Botanical gardens play a vital role in conservation through research, education, and, in the case of the Harriet Irving Botanical Gardens, service as a living gene bank for the native flora of the Acadian Forest Region.

Acadia University researchers, faculty, staff, and students use the six acres of Gardens as an outdoor classroom, conducting hands-on experiments and illustrating important principles of plant conservation and ecology.

Research under way at the Centre and Gardens promotes both the conservation of common native plants and the recovery of Species at Risk. Our unique environment also helps increase biodiversity by providing habitat for a wide variety of wildlife, including birds, butterflies, and pollinators.

Learn more about our Species at Risk here.

For more information on the role that Botanical Gardens play in plant conservation, visit the Botanical Gardens Conservation International.