The future for our collections

Collection management is a dynamic activity with unpredictable factors. To give you an example (has not really happened, fortunately): if, tomorrow, we have to weather a severe storm, and all horse chestnuts will fall down, we shall immediately consider our options. Options that concern:

• • replanting a similar collection with the same species;

• • replanting a similar collection with new species;

• • replanting a collectie of chestnuts at all, there are already so many fine collections of them

• • no horse chestnuts, but then what;

• • are there any under-exposed collections in the Netherlands, can we contribute to the total  (bio)diversity.

These questions are bound to come up, and we will not always have an answer. We are, of course, prepared to some degree, together with a number of experts we have looked at our collections, and on the basis of their input, we have drawn up a plan. A plan that shows direction, but can never be complete.

Nature, the weather, always unpredictable!