Steele Lecture: Rhododendron Species Conservation

The Annual Steele Lecture:

Rhododendron Species Conservation

The recently published Red List of Rhododendrons highlighted the sobering fact that of the 1000 or so species of Rhododendron in the world, approximately 25% are threatened in their natural habitats, including several here in North America. Tom will discuss some of the issues rhododendrons face but also some of the efforts to conserve them, especially the key role that public gardens play in conserving this diverse and horticulturally rich genus. He will also highlight the development of The Polly Hill Arboretum and its role in Rhododendron conservation including a project funded by the ARS Research Foundation, a collaborative project he continues in his new role at Mount Holyoke College Botanic Garden.

Biography

A native of western Massachusetts, Tom is the director and curator of the Mount Holyoke College Botanic Garden, a position he has held since August 2016. Prior to that he was for ten years the curator and manager of living collections at The Polly Hill Arboretum on the island of Martha’s Vineyard. Tom received his B.S. from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in plant and soil science, with a minor in botany. He trained at the Chicago Botanic Garden and spent a year at the Threave School of Horticulture in Scotland. He has participated in plant exploration and seed collection trips to China, Japan and throughout the United States. He is passionate about growing and studying a wide range of hardy plants.