2010/06/17

Barcelona Botanical Garden holds a successful meeting of the GENMEDA network


Instut Botànic de Barcelona, inside the Botanical Garden of the city, held the meeting of Genmeda network, 10/06/2010. © Emilio Laguna

On the occassion of the second edition of the Catalan Congress on Plant Conservation taking place in Barcelona last week, GENMEDA partners celebrated a decisive meeting which meant a big step forward for the setting up of the ambitious network.

By bringing back the two former projects (Genmedoc and Semclimed) as a sample of the essential collaboration and engagement, Antoni Marzo (CIEF) intended to present the goodness of a formal establishment to Genmeda, which has been, in any case, a common work scenario for the last years.

Antoni Marzo, coordinator of the Genmeda's first steps, introduced the network goals and procedures. ©Emilio Laguna, 10/06/2010

Gloria Ortiz (CIEF) piloted the meeting, making the presentation of key issues and moderating the group discussion. ©Emilio Laguna, 10/06/2010

In like manner, discussions were open to review the main controversial issues, such as, name of the network translated into all the partners' languages, layout of Odissea Seminum newsletter, website composition, importance of databases, candidates for network positions, working groups and last but not least, new members accession. In regards to these topics we reached the following applicable proposals:

- Board-meeting candidatures to be voted: Myriam Virevaire (President, CBNM Porquerolles), Anna Guglielmo (Secretary, DB University of Catania), Gloria Ortiz (Treasurer, CIEF).

- Centres/members of the Steering Committee proposals to be voted: Josep Lluís Gradaille (JB Soller), Gianni Bacchetta (CCB Cagliari), Josep M. Montserrat (JB Barcelone), Christina Fournaraki (MAICh) and Elena Estrelles (JB Valencia).

Representatives of JBUV (Elena Estrelles), CBNM (Myriam Virevaire), DBUC (Anna Guglielmo and Pietro Pavone) and CIEF (Pablo Ferrer, Antoni Marzo and Jesús Martínez), attending the meeting. © Emilio Laguna, 10/06/2010

- Working groups: 1) Communication and diffusion; 2) Genmeda's Database; 3) Ex situ culture collections; 4) Research (habitats preservation, molecular studies, etc.); 5) 'Relex' (external relations); 6) Strategic planning; 7) Virtual collection, index seminum, duplication, infosheets; and 8) Network’s future.

- General Assembly meeting will be held in Rome next May-June 2011 (date still to be fixed). Dr. Pietro Pavone kindly made first arrangements phoning their Roman colleagues during the current meeting.

Group picture including most of the meeting attendants, before starting the meal. © Emilio Laguna, 10/06/2010

In a nutshell, thanks to joint efforts and best practices, Genmeda network is a lively transnational network that will provide a shared stand for flora conservation actions.

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