Many of the Zingiberales come from rainforest environments throughout the tropical world. These biodiverse ecosystems are continually being being destroyed for varied reasons at a relentless rate. While some Zingiberales appear to be able to survive major habitat modification, other lesser known and less robust species may not. Have we progressed in Zingiberales conservation or are we fighting a losing battle?

Alan Carel joins us from The Botanical Ark in Australia.

Along with his wife Susan, Alan runs The Botanical Ark, a private botanic garden specialising in rainforest ethnobotanical plants. The Botanical Ark also an HSI repository for Zingiberales. He has been involved in HSI from its inception, was HSI president for 4 years, VP before that, and an active board member. Alan and Susan activelly try to promote Rainforest conservation.