LSF Outreach and Community Support

What is the goal of public outreach and LSF?

The goal of the Lilium Species Foundation’s outreach program is to educate the public, land managers, and partner institutions about Lilium species and their importance to natural ecosystems, cultural history, and biological conservation. Outreach will focus on where lilies grow today, where they grew historically, how they function within their native habitats, and how they can be responsibly cultivated and conserved. This includes defining and interpreting critical habitat, identifying critical associated species such as pollinators and larval host relationships (including hawk moths, butterflies, hummingbirds, native bees, and other nectar-dependent organisms), and explaining the ecological networks that lilies support. Through research-based education, LSF seeks to promote informed stewardship, habitat protection, ethical propagation, and the restoration of ecologically appropriate lily populations within their natural landscapes.

Phase I

In its initial phase, the Lilium Species Foundation’s outreach program will focus on providing practical, research-based support to local communities, land managers, and botanical institutions through historical documentation, education, and early conservation planning. LSF will compile and interpret historical records, herbarium data, and ecological surveys to help identify where native Lilium species once occurred, the habitats they occupied, and the environmental conditions that supported them. This information will be made available to land trusts, park districts, restoration groups, schools, and botanical gardens to support site-appropriate conservation and interpretation. LSF will also develop educational materials, public lectures, and interpretive content addressing lily ecology, pollinator relationships, cultural history, and conservation needs. While large-scale seed banking and restoration plant production remain long-term goals, the Foundation will begin by establishing ethical seed-collection standards, documenting genetic provenance, and working with partner gardens and growers to maintain small living reference collections and safeguard limited seed lots. Through these efforts, LSF will serve as a credible scientific and historical resource, helping communities understand their native lilies today while laying the groundwork for future habitat restoration, seed conservation, and reintroduction programs.

Phase II

As capacity and partnerships expand, the Lilium Species Foundation will develop dedicated field and garden space for the long-term maintenance, study, and propagation of wild Lilium species. This phase will focus on establishing conservation-grade growing plots to preserve documented genetic lines, increase seed of selected species, and support regional seed banking and restoration efforts. LSF will work in coordination with botanical gardens, land trusts, and public agencies to provide site-appropriate plant material for habitat restoration and population reinforcement, guided by strict provenance and genetic integrity standards. Educational outreach will expand to include hands-on training workshops, student research projects, and citizen-science monitoring of wild and restored populations. Through these integrated efforts, LSF will move from a primarily advisory and documentation role into an active regional center for lily conservation, seed stewardship, and applied restoration support.

These initial and intermediate phases establish the foundation for a future, fully developed global Lilium conservation and education network as resources, facilities, and partnerships mature.

Contact and Collaboration

The Lilium Species Foundation welcomes inquiries from land managers, botanical gardens, educators, researchers, conservation organizations, and private property owners with an interest in the documentation, conservation, restoration, or interpretation of wild Lilium species and their habitats. Individuals or institutions with information on historical or existing lily populations, habitat conditions, pollinator associations, or opportunities for educational and conservation partnership are encouraged to contact the Foundation.

For outreach, education, and collaborative project inquiries, please contact:

Lilium Species Foundation
Email: [to be added]
Web Contact Form: [to be added]