Seed Keepers

["Lawrence F. London, Jr." <venaurafarm@bellsouth.net>]

Show your support for an endangered seed bank - Boing Boing
http://www.boingboing.net/2010/08/12/show-your-support-fo.html

One of the world's foremost seed banks is in deep trouble after a 
Russian court ruled yesterday that the Russian Housing Development 
Foundation can take the land the seed bank is on and sell it to private 
home developers. http://www.the-scientist.com/blog/display/57617/

Currently, Pavlovsk Experimental Station is home to 5,500 varieties of 
edible plants, mostly fruit. The collections survived World War II and 
many of the varieties can be found nowhere else on Earth. Losing a seed 
bank would represent more than just a loss of biodiversity for 
biodiversity's sake. 
http://discovermagazine.com/2009/nov/20-big-picture-banks-that-prevent-global-crises 
Collections like this can be used as breeding stock, imparting useful 
traits like drought tolerance or weed resistance to more commonly grown 
varieties. As the effects of global climate change increase, such 
breeding could become crucial.

The only chance left to stop the razing of Pavlovsk is a direct appeal 
to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

That's where you come in. 
http://food.change.org/blog/view/russias_pavlovsk_seed_vault_threatened_by_real_estate_developers 
The Global Crop Diversity Trust http://www.croptrust.org/main/ is 
collecting signatures on a petition that will be presented to Medvedev 
and Putin. The hope is that the show of global support for the Pavlovsk 
station might incline the men to step in and save it.


Global Crop Diversity Trust
http://www.croptrust.org/main/

Europe's largest berry bank faces closure
(12 August 2010) To learn more about the Moscow court's ruling against 
the appeal to preserve Pavlovsk Experimental Station, please see this 
article from Nature. The court's ruling has been appealed and there is 
still time for you to protest the decision!

Petitions by Change.org|Get Widget|Start a Petition »


Read more in Nature

Pavlovsk Station Court Case - An Update
(11 August 2010) A court in Moscow today ruled in favour of the Russian 
Federal Fund of Residential Real Estate Development, recognizing the 
legitimate transfer of the land housing the Pavlovsk Station for the 
construction of residential properties.

The ruling was instantly appealed, giving Pavlovsk Station a period of 
one month before any development plans can move forward. This judgment 
can be revoked through a direct order from the office of the President 
or Prime Minister.

What can be done?
At the Global Crop Diversity Trust, we strongly believe that today’s 
court decision is no reason to give up hope for Pavlovsk Station. Over 
the next four weeks, we will continue our fight to save Pavlovsk, and we 
need your help. We need to persuade the political authorities of the 
importance of the irreplaceable crop diversity growing at Pavlovsk 
Station, and request that the judgment be revoked.

Please consider sending a letter to the Russian President to express 
your concern over Pavlovsk’s potential destruction, and please make sure 
to sign the petition . We have already collected over 1,000 signatures. 
Every letter, every signature, every email, every tweet counts. We don’t 
have to sit back and let this happen.

There is still time to act
(3 August 2010) Although sending a letter has the greatest impact, we 
encourage you to please sign this petition urging President Medvedev to 
save the Pavlovsk experimental station.

Start a Petition »

Read more in the press release

As you read this, the future of the world’s fruits and berries is in danger.
Outside of St. Petersburg, Russia, the Pavlovsk experimental station 
houses a vast collection of priceless seeds: strawberries, cherries, 
raspberries and many more – more than 4,000 varieties. First assembled 
by Nikolai Vavilov, the inventor of the modern seed bank, this 
collection will be vital as scientists race to breed new crops that 
resist the rising tide of disease, pests and drought. 90 percent of the 
seeds at Pavlovsk can be found nowhere else.

And today, they are facing demolition to make way for a real estate 
developer’s “commercial cottages”.

Here’s what you can do. Tweet this message to Russian President Dmitry 
Medvedev:

@KremlinRussia_E Mr. President, protect the future of agriculture - save 
Pavlovsk station! http://bit.ly/Pavlovsk

Or take a moment to write a letter online
Please click here for key points to include in your letter
Learn More