Dr. Cecilia Koo Botanic Conservation Center was established in January 2007 with the generous support of Mr. Leslie Koo and Dr. Cecilia Koo, under the umbrella of Taiwan Cement Corporation. Simultaneously, four for-profit and nonprofit organizations, including Taiwan Cement Corporation, Ho-Ping Power Company, China Synthetic Rubber Corporation, and the JianTan TTemple Foundation, jointly contributed to the establishment of the Dr. Cecilia Koo Botanic Conservation and Environmental Protection Foundation, to support the operation of the Conservation Center. Professor Li Jiawei from the Department of Life Sciences at National Tsing Hua University serves as the CEO.
The mission of the Conservation Center is to preserve tropical and subtropical plants worldwide. Since its establishment, the center has collected over 34,000 species of tropical and subtropical plants from around the world, aiming to contribute to the biodiversity of our planet and create a "Noah's Ark" for the plant kingdom. The Center focuses on ex-situ conservation rooted in academic research. Through international academic exchanges and participation in global tropical plant conservation programs, it aspires to become a world-class botanic conservation institution. The Center houses a diverse collection of native species to preserve the original genes of plants. Additionally, it takes into consideration the potential of certain cultivated varieties which face market obsolescence, especially those whose original parent species are also at risk.
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Dr. Cecilia Koo Botanic Conservation Center