Chad Washburn is the Vice President of Conservation at Naples Botanical Garden and is responsible for the development of the Garden’s plant conservation strategy and implementation of the program. He leads the Conservation and Natural Resources team, focusing on projects that ensure the long-term survival of the flora and ecosystems of South Florida and the Caribbean region through integrated plant conservation efforts. These efforts include natural resource management, seed banking, conservation plant collections development, threat assessments, restoration and resiliency projects, and capacity building in the region. Throughout his time at the Garden, he has led efforts to address the region’s most pressing challenges through nature-based solutions, including restoration of coastal beach dune plant communities, development of resilient urban forests, and stormwater management.
Chad acts as a convener for regional and international plant conservation efforts, bringing together a community of scientists and practitioners from across southwest Florida for monthly informal conversations, and leading a community of over 250 international botanical gardens from the Caribbean and Central American region towards achieving the region’s plant conservation strategy goals. Chad is a Chanticleer Scholar, FGCU Courtesy Faculty, a graduate of Leadership Collier (2018), and recently received the American Public Gardens Association’s Professional Citation.
