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iCONic - A Global Rescue Operation

iCONic - A Global Rescue Operation Welcome to the homepage of Perthshire Big Tree Country’s iCONic project – Internationally threatened CONifers In our Care.

iCONic has been established to help save some of the world’s most threatened conifer species by creating safe-havens for them in the forests, gardens, and estates of Perthshire Big Tree Country, bringing together the expertise of a range of collaborators .

The project continues the tradition of the early Scottish plant collectors, Perthshire men like Archibald Menzies and David Douglas, but iCONic does so to address challenges facing the modern world.

Over half of the world’s conifer species are threatened with extinction in their natural habitats. iCONic will collect seed from native forests, and bring that seed back to Scotland to germinate and grow on in the nursery of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh before finding permanent homes for the young trees in carefully selected sites in Perthshire.

These new collections will act as living gene banks that can be drawn on in the future to help restore depleted forests around the world. In addition to this invaluable resource, the iCONic project and its subscribers will leave a legacy of new arboreal landscapes that can be enjoyed by generations to come.

You can view a short introductory film about iCONic by clicking on the link below.