Press release

Taxonomy Recognition Day 2025
Meise Botanic Garden shines a spotlight on taxonomy and biodiversity

Meise, 23 May 2025 - « Name It to Save It », this is the rallying cry of Taxonomy Recognition Day 2025, celebrated the 23 May 2025 across Europe to celebrate the science that names, classifies, and protects life on Earth.

From the Canary Islands to Norway, and Portugal to Greece, over 30 institutions including Meise Botanic Garden are coming together to shine a spotlight on taxonomy—the foundation of biodiversity research and conservation. Events across Europe will include expert talks, debates, behind-the-scenes tours, hands-on activities, and networking opportunities, all aimed at raising awareness about the critical role of taxonomy in our world.

What many people don't know is that Meise Botanic Garden describes around sixty organisms each year. These are plants, fungi, diatoms, etc., previously unknown to science, which are given a name and a scientific description detailing their characteristics. To mark Taxonomy Recognition Day 2025, Meise Botanic Garden has selected a recently described species, Cyperus kilelai, as its Species of the Year (see box). This species is a symbol of both resilience and fragility due to its remarkable ecology and the threats it faces to its survival.

Why it matters

A million species are currently threatened with extinction—many of them still unknown to science. Naming a species is the first step toward protecting it. Taxonomy plays a crucial role in agriculture, medicine, conservation, and policy-making. Without it, we cannot fully understand, protect, or restore the biodiversity that sustains us all.

“Taxonomy is more than just naming species—it’s about understanding and protecting the web of life,” says Michael Magee, Communications Lead for the TETTRIs project (Taxonomy Education, Training and Tools for Research in Science). “With species vanishing at an unprecedented rate, the work of taxonomists has never been more urgent. If we don’t name them, we can’t save them.”

Taxonomy in Meise

At Meise Botanic Garden, taxonomy lies at the heart of our mission. Our researchers study plants both in Belgium and around the world, through scientific expeditions and with the help of unique resources: a living collection of over 20,000 plant species, a herbarium containing more than 4 million dried specimens, and a large seed bank. These tools enable them to better understand plant diversity, to discover new species—even today—and to actively contribute to the conservation of biodiversity.

65 species new to science

Thousands of species of plants, algae and fungi remain to be discovered. Every year, scientists from Meise Botanic Garden explore the world’s ecosystems and study specimens in the Garden’s famous collections. In 2024 they described and named 65 species new to science (24 diatoms, 2 liverworts, 16 fungi, 3 lichens, and 20 flowering plants) in addition to a new family and five new genera.

Further information on these new species and the Botanic Garden's taxonomic work is available in our 2024 annual report, which can be downloaded here.

Through the work of its taxonomists, Meise Botanic Garden helps ensure the Tree of Life can be seen, studied, and safeguarded for future generations. Each newly named species is more than a label. Taxonomy ensures no species remains invisible and no extinction passes unnoticed.

Join the #NameItToSaveIt Movement

This year, the Taxonomy Recognition Day 2025 is  asking everyone—scientists, students, nature lovers—to help make taxonomy visible. Here’s how you can participate:

📸 Take a photo of a plant, animal, fungus, or microbe that fascinates you.

🔤 Find its scientific name (or ask for help—we’re here for that!).

📲 Share it on social media with the hashtag #NameItToSaveIt.

Every name is a step toward protection. Every post is a voice for biodiversity. Let’s make this the loudest Taxonomy Recognition Day yet!

For more information on Taxonomy Recognition Day 2025, visit tettris.eu/trd