Northwestern University Ecological Park and Botanic Gardens

Founded in 2007 NUEBG is a private institution located in the province of Ilocos Norte, “Geared in conserving the plant diversity and the natural heritage of Northwestern Luzon, Philippines”. A biodiversity hotspot affected by annual tropical storms, and most of these that passes the Island Luzon are considered the strongest in the world. The NUEBG biodiversity research unit spearheads the exploration of its vegetation and monitoring 11 major ecological systems that are declared critical habitats and Key Biodiversity Areas (KBA). It is the leading institution in the northern Luzon in biodiversity study and recently published 8 new species to science since 2015.

The NUEBG established its systematic gardens including its arboretum and in situ conservation sites in 2007. These are extensively used for plant taxonomy/field botany and other related works like restoration ecology. NUEBG houses some of the world’s rare plant species including narrow endemics, conserved and in the course of propagation for future reintroduction. The NUEBG is considered the most diverse point in the northern Luzon with 2044 species represented by 227 families in its Systematic Collections, these collections are arranged in families following the latest in taxonomic treatment APG IV.