The Cactus and Succulent Society of America, Inc. (CSSA) is proud to share the outcomes of our Conservation Committee’s grants awarded from 2022 through mid-2025. These projects represent our commitment to protecting succulent habitats and plant biodiversity worldwide. Thanks to your continued support, we’ve contributed over $36,000 to innovative conservation work in South Africa, Namibia, Peru, Chile, Mexico, and the United States – with more to come …
Check back for updates on new grants. Below is a summary of funded projects with links to more details:
Conservation Projects Funded in 2025
Total expenditure through 07/31/2025 is $6,000
Preserving Habitat of Lithops pseudotruncatella f. alpina in Namibia
(funded)
Funds are supporting the purchase of critical habitat at one of only two known sites for this distinctive, potentially new species (Lithops alpina). This effort is a collaboration with the Namibian Chamber of Environment and the National Botanical Research Institute.
Conservation Projects Funded in 2024
Total expenditure for 2024 was $14,877
Karoo Desert Botanical Garden – South Africa
(completed)
The funds awarded to Karoo Desert Botanical Garden helped upgrade a tunnel house to care for confiscated plants.
National Botanical Garden of Namibia
(completed)
This grant supported upgrades to their shade house and funded an intern to care for the collection.
Cape Nature Interagency Conference – South Africa
(completed)
With this grant, CSSA helped bring together agencies to coordinate plant poaching enforcement efforts. Co-sponsored with TRAFFIC.
Echeveria laui Climate Impact Study – Mexico
(completed)
CSSA funded drone-based surveys in steep canyons to assess the impact of climate change and evaluate drone efficacy in remote monitoring.
Conservation Projects Funded in 2023
Total expenditure for 2023 was $5,050.
Desert Species of Peru
(completed)
Funds were awarded to Wilthon Laurel Yepez to survey and propagate rare succulents of southern Peru.
Featured in the Journal: Fall 2023 — “Arequipa Between the Sea and the Andes”
Anti-Poaching Cameras in South Africa
(completed)
With matching support from the San Diego Cactus & Succulent Society, CSSA funded Wi-Fi and covert cameras to monitor Lithops habitat and deter poachers.
Effective deterrent reported; one stolen camera was recovered thanks to remote alerts.
Alamocito Project – Arizona Tumamoc globeberry Monitoring
(completed)
Grant funds supported interns working with Frank Reichenbacher and the Alamocito Foundation to resurvey drought-threatened populations of the Tumamoc globeberry.
Read more: Haseltonia 31:57–79 (2024)
Conservation Projects Funded in 2022
Total expenditure for 2022 was $7,818.
South African Law Enforcement Drone
(completed)
A grant was awarded to Karel Du Toit, Commander of the Springbok Stock Theft and Endangered Species Unit, to purchase a drone for tracking and deterring plant poachers in Namaqualand.
Read more in the Journal: Vol. 95, No. 3 — “CSI: Namaqualand”
Lithops coleorum Restoration Project
(completed)
Funds were granted to Dr. Roy Earle to support the restoration and repopulation of the endangered Lithops coleorum.
Details in Vol. 95, No. 3 — “The Lithops coleorum Colony Restoration Project”
Ethical Cactus Education
(completed)
This grant funded a video series by Stefan Campbell addressing plant poaching, climate change, and habitat destruction. Also included were multilingual infographic posters displayed in Chilean national parks and at CSSA events.
We are deeply grateful to our members, donors, and affiliate societies for making this important work possible. To learn more about the CSSA’s conservation efforts, or to contribute to future projects, visit our Conservation Page or email us at cactusandsucculentsociety@gmail.com.
Together, we are protecting the future of our planet’s most remarkable plants.
