just national parks and
>other protected areas.
>
>Australia has taken a strong step to encourage this kind of
>transformation
>(see below) by providing 500,000 (Australian) dollars for encouraging
>biodiversity in urban gardens.
>
>This could play an important role in raising the public profile of
>biodiversity across the whole landscape.  I am sure that there have been
>other similar initiatives, so please let me know of any.
>
>Best wishes
>
>
>David Duthie
>E-mail:  david.duthie@unep.org
>
>************************************************************************
>****************************
>
>Australian Government Funds Backyard Biodiversity
>
>  CANBERRA, Australia, August 16, 2001 (ENS) - Australians are about to
>begin building backyard havens for the continent's unique birds,
>butterflies, frogs and lizards by putting in attractive plants and
>creating
>the right habitat.
>
>  Environment Minister Robert Hill today announced half a million dollars
>in
>government funding for a national program to encourage native flora and
>fauna in Australia's urban gardens.
>
>  "Australians want to play a part in protecting our local wildlife and
>this
>new national project gives them a practical way to contribute," said
>Senator Hill. "These gardens will provide the vital native plants our
>local
>creatures need to survive, and they give every household a way to
>enhance
>and protect Australia's unique biodiversity."
>
>  Planned by Australia's nursery and garden industry as a national
>marketing
>program, the Flora for Fauna project has won support through the federal
>government's $2.5 billion Natural Heritage Trust.
>
>  One potential beneficiary of the new program is the endangered Richmond
>Birdwing butterfly which has come under increasing pressure from the
>clearing of remnant rainforest verges in southern Queensland and
>Northern
>New South Wales. If backyard gardeners plant the native Australian vine
>Aristolochia praevenosa on which the butterfly normally lays its eggs,
>they
>will contribute to its survival.
>
>  "Over time," says the trade organization Nursery and Garden Industry
>Australia, "the program will influence peoples attitudes in relation to
>their garden and what they plant, resulting in increased purchases of
>Australian plants and associated products."
>
>  Industry will contribute funding for the project, and it will involve
>partnerships with botanic gardens and zoos, councils, environment groups
>and plant societies. Research institutions and Environment Australia
>will
>also participate.
>
>  "Most of Australia's almost one million homes have a backyard and this
>national project will encourage all Australians to use these areas to
>create their own Flora for Fauna gardens," Senator Hill said.
>
>  Australia is unique for the huge variety and number of species it
>contains. Scientists at the federal government research branch CSIRO
>estimate that Australia has 475,000 of the earth's 10 to 30 million
>species. "Australia is one of only 12 'mega diverse' countries and the
>only
>one which is considered a developed country," CSIRO says.
>
>  In an attempt to preserve the country's biodiversity, CSIRO along with
>the
>Australian National Botanic Gardens has established the Centre for Plant
>Biodiversity Research. It has more than a million plant specimens, and a
>whole new concept in biodiversity monitoring. Documenting Australia's
>botanical diversity, 80 percent of which is found nowhere else in the
>world, is the main function of the herbarium.
>
>  The knowledge about Australian plants that originates at the research
>facility can be put to practical use by backyard gardeners who
>participate
>in the Flora for Fauna program.
>
>  Flora for Fauna displays are being planted in participating garden
>centers
>throughout Australia. Plants most suited to particular areas as
>different
>as moist, tropical Queensland is from arid southwestern Australia will
>be
>identified and accompanied by specific planting information.
>
>"People can do as  much or as little as they like," Senator Hill said.
>"They might plant  some banksias opposite the rose bushes to attract
>honey-eaters or they may choose to completely overhaul their garden with
>a
>completely new native design."
>
>  The Flora for Fauna program will encourage plantings by local councils,
>property developers, schools and other community groups while
>discouraging
>the domestic planting of environmental weeds.
>
>  A website featuring an extensive database of plants and animals and
>their
>prime habitat locations will be launched later this year. The database
>lists, by region, climate type, and soil type, a range of appropriate
>Australian plants as well as the animals, birds and insects they
>attract,
>feed and shelter.
>
>BIOPLAN is an electronic list server established by the UNDP-UNEP
>implemented
>  Biodiversity Planning Support Programmme and maintained by UNDP-GEF to
>serve the
>  global community involved in planning for national implementation of
>the Convention on
>  Biological Diversity. To unsubscribe (remove yourself) from this list
>send a message to:
>  majordomo@undp.org with the subject line BLANK and the following text
>in the body of
>  the message: UNSUBSCRIBE  BIOPLAN followed by your e-mail address,
>or go to http://stone/undpweb/bpsp/bioplan.cfm
>BIOPLAN is an electronic list server established by the UNDP-UNEP 
>implemented
>  Biodiversity Planning Support Programmme and maintained by UNDP-GEF to 
>serve the
>  global community involved in planning for national implementation of the 
>Convention on
>  Biological Diversity. To unsubscribe (remove yourself) from this list 
>send a message to:
>  majordomo@undp.org with the subject line BLANK and the following text in 
>the body of
>  the message: UNSUBSCRIBE  BIOPLAN followed by your e-mail address,
>or go to http://stone/undpweb/bpsp/bioplan.cfm
 

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