People Making a Difference — Could You Be Next?
The Currents of Conservation: People Making a Difference
Just as sunshine powers the electric current of life, passionate individuals and movements power the survival of our planet's botanical heritage. Meet the voices driving the science, the stories, and the action needed to protect threatened plants.
The Science: Dr. Dino J. Martins is a visionary evolutionary biologist and the Director of the Turkana Basin Institute. Acting as nature's detective, he uncovers the vital relationships between insects and the threatened plants they save. In his recent 2025 keynote, "Hope Comes From the Little Things," he shares how understanding these small connections is the key to our planet's future.
The Story: Matt Candeias is an ecologist and author of the acclaimed book In Defense of Plants. He is on a mission to change how we talk about the botanical world. He believes that to save plants, we must first learn to love them for their own incredible stories, not just their utility. Through his In Defense of Plants platform, he champions the "invisible" species—from the smallest duckweed to the tallest redwood—inspiring us to protect what we have finally learned to see. — "To succeed in saving plants, we must let go of utilitarian speaking points and instead inspire people to care about them as the amazing organisms they truly are."
The Action: Fridays For Future (FFF) — What began as a student strike is now a global network demanding a livable future. FFF champions climate justice and the protection of the ecosystems that threatened plants call home. They are the vital voice of the next generation, bridging the gap between climate activism and biodiversity conservation. Join the movement.
These are just three voices in a global surge. Whether you are a scientist, a student, or a guardian of the wild—your passion is the current that drives us forward. Be the energy that protects our planet’s botanical heritage.
Botanical Gardens
Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI)
BGCI is the world’s leading network of botanic gardens, uniting over 500 institutions across 100 countries in the mission to stop the extinction of threatened plants. Their State of the World’s Trees report found that nearly one-third of the world’s tree species are at risk of extinction.
Explore BGCI’s plant conservation work →
Botanic gardens are active conservation hubs — not just beautiful spaces to visit. Search the BGCI global database to find one near you and discover how to support their work.
Global Ecoregions: Where Life Unfolds
Categories & Criteria: The Science of Survival
Biodiversity is not a random tapestry; it thrives in intricate patterns shaped by climate, geology, and evolutionary history across our planet. These unique biological communities define Earth’s ecoregions—vast, distinct landscapes where life has evolved in extraordinary ways. Understanding these natural boundaries is crucial for Oya, as it helps us pinpoint where threatened plants are most vulnerable and where our conservation efforts can make the greatest impact.
Image: Terrestrial Ecoregions of the World, DataBasin
Categories & Criteria: The Science of Survival
Categories & Criteria: The Science of Survival
At the heart of plant conservation lies the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria, the global gold standard for assessing extinction risk. Continuously refined, with guidelines now in their 16th version, this robust framework provides a clear, objective system for classifying species from "Least Concern" to "Critically Endangered." It’s the scientific compass guiding Oya’s mission, revealing which plants desperately need our attention and inspiring the art that tells their story.
Photo: “Kadua parvula” (CR) by David Eickhoff.
Classification Schemes: Unpacking the Threat
Classification Schemes: Unpacking the Threat
To truly protect a threatened plant, we must first understand its world. The IUCN Red List Classification Schemes provide a detailed lens into the complex challenges species face. These schemes meticulously document everything from Habitat loss and Threats (like pollution or climate change) to specific Conservation Actions Needed and the intricate Ecosystem Services plants provide. Oya uses this vital data to inform our art, transforming scientific understanding into compelling calls for action.
Photo: By Charisia
Critically Endangered
Critically Endangered
Classification Schemes: Unpacking the Threat
Critically Endangered (CR) species are standing at the very edge — their risk of disappearing from the wild is extremely high. Each one represents millions of years of evolution and an irreplaceable thread in the web of life.
Photo: Aspalathus horizontalis
©douglaseustonbrown -CC BY-SA 4.0
Endangered
Critically Endangered
Endangered
An Endangered (EN) plant is in serious trouble. Habitat loss, climate change, and other pressures are accelerating faster than it can recover. But with protection and care, recovery is still possible. Every Endangered species is a story not yet finished.
Photo: Cyrtanthus guthrieae
© Marion Maclean - CC BY-SA 4.0
Vulnerable
Critically Endangered
Endangered
Vulnerable (VU) species are the early warning signal. The pressures are mounting — and without intervention, the trajectory is clear. Recognising this status early is one of conservation's most powerful tools. Paying attention now means we still have time to act.
Photo: Commelina communis
Bogdan - CC BY-SA 3.0
Earth's Images
NASA Earth Images: Seeing the Whole Picture
Our planet is changing — and NASA is watching. Through its Global Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet project, NASA shares real-time data, imagery, and visualisations that reveal exactly how Earth's climate is shifting. For plant conservationists, this view from above is invaluable: it shows us where ecosystems are under stress, where habitats are disappearing, and where urgent action is needed most.
ECOSTRESS: Listening to Plants from Space
Plants communicate their stress — if you know how to listen. The ECOsystem
Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station (ECOSTRESS) does exactly that, measuring plant surface temperatures from orbit to understand how vegetation responds to heat and water scarcity. Three questions sit at the heart of its mission:
- How is the terrestrial biosphere responding to changes in water availability?
- How do changes in vegetation water stress affect the global carbon cycle?
- Can improved drought monitoring reduce agricultural vulnerability worldwide?
- The answers don't just advance science — they help pinpoint which plant communities are most at risk, and where conservation efforts matter most.
Nature Conservation Bodies (... we love!)
IUCN Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas
IUCN Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas
IUCN Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas
The IUCN Green List certifies protected areas that are genuinely effective and equitably governed — it tells you which ones are truly working for nature and communities.
Protected Planet
IUCN Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas
IUCN Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas
Discover the world's protected areas through an amazing compilation of data.
iNaturalist
IUCN Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas
Flora & Fauna International (FFI)
Looking for photos and information on plants?
We love this website as it gets naturalists connected with nature!
Flora & Fauna International (FFI)
Flora & Fauna International (FFI)
Flora & Fauna International (FFI)
FFI's focus on the environment is critical to understand why plants are being threatened.
Conservation International
Flora & Fauna International (FFI)
Conservation International
Protecting the nature we all rely on for food, fresh water and livelihoods.
The Nature Conservancy
Flora & Fauna International (FFI)
Conservation International
A nature conservation body "grounded in science and collaborative from the beginning".
Nature Conservation Bodies (... we love!)
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
The CBD is the global treaty underpinning everything Oya does — the legal foundation for the GSPC, the Kunming-Montreal Framework, and every international commitment to halt biodiversity loss.
World Conservation Monitoring Centre
UN Environment World Conservation Monitoring Centre is a world leader in biodiversity knowledge.
Center for Plant Conservation
The CPC is a US-based network of over 80 botanical institutions with a single goal: preventing the extinction of rare native plants. Their National Collection safeguards species that may no longer survive in the wild.
The ReSoil Foundation
No soil, no plants. The Re Soil Foundation exists to protect one of our planet's most neglected natural resources — working to restore soil health and drive the regeneration that all plant life ultimately depends on.
South African National Biodiversity Institute
SANBI is South Africa's national authority on biodiversity — and proof that extinction is not inevitable. Through data, science and on-the-ground action, they are turning the tide for the threatened plants of one of the world's most biodiverse countries.
ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity
The ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) coordinates conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity across ten ASEAN member states — protecting one of the most plant-rich and threatened regions on earth