Saving trees on the EDGE of Existence – Asia and Africa

Secure the future of highly threatened and evolutionarily distinct tree species across Asia and Africa through the development of local conservation leaders

Partner: Zoological Society of London (ZSL) in partnership with Kew
Years: 2021-2025

EDGE species are Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered, meaning they are unique species at risk of extinction. This project will catalyze locally led conservation actions to protect multiple EDGE tree species by training and mentoring future conservation leaders.

Photo credit: Carolina Soto Navarro

EDGE species are Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered, meaning they are unique species at risk of extinction. EDGE species have few close relatives and sit at the end of long branches on the tree of life, so tend to be unusual and remarkable in the way they look and live. Often overlooked by the conservation agenda, they represent irreplaceable evolutionary history: once they are gone, there will be nothing like them left on Earth. The EDGE of Existence Programme is the only global initiative building local capacity to conserve these little-known species. This is essential as biodiversity-rich countries often have the most limited conservation capacity. Over the last decade, EDGE has worked to conserve a diverse range of species in the animal kingdom but they now have ambitions, in partnership with Kew Botanical Gardens, to extend the programme to plants. This project will catalyse locally led conservation actions to protect multiple EDGE tree species in Asia and Africa. They will train and mentor promising future conservation leaders to undertake much-needed actions for some of the most threatened and evolutionary distinct tree species.