Technical training

Carly Cowell

Technical training is a key part of our approach to building capacity. The main training objective is to develop seed processing and testing skills through practical experience of working alongside Seed Conservation Department staff.

Carly Cowell, Cape Project Co-ordinator for the South African Millennium Seed Bank Project, spent four weeks at the MSB, receiving technical training from SCD staff. Working with South African seed collections, she was able to learn a variety of new techniques for cleaning and storing seeds and compare them with the methods she used at home. She also learnt about and practiced procedures to assess potential seed collections to ensure the collection of high quality seeds. To back up this practical training, SCD staff also provided coaching in the theory of seed drying and storage for optimal seed longevity

Returning to South Africa, Carly has put this training to good effect with the rest of the Cape collecting team and in July 2005, she organised a 3-day workshop on Seed Conservation Techniques at the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden.

John Adams and staff from Kunming Institute of Botany

Five staff from MSB partners the Southwest China Germplasm Bank of Wild Species (SCGBWS), based at the Kunming Institute of Botany, visited the Seed Bank for six weeks training in 2006. They received comprehensive training in seed banking, from seed collecting and processing through to laboratory management and information dissemination. The Chinese team were able to compare our methods with the techniques and strategies they had used on their recent collections in China. Back in China, they have passed on the skills they learnt here, organising seed collecting and processing teams and advising SCGBWS on implementing seed conservation activities in-country.