NACPEC Expeditions

NACPEC collectors Tony Aiello, Michael Dosmann, Kang Wang, and Kris Bachtell standing in front of a large paperbark maple (Acer griseum), from which they collected seeds (NACPEC 15-036). Michael Dosmann, 2015

North America-China Plant Exploration Consortium (NACPEC) is a group of member institutions with the objective of increasing ex situ conservation of plants from China. Since 1991, the group has explored the temperate zones of China for plant species that are compatible with the environment of the northeastern United States. The group has led numerous expeditions in China, and one in North America in 2019. The Arnold Arboretum has participated as a collecting partner in NACPEC expeditions since 1994.

NACPEC Archives

The Archives of the Arnold Arboretum is the repository of the NACPEC archives and stewards the records of the consortium. The collection includes trip reports, field notebooks, correspondence, meeting notes, agendas, budgets, plant records, publicity materials, photographs, ephemera, and other materials.

For questions or to consult this collection, please email the Arboretum Archives at hortlib@arnarb.harvard.edu.

NACPEC Expeditions List

The following contains a digest of all the NACPEC expeditions to date.

Four NACPEC team members collecting plants in the field in 1993. — Kris Bachtell (far left), Mr. Diao (center left), an unnamed team member (center right), and Paul Meyer (far right) collecting plants at the Jiang Shan Jiao Forest Reserve, September 1993.NACPEC Archives.

Expeditions List

1991

Negotiating Trip

Beijing, Harbin, Changchun, Xian, Nanjing, Shanghai

Participants: Lawrence Lee ¹, Peter Bristol ², Paul Meyer ³
Institution(s): ¹U.S. National Arboretum, ² Holden Arboretum, ³Morris Arboretum
Plant(s) Collected: Pinus

1993

Expedition to Heilongjiang Province

Heilongjiang Province, Ping Shan, Jian Shan Jiao, Fen Ling Preserve

Participants: Kris Bachtell ¹, Peter Bristol ², Paul Meyer ³, Gao Shi Xin ⁴, Jiu Jun ⁴
Institution(s): ¹ Morton Arboretum, ² Holden Arboretum, ³ Morris Arboretum, ⁴ Heilongjiang Academy of Forestry

1993

Cui Tiecheng Collections

Shaanxi

Participants: CUI Tiecheng
Institution(s): Xi’an Botanic Garden

1994

Expedition to Beijing Mountains

Beijing

Participants: Kris R. Bachtell ¹, Dr. Edward J. Garvey ², Charles E. Tubesing ³
Institution(s): ¹ Morton Arboretum, ²U.S. National Arboretum, ³ Holden Arboretum

1994

Expedition to Wudang Shan

Wudang Shan

Participants: Peter Del Tredici ¹, Kevin Conrad ², Paul Meyer ³, R. William Thomas ⁴, Deng Zhidong⁵, Zen Jaifu^⁵, Hao Riming ^⁶, Mao Cailaing^⁶, Lu Yi^⁶, Zang Kifa^⁶
Institution(s): ¹Arnold Arboretum, ²U.S. National Arboretum, ³Morris Arboretum, ⁴Longwood Gardens,
⁵Danjiangkou City Science and Technology Committee, ^⁶Nanjing Botanic Garden
Plant(s) Collected: Acer, Quercus, Pinus

1995

Expedition to Xi’an Botanical Garden and Shaanxi Province

Shaanxi

Participants: Dr. Edward (Ned) Garvey¹, Rick J. Lewandowski², CUI Tiecheng³
Institution(s): ¹U.S. National Arboretum, ² Morris Arboretum, ³Xian Botanical Garden
Plant(s) Collected: Magnolia

1996

Expedition to Qinling Mountains of Shaanxi and Gansu Provinces

Shaanxi, Gansu

Participants: Rick Lewandowski¹, Kevin Conrad², James Ault³, Dr. Kunso Kim⁴
Institution(s): ¹Morris Arboretum, ²U.S. National Arboretum, ³Longwood Gardens, ⁴Norfolk Botanical Gardens

1997

Cui Tiecheng Collections

Shaanxi

Participants: CUI Tiecheng
Institution(s): Xi’an Botanic Garden

1997

Expedition to Changbai Shan

Changbai Shan (Jilin)

Participants: Kris Bachtell¹, Peter Del Tredici², Jeffrey Lynch³, Paul W. Meyer⁴, Charles Tubesing⁵, Wang Xian Li⁶, Cao Wei^⁶, Sheng Ning^⁷
Institution(s): ¹Morton Arboretum, ²Arnold Arboretum, ³Longwood Gardens, ⁴Morris Arboretum, ⁵Holden Arboretum,
⁶Shenyang Institute of Applied Ecology, ⁷Nanjing Botanical Garden
Plant(s) Collected: Ilex, Quercus, Ulmus

1998

Expedition to East and Southeast China

Anhui, Guangxi, Jiangxi

Participants: Rick Lewandowski¹, Edward Garvey², LI Weilin³, WANG Qing⁴
Institution(s): ¹Morris Arboretum, ²U.S. National Arboretum, ³Nanjing Botanical Garden, ⁴Nanjing Botanical Garden
Plant(s) Collected: Tsuga

1999

Expedition to Sichuan

Sichuan

Participants: Shawn Belt¹, Edward Garvey², Jerry Stites³, WANG Qing⁴
Institution(s): ¹U.S. National Arboretum, ²U.S. National Arboretum, ³Longwood Gardens, ⁴Nanjing Botanical Garden
Plant(s) Collected: Tsuga

2001

Cui Tiecheng Collections

Shaanxi

Participants: CUI Tiecheng
Institution(s): Xi’an Botanic Garden

2002

Expedition to Shaanxi

Shaanxi

Participants: Anthony Aiello¹, Kris Bachtell², Carole Bordelon³, Peter Bristol⁴, TANG Yudan⁵
Institution(s): ¹Morris Arboretum, ²Morton Arboretum, ³U.S. National Arboretum, ⁴Holden Arboretum (Chicago Botanic Garden), ⁵Beijing Botanical Garden IBCAS

2005

Expedition to Gansu

Gansu

Participants: Anthony Aiello¹, Kris Bachtell², Martin Scanlon³, WANG Kang⁴, SUN Xue-gang⁵
Institution(s): ¹Morris Arboretum, ²Morton Arboretum, ³U.S. National Arboretum, ⁴Beijing Botanical Garden, ⁵Forestry College of Gansu Agricultural University
Plant(s) Collected: Cercidiphyllum

2008

Expedition to Shaanxi

Shaanxi

Participants: Anthony Aiello¹, Kris Bachtell², Chris Carley³, WANG Kang⁴
Institution(s): ¹Morris Arboretum, ²Morton Arboretum, ³U.S. National Arboretum, ⁴Beijing Botanical Garden
Plant(s) Collected: Fraxinus

2010

Expedition to Shaanxi, Hebei, and Beijing

Shaanxi, Hebei, Beijing

Participants: Michael Dosmann¹, Anthony Aiello², WANG Kang³
Institution(s): ¹Arnold Arboretum, ²Morris Arboretum, ³Beijing Botanical Garden
Plant(s) Collected: Acer, Fraxinus

2011

Plant Exploration Trip to Shaanxi and Gansu

Shaanxi , Gansu

Participants: Kunso Kim¹, Paul Meyer², WANG Kang³, ZHOU Dakang^³, Quan Jian (Jane)^³, Cui Zhi Hou^³, Wang Ting^⁴, BAI Fangfang^⁵, Pei Hui Ming^⁶
Institution(s): ¹Morton Arboretum, ²Morris Arboretum, ³Beijing Botanical Garden, ⁴Tianjin Flowers and Trees Stock Service Center,
^⁵Baoji Botanic Garden, ^⁶Tiangshui Forestry Institute

2015

Acer griseum Conservation Project

Shaanxi

Participants: Michael Dosmann¹, Anthony Aiello², Kris Bachtell³, WANG Kang⁴
Institution(s): ¹Arnold Arboretum, ²Morris Arboretum, ³Morton Arboretum, ⁴Beijing Botanical Garden
Plant(s) Collected: Acer

2016

Sichuan Plant Collecting Expedition

Sichuan

Participants: Michael Dosmann¹, Anthony Aiello², WANG Kang³
Institution(s): ¹Arnold Arboretum, ²Morris Arboretum, ³Beijing Botanical Garden
Plant(s) Collected: Acer, Syringa, Viburnum

2017

Sichuan Plant Collecting Expedition

Sichuan

Participants: Michael Dosmann¹, Andrew Gapinski¹, LI Huaicheng², Quan Jian³, WANG Kang³, Jonathan Shaw⁴
Institution(s): ¹Arnold Arboretum, ²Chengdu Institute of Biology, ³Beijing Botanical Garden, ⁴Harvard Magazine

2018

Western Hubei Plant Collecting Expedition

Hubei

Participants: Andrew Gapinski¹, Liang Chengyuan², Matt Lobdell³, Quan Jian⁴, WANG Kang⁴, Peter Zale⁵, ZHANG Daigui⁶
Institution(s): ¹Arnold Arboretum, ²Contracted driver, ³Morton Arboretum, ⁴Beijing Botanical Garden, ⁵Longwood Gardens, ⁶Jishou University

2019

Expedition to Appalachia

Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina

Participants: Andrew Gapinski¹, Sean Halloran¹, Jared Rubinstein¹, Xinfen Gao², WANG Kang³, Angela Magnan⁴, DENG Tao⁵
Institution(s): ¹Arnold Arboretum, ²Chengdu Institute of Biology, ³Beijing Botanical Garden, ⁴U.S. National Arboretum, ⁵Kunming Institute of Botany
Plant(s) Collected: Populus , Viburnum , Buckleya

2025

Scouting Expedition to Zhejiang, Hubei, and Shaanxi

Shanghai, Zhejiang, Hubei, Shaanxi, Beijing

Participants: Michael Dosmann¹, Miles Schwartz Sax¹, Madeline Schill¹, Tom Arbour², Connor Ryan², Anthony Aiello³, Kim Shearer⁴, Andy Hill⁵, WANG Kang⁶, LI Pan⁷, ZHANG Xuteng⁷, LIN Yan⁷, DENG Tao⁸, LIU Qun⁸
Institution(s): ¹Arnold Arboretum, ²Holden Forests & Gardens, ³Longwood Gardens, ⁴Morton Arboretum, ⁵University of British Columbia Botanical Garden,
⁶National Botanical Garden Beijing, ⁷Zhejiang University, ⁸Kunming Institute of Botany
Plant(s) Collected: Elaeagnus, Ulmus, Acer

Rooted in history.

Free and open every day.

Funded by our community.