Every two years, since 2003, we recognize outstanding contributions to the field of conservation to honour our founder, Dr Ulysses Seal. The Ulysses S. Seal Award for Innovation in Conservation goes to an individual who exemplifies innovation in the application of science to conservation. This year, we are happy to announce that the honour goes to Dr. Valerie C. Pence, Director of Plant Research, Center for Conservation and Research of Endangered Wildlife Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden.
Dr. Pence is a plant biologist, pioneer, and icon in plant cryopreservation and propagation who, since 1986, has been the Director of Plant Research at the Cincinnati Zoo’s Center for Conservation and Research of Endangered Wildlife Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden (CREW). Under her leadership, CREW and its Frozen Garden have become an internationally recognized and highly respected program for advancing the fields of endangered plant tissue culture and cryopreservation. As a result of her work, CREW’s Frozen Garden is one of the oldest and most diverse wild plant cryobanks in the world.
High quality science has been the foundation of Dr. Pence’s work. Her programs focus on the conservation of rare, wild, exceptional plant species that cannot be saved by conventional seed banking. Dr. Pence coined the term “exceptional plants” to call attention to those species that cannot be seed-banked and so were being overlooked during conventional plant seed conservation efforts. A project led by Dr. Pence was one of the largest and most diverse demonstrations of healthy plants growing from wild plant material thawed after 20 years in liquid nitrogen, reinforcing cryopreservation as a viable method for ex situ conservation of exceptional plants, and leading to a growing number of botanical gardens including cryopreservation as part of their conservation missions. The term is now recognized by conservationists and botanical gardens worldwide and is included in IUCN plant conservation strategies.
Dr. Pence’s focus on mentoring the next generation of conservationists has been instrumental in advancing the cause of plant conservation and plant cryopreservation and propagation.
This year’s award selection committee summarized their selection of Dr. Pence as follows:
“Dr. Pence’s work for plant conservation over decades is truly impressive, focusing on cells, seeds, cryopreservation, ex situ conservation and out-planting in the wild. As such Dr. Pence has impacted all three layers of biodiversity conservation: genetic diversity, species diversity and habitats, much aligned with the concepts of the One Plan Approach of working across this broad spectrum. Her work for ‘exceptional plants’ in particular was highly innovative and important to helping prevent extinctions for this group of plant species.”
The Ulie Seal Award was officially announced during the CPSG 2025 Annual Meeting closing ceremony on Sunday, 26 October 2025, at the Cali Zoo in Cali, Colombia. Although Dr. Pence was unable to join us at the Award Ceremony, she sent along these words:
"Greetings from Cincinnati in the United States! I’m sorry that I can’t be with you in person tonight, but it is truly an honor to receive the Ulysses S. Seal award, and it is particularly special, as I understand that this is the first time the award has been given for work in the conservation of plants.
Unfortunately, I never had a chance to meet Ulie Seal myself, but my colleagues in the animal world at CREW who knew him held him in high regard for his creativity and leadership in conservation. So, receiving an award recognizing his legacy is a high honor. My heartfelt thanks to the Conservation Planning Specialist Group for this, and to the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden and CREW for giving me the opportunity to be a part of the plant conservation community for the past 30 plus years. It’s an honor to accept this award not just for myself but on behalf of all those working at CREW and globally to conserve all plant species, even the most difficult."
Earlier this month, colleagues at the Cincinnati zoo & Botanical Garden celebrated to honor Valerie and her contribution to conservation (photos below).
