Dear Costa and all This is a belated thank you to you Costa and your team for having perfectly organised this third international congress of alpine and arctic botanic gardens! It was a great pleasure for me to participate in this gathering and learn more about the activities you all are involved in but also about the challenges you are facing in implementing your work. I would also like to thank you for looking so considerately after our well-being, in particular as far as the culinary and ensuing slideshow-digestif sessions are concerned, as well as for the magnificent trip to the Brenta Dolomites. I look forward to future gatherings and new opportunities for joint conservation activities that will help consolidate the network and further its objectives. Very best wishes Joachim Joachim Gratzfeld Director, Regional Programmes Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) Descanso House 199 Kew Road Richmond, Surrey TW9 3BW United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0)20 8332 5953 Fax: +44 (0)20 8332 5956 Email: joachim.gratzfeld@xxxxxxxx Internet: www.bgci.org This e-mail is for the addressee only. If received in error, please delete and notify us immediately. Any unauthorised access, disclosure, copying, distribution or reliance on it, is prohibited. BGCI is a registered charity and company, limited by guarantee, in England and Wales, and in the U.S. as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Registered UK address: Descanso House, 199 Kew Road, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3BW, UK, Charity number: 1098834, Company Number: 04673175 www.bgci.org Have you pledged your support for plant conservation? Visit www.plantsfortheplanet.com now to sign your name.