Institute for Aloe Studies

Mission Statement and Board of Directors

The Institute for Aloe Studies is a non-profit corporation with 501(c)(3) tax exempt status. Donations are tax deductible and always welcome. Your donation will be used to support our plantings and/or greenhouse at the Oakland Zoo. We encourage you to Contact Us if you know of any aloe conservation projects in need of our support.

We are proud to include on our Board of Directors the following dedicated individuals:

The purpose and goals of The Institute for Aloe Studies are twofold:

• The study of Aloes to foster increased knowledge and understanding of currently available information; and
• the propagation of Aloes through preservation of collections and conservation of habitat.

Education will be accomplished through development of this web site dedicated to Aloes and through displays and plantings of Aloes in schools and public places. The web site will have a photographic record and the scientific descriptions of the different species of Aloe, which will help people identify and research Aloes. There will also be links to other Aloe related web sites, a list of Aloe books and other information about the genus. In the future, we will have a place to submit questions about Aloes.

We are working with the Oakland Zoo to educate the general public about the genus Aloe. One of the directors is a teacher in the Oakland Public Schools and his students are growing Aloes to be planted at the zoo. We are planting Aloes in the African part of the zoo to create an environment that shows the zoo visitor interesting examples of African flora. We are also going to create a display that explains the cultural uses of Aloes in Africa including their medicinal uses, show how the genus has adapted to survive its dry environment and include photos of many species of Aloe. We will be doing this in a small exhibit hall in the African Savannah area of the zoo.

The Institute for Aloe Studies is propagating Aloes to offer for sale to the general public. We are establishing a collection of plants to produce seeds and cuttings to perpetuate and disseminate the different species of Aloe. The offering of these domestically produced plants will reduce pressure on wild populations from illegal collection. Our collection of plants will serve as a DNA database as many species of Aloe are becoming rare in habitat. The Oakland Zoo has provided us with a greenhouse as a home for our collection of plants. We are also exchanging plant material with other botanical institutions. The Institute for Aloe Studies will develop and offer horticulturally desirable Aloe hybrids.

Conservation of Aloes will be accomplished by offering domestically produced plants and by encouraging the establishment of reserves and protection of habitat. We hope to work with botanists in determining what Aloes are in most danger and to help support the establishment of reserves and protection of habitat.

We are also interested in expanding scientific knowledge of the genus by funding and conducting research into Aloe habitat, distribution areas, evolutionary relationships, ecological adaptations, and conservation status.