From International Guidelines to Local Action Plan

From international guidelines to local Action Plan : a comprehensive strategy to define the future of the Conservatoire et Jardins Botaniques de Nancy (Conservatory and Botanic Gardens of Nancy)

Romaric PIERREL Curator Conservatoire et Jardins Botaniques de Nancy 100, rue du Jardin Botanique 54600 VILLERS-LES-NANCY - FRANCE Tel : 0033 383 414 747 / Fax : 0033 383 278 659 [email protected]

Ι SUMMARY

Frequently on the initiative of the BGCI, but also of other institutional organizations, we have witnessed, in the course of the last ten years, the publication of a large number of documents that can be used to orient our development policies and direct our actions.

Most of these are also intended to inform us of different sets of international regulations promoting plant biodiversity and to help us to put them into practice (Convention on Biological Diversity = CBD, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora = CITES, etc.).

While some large gardens and other botanical institutions have the capacity to handle all this information and take all these strategic documents into account, for many others the situation is much more worrying, in spite of the efforts made among the various networks to share and explain information.

Certainly, the multiplicity of these documents (Agendas, Strategies, Action Plans, Protocols, Conventions, Regulations, etc.), often exacerbated by language difficulties (the absence of translations), makes it difficult for individuals and organizations to take them on board, so that it becomes complicated, or even discouraging, to try to put them into practice.

In view of this situation, the Conservatoire et Jardins Botaniques de Nancy have decided that the "Action Plan for Botanic Gardens in the European Union" (= Action Plan) will be the sole document used to provide guidelines for the establishment. Subsequently, the different programmes of the institution will be organized around this Action Plan (in the fields of education, research, conservation, etc.), the programmes concerned incorporating the various national and international policies (CBD, Red List, conservation of endangered species, etc.). This conscious choice was motivated by the need to propose to our Management Committee a comprehensive strategy, presented in the form of a single, simplified document, to the end that it should be easily understood and capable of adoption politically.

1 Through this oral communication project, we propose to present the various stages which have culminated in the preparation of our Strategic Plan, and to explain how we have tried to incorporate the various strategy documents proposed by the internal community of botanic gardens, including the International Agenda for Botanic Gardens in Conservation.

ΙΙ PRESENTATION OF THE CONSERVATOIRE ET JARDINS BOTANIQUES DE NANCY

To start off with, allow me to provide you with a brief presentation of the Conservatoire et Jardins Botaniques de Nancy (CJBN).

A few figures should suffice to give you an understanding of the establishment and allow you to grasp its importance.

ΙΙ-a) A structure that is a legacy of the past : The City of Nancy has had botanic gardens since 1758, on the initiative of King Stanislas (who at that time was the Duke of Lorraine) who provided his Royal College of Medicine with the "Jardin des Simples"; a garden of medicinal plants.

ΙΙ-b) A new organisational structure over the last 30 years : A University (Université Henri Poincaré) and a public-sector body (The Greater Nancy Urban Community) linked up to finance and manage the infrastructure. A joint management agreement sets out each party’s responsibilities (terms of financing, making staff available, investment financing).

ΙΙ-c) Two botanic gardens located in the East of France : - The Jardin d’Altitude du Haut Chitelet, on which work began in 1965, is right at the heart of the Vosges Massif and is devoted entirely to alpine flora. At an altitude of 1,230 metres, it offers the natural conditions required for growing plants from the world’s major mountainous regions. - The Jardin Botanique du Montet (which is also where the head office of the Conservatoire et Jardins Botaniques de Nancy is located) is situated within the conurbation of Nancy. Work began on it in 1975. It is located in a small, wide valley, and offers a great range of botanic, ornamental and heritage collections. The tropical greenhouses (2,500 m2) constitute an additional attraction at the site.

These two botanic gardens cover a surface area of 50 hectares and bring together nearly 16,000 different species and varieties.

ΙΙ-d) The available resources : Day-to-day management is provided by a team of 40 people, with their main teams being devoted to the following :

2 - The management and upkeep of ex situ collections, - Educating the public and school activities, - The work done by botanical staff (inventory, expert assessments, conservation, etc.), which relates mainly to regional flora.

Among the main resources, we have a seed bank, herbariums with approximately 200,000 specimens, and a library with 8,000 volumes and 125 periodicals.

ΙΙΙ INTEGRATING OURSELVES, BUILDING UP DOCUMENTATION AND SHARING

Very early on, the CJBN demonstrated their concern for ensuring their integration into the various networks concerning them : management of genetic resources, conservation both in situ and ex situ, educational functions and activities, etc.

ΙΙΙ-a) Links with associations : Thus, taking part in several associations (including the Association Française pour la Conservation des Espèces Végétales = French Association for the Conservation of Plant Species, which will form the subject of a specific paper presented tomorrow afternoon), has allowed us to keep abreast of the latest debates, approaches adopted, and policy conduct with particular reference to botanic gardens.

ΙΙΙ-b) A regular presence : Furthermore, participation in various national conferences (organised by the Botanic Gardens Association of France and French-Speaking Countries), European conferences (with Planta Europa and EuroGard) and international conferences (in particularly those held by BGCI), have offered us the opportunity to benefit from making new contacts, as well as from the diversity and usefulness of the various papers presented. This determination to maintain openness, and a wide range of contacts, have allowed us to stay well-informed, keep our knowledge up to date, and collate extensive documentation.

ΙΙΙ-c) An active role : In certain cases, we have also demonstrated our determination to play an active role through : - Offering posters and/or oral presentations at conferences, - Taking part in surveys and drawing up strategic documents such as the International Agenda for Botanic Gardens in Conservation, - Publishing and disseminating reports relating to national, European and international conferences, - Translating strategic documents into French, such as the Action Plan, etc.

3 ΙΙΙ-d) A concern for sharing : On top of this, there is our desire to share the information gathered as widely as possible with : - All of the departmental members through training days, distributing available documents, and building up our document holdings, - Botanic gardens in France and French-speaking countries, through holding conferences, distributing reports on conferences we have taken part in, and promoting existing documents, - The Management Committee of the Conservatoire et Jardins Botaniques de Nancy, by presenting existing strategic documents and encouraging support for them.

ΙV WORKING TOWARDS A MORE FORMAL COMMITMENT

This is the context within which the CJBN have wanted to make a greater commitment as part of a more assertive approach by adopting the Action Plan in order to define their development strategy.

Before providing you with an outline of this approach, I would like to share some information with you that determined this choice.

ΙV-a) Exemplariness : For some years now, the CJBN have stood out through their concern for actively participating in approaches for renewing and enhancing botanic gardens.

The CJBN which, within France, are often considered to constitute a dynamic, driving force, wanted to show their innovativeness once again by committing to the implementation of a strategic development plan. ΙV-b) Choosing a single reference document : Over the last ten years, a very large number of strategic documents (the Agenda, Action Plan, Protocols) have been drawn up for the international botanic gardens community. Their main objective is to encourage botanic gardens to devote themselves concertedly to promoting the future of plant biodiversity through scientific, conservation and educational initiatives. These documents are also desired so that the various existing laws and regulations (CITES, the Red Book, CBD, etc.) can be implemented in concrete terms at national and international level.

So while, even for informed members of the public, it is not always easy to find your way through this extensive documentation, what about if you are not very familiar with the current concerns of botanic gardens ?

This observation prompted our Management Committee to select a single reference document, namely the Action Plan for Botanic Gardens in the European Union, based on which other strategies, including the International Agenda, are subsequently going to have to be integrated into.

4 Allow me to recall for you that the Action Plan was drawn up by the European Botanic Gardens Consortium (BGCI-IABG), the goals of which are to : - Define the joint framework for initiatives for botanic gardens through 35 priority objectives (split into 6 main categories), - Promote their development and networking, - Increase the resources at their disposal, - Encourage botanic gardens to make a positive, dynamic commitment to the study, conservation and management of plant biodiversity.

Above and beyond circumstances specific to Europe, this can in fact be applied to botanic gardens anywhere in the world and consequently constitutes an outstanding strategy document.

We were also motivated to adopt this choice by the fact that we had translated the Action Plan into French. Consequently we had a duty to be the first to take an interest in implementing it.

ΙV-c) The need for a strategic development plan : After a consolidation period lasting from 1996 to 2000, which was mainly devoted to finalising several collections, and bringing infrastructure (equipment, greenhouses, and buildings) into compliance with standards, as well as reinforcing partnerships, there was a need to firm up the long-term future of the CJBN in accordance with a guideline document.

Therefore, the right time had come for drawing up a strategic development plan and the Action Plan was consequently going to serve as our guide. V IMPLEMENTATION OF THE APPROACH

The Management Committee of the CJBN became aware of the existence of the Action Plan at the time of its publication in April 2000.

Then, having validated the plan to translate it into French and becoming more interested in it by December 2000, it decided to adopt it as the guidelines for our own strategic development plan.

The approach adopted by the CJBN may be broken down into four main stages : - Diagnostics (inventory of current resources), - The extent to which they complied with the Action Plan, - Setting the order of priority for initiatives, - The implementation of our Strategic Plan.

V-a) The diagnostics phase : The objective of this first stage is to draw up an inventory of the resources held by the CJBN. This relatively exhaustive approach enables the listing, definition and implementation of the most comprehensive diagnostics possible regarding :

5 - The human and financial resources available, - Existing infrastructure (buildings, greenhouses, equipment, etc.), - Current practices in terms of technical and administrative management, - The cultivation policies conducted (diversity and objectives of plant collections), - The missions carried out (in terms of conservation, education and research), - The level of involvement, co-operation and partnership.

Three complementary approaches were applied : - A survey of all the staff employed by the CJBN, - Visits by several experts from various botanic gardens, - Consideration by the CJBN Management Committee.

V-a-1) Survey of all the staff employed by the Conservatoire et Jardins Botaniques de Nancy : It is essential for such a project to be shared with all the staff at as early a stage as possible. Indeed, to a large extent its success depends on it being taken on board by the actors concerned.

Thus, in order to make a useful, positive contribution, each botanic gardens employee must be fully informed and included in the approach, regardless of his or her duties and responsibilities.

Consultation was done mainly via a questionnaire, in which each employee was invited to provide his or her opinion and make proposals regarding the various fields involved in their daily duties (administrative, technical, scientific, educational, financial and other aspects).

V-a-2) Visits by several experts from various botanic gardens : We requested the advice of several colleagues who were either specially invited, or who happened to be passing through. While some of them were able to provide answers to specific points (scientific development of the collections, conservation activities, management of the herbariums, etc.), others were able to provide general diagnostics of the establishment.

Even though it was necessary to put some comments into perspective or to place them in our own context, it is very important to have the opinion of people from outside the establishment. Indeed, contributions by these experts are essential and quite often allow negative and positive points to be highlighted that someone inside the establishment may not notice, either out of force of habit or routine.

V-a-3) The consideration given by the Management Committee of the Conservatoire et Jardins Botaniques de Nancy :

6 Benefiting from these first two approaches, in addition to the information gathered from a large number of conferences and trips, we were then able to take up the matter with the CJBN Management Committee.

This work was concluded by drawing up a general diagnostics document which highlighted strengths and weaknesses in the following fifteen areas : - Statutory and administrative management, - Everyday management, - Human resources, - The land situation, - Real estate resources, - Technical installations and equipment, - Safety and standards compliance, - Heritage collections, - Educational and cultural missions, - Promotional and development policy, - Public relations, - Partnership approach, - The internationalisation of activities, - Conservation initiatives, - Research and scientific work.

V-b) The level of compliance with the Action Plan : Based on the diagnostics carried out, the second stage consisted of measuring the level of services provided and the missions carried out in relation to the 35 objectives laid down by the Action Plan.

We endeavoured to position the CJBN whilst keeping to the document’s organisational structure (divided into 6 main chapters), with all the difficulties entailed in such an approach. Indeed, given that what we had were essentially qualitative diagnostics, it was difficult to convert these into “achievement rates” or, in other words, into quantitative information.

Nevertheless, bearing these limitations in mind, and exercising the greatest possible objectivity, we defined a level of compliance in relation to the diagnostics carried out and the Action Plan.

The table shown identifies our establishment’s situation in relation to each of the 35 objectives.

A few explanations are required.

For each objective, a cursor has been positioned, which is intended to restrict us to 3 levels in order to reduce the level of subjectivity : - A low level (with an achievement rate of 25 %), - An intermediate level (with an achievement rate of 50 %), - A high level (with an achievement rate of 75 %).

Then we linked an arrow to each cursor, which can take one of two positions :

7 - Pointing upwards: achievement rate exceeding the indicated level (over 25 %, over 50 %, etc.), - Pointing downwards: achievement rate approaching the indicated level, without achieving it (less than 25 %, less than 50 %, etc.).

This makes it possible to define six different levels which quite easily illustrate the strengths and weaknesses of the CJBN.

Above and beyond this quite simplified view, a list of proposals was drawn up in order to reinforce our establishment’s positioning in relation to the Action Plan’s 35 objectives.

This document is going to be essential for moving on to the third stage.

V-c) The order of priority for initiatives : This third stage is fundamental, as the establishment’s future orientation depends on it.

Indeed, as we cannot claim to be able to fulfil the Action Plan’s 35 objectives, it is worthwhile choosing and selecting those activities which seem to be priority ones.

As far as our establishment is concerned, and drawing up our own development plan, we based our approach on a four-fold determination.

V-c-1) To affirm our role in the conservation field : This second World Botanic Gardens Congress has the International Agenda for Botanic Gardens in Conservation as its unifying theme.

We ourselves want to outline for you the way we made conservation a priority mission.

Through the Action Plan, we adopted the following objectives :

A4 Consolide botanic gardens as research centres for identification, biodiversity conservation and sustainable use

I would like to start with this objective, which forms one of our priorities.

In order to implement this ambitious objective, we oriented our initiatives towards the inter situ concept, or in other words an approach which links in situ and ex situ initiatives. At this level of consideration, reference is made to objectives C1 and C2 in the Action Plan, which offer numerous indications for ensuring these two conservation practices. As far as we are concerned, as a matter of priority we developed partnerships with the following main managers of green spaces : - The National Forests Office, - The Regional Nature Parks, - The Regional Conservatories of Natural Spaces.

The goal is to promote the conservation of natural habitats (peat bogs, ponds, saltwater ponds, limestone tables, etc.) with them.

8 We are involved in various capacities, providing site assessments, taking part in Scientific Consulting and Management Committees, identification of Atmospheric Pollution Index levels, proposing the creation of full reserves, etc.

If in situ preservation is not sufficient, then we offer our skills in terms of ex situ conservation and cultivation (nurseries, seed bank, in vitro cultivation).

To date, we estimate that 60 % of the wild flora that is threatened with extinction in the North-East of France is subject to acceptable, sustainable conservation measures, linking in situ preservation and ex situ conservation as part of a complementary logic. Of course, for certain scientific fields (see objectives A1 and A2), we call on outside expertise, such as in the fields of molecular biology or biochemical systematics.

Under the framework of the creation of a regional environmental observatory, the various naturalist databases (of which we manage the “species” section relating to flora) should be shared in the near future.

A5 Promote and consolidate botanic gardens as major centres of specialised horticulture

While the preceding objective was focused on botanical species, this one concentrates on the natural resources cultivated, and horticultural expertise.

Our region’s horticultural history encourages us to devote ourselves to this objective and several parallel approaches have been undertaken : - The establishment of horticultural collections which honour nurserymen of yesteryear. Here mention may be made of the Lemoine collection, who has a global reputation for his work on lilacs during the 19th century, or the Crousse collection, known for peonies, - Active collaboration with numerous horticultural schools (hosting trainees, assessment panel members, Board members, etc.), - The design of theme-based exhibitions that promote horticultural know-how (for example : pelargoniums, orchids, roses, etc.), - Allocation of a space for the presentation of new horticultural developments (currently, this space is taken up by dahlias), - Development of the work done by gardeners (writing articles outlining their knowledge and practices) and exchanging staff with other botanic gardens.

The next stage should take the form of the signature of a co-operative agreement with the Regional Horticultural Experimentation Association, so that our botanic gardens can become a true partner for the profession.

C2 Develop management of ex situ collections

9 While the upkeep and management of ex situ collections forms part of the day-to-day activities carried out by botanic gardens, we have nevertheless emphasised certain points : - Once again, affirming that the ex situ dimension is complementary to in situ actions, - The importance accorded to our indigenous flora, thanks to the experience we built up as part of our “National Botanical Conservatory” approval (special collection, seed bank, etc.), - A high level of awareness regarding respecting international laws (staff training, sharing awareness with our partners, collections traceability, etc.), - Formal commitments promoting regulatory policies (CITES approval, adhering to the International Agenda for Botanic Gardens in Conservation, the IPEN network), - Establishing specialist collections for conservation purposes (tropical araceae, South African pelargoniums, selaginella, etc.).

C4 Ensure garden management that promotes biodiversity conservation and sustainable use of plant resources

We are greatly interested in this objective which in itself should show our determination to promote the conservation of biodiversity. Several initiatives were undertaken at the same time : - A review of our cultivation policy in favour of species threatened with extinction, both in relation to indigenous flora (from the North-East of France) and exotic species (particularly regarding tropical flora from the Seychelles, Madagascar, the West Indies, Brazil, etc.), - An environmental audit to ensure that our own practices comply with the principles of sustainable development, - Participation in consideration at national level of initiatives promoting the natural heritage and flora (work partly conducted by the Ministry of the Environment and Sustainable Development), - Influencing political leaders to ensure that biodiversity is taken into consideration to a greater extent (particularly as part of development projects).

As far as the Convention on Biological Diversity is concerned on this occasion, we wanted it to become a daily concern in terms of : - The documentation approach and staff training, - A formal commitment with the adoption of the International Agenda for Botanic Gardens in Conservation and by joining IPEN, - The definition of a code of conduct for ex situ collections, - Sharing our concerns by writing articles and oral presentations at conferences, - Informing the public about the importance of the CBD.

10 V-c-2) Filling in our main gaps : Upon carrying out the diagnostics work, we identified several gaps. Some of these were considered to be prejudicial to the establishment’s good reputation and its future.

Consequently, the CJBN Management Committee decided to deal with this. In relation to the Action Plan, this matches the following objectives :

B5 Recognise and promote botanic garden libraries, herbaria, museums, art and other collections as an important part of European culture and heritage

Our establishment has always devoted a great deal of effort to living species. Currently, this effort is demonstrated by the importance of the collections held by the two gardens and greenhouses.

At the same time, we have neglected our herbariums and our library to some extent.

Which is why the decision was made to adopt the objective of promoting this type of collection as a matter of priority.

Both in relation to document holdings and the herbariums, an ambitious programme was drawn up which received special financing from the Ministry of Research and entailed : - The assignment of specialist staff, - Refurbishment of rooms, - Improving the storage and conservation conditions, - The computerisation of collections, - Ensuring availability for the scientific community, - Cultural and educational development.

Our university supervision greatly assisted us with the development of our document holdings (networking with the Science Faculty library), as well as providing invaluable assistance (making expert staff available).

Regarding our herbariums, the assistance provided by the National Museum of Natural History (Paris) proved to be a decisive factor : drawing up the computerisation protocol, making the "Sonnerat" software available (for establishing the database), and particularly networking, which made our collection the National Museum of Natural History’s first “associate herbarium”.

The next step will be the digitalisation of herbarium specimens and certain works, so they can be made available on an Internet server.

Our herbariums and our library, which for a long time were neglected, are gradually regaining their appropriate status and are playing an ever-increasing part in our establishment’s reputation.

11 B7 Promote botanic gardens as tourist attractions

Thirty years after work began on it, the Jardin Botanique du Montet still does not have specific infrastructure for welcoming visitors and for promotional purposes.

This is a major gap which will be filled in the near future. As a matter of fact, the decision was made to adopt quite an assertive policy for these gardens, which includes : - The construction of a visitors’ center, - The establishment of a specialist team for welcoming visitors, - New conditions for visiting (new opening hours that change with the seasons, an entry charge), - A commercial approach, with the establishment of a shop, - An events programme (to ensure the site remains an attractive place), - A communication policy with the assistance of various partners in the tourism sector.

This policy should be in operation by June 2005.

V-c-3) Making education a daily concern : As part of the Action Plan, there are a good many objectives relating to education, and these have a priority role.

We have fully taken this concern on board, and it is a priority matter, as shown by the following three objectives :

D2 Promote botanic gardens to schools as centres for environmental education

While our establishment has made its educational role a priority issue for many years now, henceforth it wants to devote itself more to the school sector. To achieve this objective, the following efforts were undertaken :

- Secondment of a teacher from the Ministry of Education to act as a veritable "ambassador" to promote our establishment’s educational potential among teachers, - Organisation of training courses for teachers as preparation for future visits (What to see and do at the Botanic Gardens), - The completion of a catalogue listing our educational activities, - Teaching resources (guide, games, technical files, living plants, plant samples, etc.),

12 - Adapting our reception areas and collections for a younger audience.

This same concern is also shown at our alpine garden, bearing in mind the fact that the main problem is the mismatch between school terms and when the garden is interesting.

Lastly, mention should be made of the privileged partnership with the Ministry of Education, as shown by the signature of a partnership agreement in March 2004.

D4 Present information to the public in a variety of ways

At the same time as the efforts made in relation to the school sector, we also decided to improve the resources available to the general public.

Given the scale of the project, it was decided to call on communication professionals (a display designer).

To achieve this, our establishment has just committed itself to an overall display design study for its two botanic gardens.

This major project is being financed by the Ministry of Research, and its objective is to draw up a modern, innovative museography which will capture the public’s attention and be entertaining, based on the general theme of "Plant Biodiversity".

At the Le Montet site, the future visitors’ center will be the starting point for this museography.

Then there are the following initiatives which are under way : - Updating the Web site, - Creating a Botanical Information point in the future visitors’ building, - Implementation of a communication policy (see Objective B7).

D7 Ensure that the garden's message is clear and consistent

Faced with today’s environmental issues, botanic gardens must become showcases in terms of performance.

This objective is everyone’s concern. It must therefore be widely shared by all staff and be applied on a daily basis. The following are a few simple examples of this : - Numerous technical options that allow the consumption of raw materials to be limited (integrated sprinkling systems, a condensation boiler, mulching for flower beds, recycling materials, composting, etc.), - Biological control in greenhouses, along with the elimination of chemicals, - The presence of a Sustainable Development working group within the establishment,

13 - Integration of the concept of Sustainable Development into educational programmes, - Conducting an environmental audit (in progress).

In addition to which, we take part in the Greater Nancy Urban Community’s Sustainable Development Committee, where we voice our concerns regarding protecting species and natural habitats.

Lastly, mention should be made of a recent success of ours, namely the inclusion of our future visitors’ center in the “High Environmental Quality” approach. Through its architecture, choice of materials and energy efficiency, this future building will stand as an example in terms of sustainable development.

V-c-4) Operating under a network logic : We hold that botanic gardens cannot survive in isolation and should therefore make spreading their influence a day-to-day concern.

Which is why we adopted all of the objectives proposed in Chapter 6 of the Action Plan.

E Networking and Co-operation

For our establishment, the importance of networks is such that it is difficult for us not to consider all of Objective E as an essential, necessary factor for our future.

Indeed, the integration of botanic gardens into their local and regional environment, as well as the fact of being known and recognised as an actor at a higher level (from national to international) are essential and even factors. Moreover, we are mindful of the need to formalise our initiatives, partnerships and commitments (through protocols, agreements and joining organisations, among other steps) as part of a two-fold logic of ensuring the complementary nature of actions and actors.

While this may seem somewhat "administrative" in nature, formalisation is however a necessity; namely a strategic approach that subsequently allows us to justify our resources, report on our activities, and negotiate with financial partners.

A few examples should illustrate the priority given to public and professional relations.

 At local and regional level : - Participation in numerous bodies where it is possible to promote our various missions (educating the public, school activities, conservation of biodiversity, etc.) and work to promote the complementarity of the various actors, - Hosting associations in relation to the activities of the botanic gardens (regional botanists, the horticultural society, floral art, amateur associations : orchids, succulents, insect-eating plants, etc.), - Collaboration with a range of partners (scientific research, management of natural spaces, actors in the cultural and tourism sectors, etc.).

 At national level :

14 - A high level of involvement in several associations (Botanic Gardens of France and French-Speaking Countries, and the French Association for the Conservation of Plant Species), - Active members on numerous committees (genetic resources, protected spaces, environmental law, the future of botanical collections, the Red Book of Endangered Species, educational initiatives, etc.), - A concern for sharing with all the other French botanic gardens (broad dissemination of information and documents), - The organisation and hosting of events bringing people together (technical seminars, conferences, etc.), - A willingness to exchange staff with various botanic gardens and a concern for being able to share our experiences.

 At international level : - A real concern for sharing information with all of the French-speaking countries (translation of documents, publishing and disseminating conference reports, the exchange of information, etc.),

- A determination to be an actor alongside the BGCI (translation and dissemination of the Action Plan in French, participation in drawing up the International Agenda, writing articles for the reviews BGC News and Roots, responses to surveys, etc.), - Taking part in meetings and conferences, such as the one that brings us together here today in Barcelona, - Adhering to guiding principles in the fields of education and conservation, - Making our experience available in order to promote the emergence of new botanic gardens (cf. objective F3 in the Action Plan).

V-d) The concretisation of our Strategic Plan : The last stage in our approach consisted of bringing our ambitions into line with the available resources.

Above and beyond the objectives considered to be priority objectives, we endeavoured to respond to the 35 objectives in general. To achieve this, at the request of our Management Committee, we agreed on four different yet complementary approaches.

V-d-1) An assertive communication policy : This first matter is very important both politically and strategically. Before demonstrating that we can do better, it is essential to communicate about existing resources in order to show that the establishment already plays a role.

Also, a strong communication policy is essential for promoting and informing people about our skills and our current missions, particularly in relation to the following points : - Acting as a venue for the scientific and research community, - Taking the historical heritage into account,

15 - A commitment to regulations (CITES, CBD), - An actor within local networks, - Major involvement in associations (the French Association for the Conservation of Plant Species, and Botanic Gardens of France), - A concern for international co-operation, - Ensuring the compliance of equipment with standards.

These themes match objectives A1, A2, A3, B2, B3, B4, D6, E5, E6, E7 and F1 in the Action Plan.

V-d-2) The optimisation of available resources : This second point is a sign that the establishment is committed to certain objectives which it already has good potential for acting on.

Consequently, the resources allocated should be optimised.

As a matter of priority, this situation is encountered in the following objectives : - Being a conservation actor at regional level, - Initiatives to promote the horticultural heritage, - Developing heritage collections, - Working in a network, - Educational initiatives for the school sector, - Staff training and exchanges with other botanic gardens, - Management of available resources.

In the Action Plan, these various objectives are set out in Chapters A4, A5, B1, C1, C3, D1, D2, D3, D8, E4, E5 and F2.

V-d-3) Reorientation of certain activities : The result of the diagnostics motivated us to review some of our practices. However, the redeployment of existing resources is still not sufficient to achieve the new objectives. Reinforcement is expected, particularly as far as human resources are concerned.

For the time being, we are doing our best to implement this reassessment in the following fields : - The computerisation of collections, - The orientation of collections towards conservation and educational purposes, - The role in terms of the promotion and implementation of international regulations,

16 - The implementation of environmentally friendly practices, - The application of the principles of Sustainable Development, - The implementation of a new hosting policy, - The internationalisation of our missions (expert assessments, partnerships, hosting foreigners).

Objectives B6, C2, C4, C5, D5, D7, E1, E2, E3 and F3 apply to these points.

V-d-4) Supplementary financing : We saw that the future of our establishment partly hinges on the need to fill certain gaps deemed to be of concern.

To achieve this, what is required is the mobilisation of new funds, given that the following priorities have been adopted : - The development of herbariums and document holdings, - The construction of the visitors’ building, associated with a new policy of openness, - The application of a museography.

These points match objectives B5, B7 and D4.

Actually, a more general programme was set for the 2001-2010 period, and includes other investments which were not presented in this paper.

The following table summarises this ambitious programme (3,12 M€), for which 40% of the budget has already been mobilised.

Investments Financing Programmes Programmation amount (en K Euros) Attained Awaiting * Construction of the 2003-2005 549 X Visitors' Buildiing * Reinforcing our 2004-2005 175 X hosting policy

* Development of the Herbariums and 2001-2004 45 X Document Holdings

* New museography : - Study 2004 60 X - Design 2005-2006 400 X

* Automatic climatic management 2004 180 X (tropical greehouses)

17 * Construction of a technical 1/3 2/3 2005-2008 780 building (260) * Other programmes (orangery, new laouts, 2008-2010 935 X etc.)

TOTAL 3 124 1 269 1 855

90% of the financing comes from public-sector partners : - Henri Poincaré University, - The Greater Nancy Urban Community, - The Regional Council of Lorraine, - The Ministries (in charge of Research and Environment).

In concluding with this last stage, once again I offer you this simplified view which highlights the approach deemed to constitute the priority for the Action Plan’s 35 objectives.

So admittedly, the execution of a Strategic Plan is not just a matter of financial resources.

First and foremost it has to demonstrate the ambition and determination to work within a consistent overall framework shared by the whole of the international botanic gardens community.

VΙ CONCLUSION

By adopting the Action Plan for Botanic Gardens in the European Union so it could define its own development policy, the Conservatoire et Jardins Botaniques de Nancy opted to focus on a single reference document.

With a French version at our disposal which we translated, taking this document into account was facilitated both by the establishment’s staff and by the Management Committee which, upon reading it, was able to find most of the current concerns faced by botanic gardens.

While most of the orientations suggested were nothing new to us, they did on the other hand allow us to strengthen our determination and confirm our choices.

In political terms, this appropriation is very important. Indeed, it allows our elected representatives (the members of our Management Committee) to guide the future of the Conservatoire et Jardins Botaniques de Nancy with full knowledge of the facts, working under a general framework shared with the international botanic gardens community.

As far as activities to promote conservation in particular are concerned, the orientations adopted also meet the objectives set by the International Agenda for Botanic

18 Gardens in Conservation : participation in national strategies, integrated conservation, sustainable use of biodiversity, educating and raising the awareness of the public, scientific and technical co-operation, etc.

Nevertheless, the success of such an integrated overall approach does remain dependent on the available resources. Here too, we saw that a consensus must be reached between the optimisation of the existing resources and obtaining additional funding.

In particular, we must ensure that a balance is respected between our fundamental missions (conservation of biodiversity, study and research, educating the public, etc.) and a commercial and tourism orientation, with the latter being increasingly justified by a difficult economic context.

Thank you for your attention.

I have various documents illustrating what I said available for you to consult.