The Priority US Trees Conservation Awards are offered through a collaboration among The Morton Arboretum, ArbNet, United States Botanic Garden, NatureServe, and BGCI-US. These organizations are committed to advancing tree conservation across the United States by supporting the propagation and collection of priority US tree species. This initiative underscores the importance of safeguarding native flora through institutional conservation efforts.
Funding ranging from $3,000 to $5,000 will be awarded to qualifying US-based institutions. The goal is to support projects that focus on priority US tree taxa. Awardees must submit a collection permit prior to applying, share wild population data with state botanists, accession collections to BGCI PlantSearch, and comply with CPC Best Plant Conservation Practices to support species survival.
Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations, local, regional, or state governments, and educational institutions based in the United States. Individuals are not eligible to apply. The performance period for funded projects will extend 18 months from the time of award notification.
Applications will be accepted in two rounds, with submission deadlines of June 15, 2025, and August 15, 2025. Applicants will be notified of award decisions within four to six weeks after each deadline. Projects are not funded on a rolling basis but are anticipated to be part of a recurring funding program.
Awardees will be required to submit a final report one month after the project concludes. The report must detail activities, encountered challenges, future plans, and a budget summary. Visual documentation such as photos or videos should be provided for use on partner websites and social media.
Applications must include essential information such as contact details, project partners, target taxa, a detailed project description, justification, budget, and a project title. Questions may be directed to Raakel Toppila via email at raakel.toppila@bgci.org.
