Join today
Any garden that is a member of the American Public Gardens Association can participate in the Sentinel Plant Network.
Join the Sentinel Plant Network in 2 Steps.
Institution benefits
Gain these benefits for your institution once you join.
- Disaster preparedness and risk management
- Preservation of prized specimens and collections
- Specialized professional development opportunities
- Access to invasive pest / pathogen diagnostic support and expertise
- Access to Sentinel Plant Network educational outreach materials
- Participation in the Sentinel Plant Network also indicates your organization’s commitment to plant conservation, excellent collections management, and community leadership and is recognized through features in the Association’s publications, website and social media
Institution participation
What is expected of gardens that participate in the Sentinel Plant Network?
-
Each garden must designate a staff member to serve as the program’s primary contact and facilitate their organization’s participation
- Routinely scout for pests/pathogens in your collections or natural areas and periodically report on this activity through the program’s brief scouting surveys
- Engage your state’s National Plant Diagnostic Network (NPDN) lab with plant pest and disease inquiries and using Sentinel Plant Network protocols; collect and submit samples as needed
- Display / distribute Sentinel Plant Network educational outreach materials
- Conduct an annual class for community members to educate them about the impact of serious pests and diseases and introduce them to NPDN’s First Detector Network
- Publicize your institution’s involvement in Sentinel Plant Network through website links, newsletter articles, press releases, etc.
- Complete a annual self-assessment survey on your organization’s scouting, sample submissions, and educational outreach activities
