• Welcome
• About the Congress
• The National Botanic Gardens of Ireland
• Botanic Gardens Conservation International
• Registration
• Scientific Programme
• Pre-Congress Workshops
• Call For Papers
• Network Meetings
• Social Programme
• Congress Venue
• Accommodation
• Tours & Excursions
• Accompanying Persons Programme
• Sponsorship & Exhibition
• Sponsors
• Important Dates
• Access to Dublin
• General Information
• Visa Information
• Further Information

 

 

 

 

 

Call For Papers

The deadline for submission of abstracts is now passed and the call for papers is closed.

The scientific programme will consist of invited plenary speakers, smaller break-out sessions (organised symposia and oral presentations) and poster presentations, all of which will be based on the Congress themes.
The Organisers invite ideas and proposals for inclusion in the programme.  Each proposal should address the themes of the Congress and be relevant to the concerns, activities, objectives and priorities of botanic gardens worldwide.

The proposals should be in the form of:

• symposia (90 minutes)
• oral presentations (20 minutes) to be included in a break-out session (90 minutes)
• poster papers

The organisers welcome suggestions for symposia which have been developed by an individual or a group; suggestions on how to develop ideas for a symposium are given below.

Proposals for oral presentations will be grouped together by the organisers by topic, theme, aims and objectives to make useful and stimulating sessions. The organisers will identify suitable moderators for each session.  The moderators will summarise the main conclusions of the sessions and these will be used to help set priorities for 2010 to 2020, particularly in relation to the further development and review of the International Agenda for Botanic Gardens in Conservation as it enters its second decade.

Please read the guidelines below and submit your proposal by email by 1^st November, 2009 or to the Organisers at congressabstracts@bgci.org. 

Please remember that papers and other presentations included in the programme can only be accepted from registered participants in the Congress. 

Aims, objectives and themes of the Congress

The aims and objectives of the 4^th Global Botanic Gardens Congress are to provide an opportunity for representatives of the world’s botanic gardens to meet and report on or review progress towards achieving:

• the International Agenda for Botanic Gardens in Conservation and
• the U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity’s Global Strategy for Plant Conservation,
• and to share experiences on the challenges in implementing their own individual missions.
  
  

Themes

Specific themes to be covered by the Congress are:

1.     The Global Strategy for Plant Conservation – 2010 and beyond

2.     Addressing the threat from invasive aliens, pests and diseases

3.     Building sustainable botanic gardens

4.     Frontiers of science and conservation biology research in botanic gardens

5.     Addressing climate change through botanic gardens

6.     Poverty alleviation – the special roles of botanic gardens in achieving the Millennium Development Goals

7.     Spreading the word – effective messages for change – Environmental education in botanic gardens

8.     Botanic garden horticulture – including collections management and priorities, as well as how botanic gardens must face the challenge of providing access to their collections and benefit sharing (ABS)

9.     Capacity and training – strengthening botanic gardens and their networks for the tasks ahead.

Guidelines for making a proposal for inclusion in the scientific programme of the Congress

Information required

Symposia (for further information on how to develop ideas for a symposium – see below)

• Title of the session
• Moderator(s) (Title, first name, last name of all moderators)
• Presenter(s) (Title, first name, last name of all presenters)
• Presenter(s)/moderator(s) institution/organization (Name institution/organization, address, telephone, fax and e-mail)
• Theme of Congress addressed by session
• Aim of session
• Objectives and outcomes of session
• Session format (e.g. panel presentations, discussion workshops, debate)
• Abstract (Describe your session in 200 words or less including its aims, objectives and main points).

Oral presentations

• Title of the paper
• Author(s) (Title, first name, last name of all authors)
• Presenter(s) (Title, first name, last name)
• Presenter(s)/author(s) institution/organization (Name institution/organization, address, telephone, fax and e-mail)
• Theme of Congress addressed by paper
• Abstract (Describe your paper in no more than 200 words, including its aims, objectives and main points).

Poster papers

• Title of the paper
• Author(s) (Title, first name, last name of all authors)
• Author’s address or institutional affiliation and email contact
• Theme of Congress addressed by paper
• Abstract (Describe your paper in 100 words or less including its aims, objectives and main points).
  
  

Congress proceedings

It is intended that the Congress proceedings will be published.  Papers accepted for oral presentation will need to be submitted in electronic format and hard copy before the Congress.  Further instructions for authors will be issued when the papers is accepted for the Congress.

How to develop ideas for a Symposium for the Congress

A Symposium is a 90 minute session organised around a specific theme. Symposium organisers are responsible for organising the presenters to be included within their session.

1. Identify a strategically important topic.  What information do you believe is important for your colleagues to know? What topic could stimulate good discussion and ideas? What are the aims and objectives of your proposed session?

2. Consult your colleagues.  Discuss your idea with other collaborators or with the organisers of the Congress.  They may also be able to give guidance about topics and possible presenters and will be glad to respond to your ideas.  In particular they will be able to help you contact people in other parts of the world who may be interested in working with you to develop a proposal.

3. Find speakers, panellists or other contributors for the session you wish to propose.  Because this is an international congress, it presents a wonderful opportunity to work with colleagues throughout the world.  Ideally, each session will have speakers from several countries.  Balance your session; include participants from different countries, a balance of gender and with different perspectives on issues.  Most colleagues will be happy to help or suggest speakers.  Involve colleagues from other gardens and arboreta and people with expertise beyond the botanic garden community too. 

Symposium formats

Standard symposium: Formal sessions with speakers addressing specific topics.  Each symposium will have one or more moderators and no more than four speakers to allow time for questions and discussion.

Discussion groups: Moderated discussions among participants who share examples, case studies, problems, achievements, and issues from their institutions. A successful proposal should contain a precise statement of the issues to be presented and what conclusions you hope will result from the session.

Workshops: Workshops aim to present opportunities for a range of participants to contribute and learn on the chosen topic (e.g. ‘writing a management plan’, fundraising proposals, labelling, living plant databases, managing an ex situ conservation collection, etc.) preferably in a hands-on manner and will generally include discussion and short presentations.

Other formats can be accommodated such as panel discussions, round tables and debates.