The Tanzania Botanical Training Programme (TBTP) aims to address some of the urgent needs for botanical training in Tanzania. It has been developed through the collaborative agreement between National Herbarium of Tanzania (NHT) and Missouri Botanical Garden (MBG), drawing on conclusions reached during the Strategy Conference for the Development of Botanical Collections In Tanzania, held in Arusha on October 13-15, 1993, and on experience gained by MBG staff running similar programmes elsewhere. Despite Tanzania's very rich and interesting flora, and its great importance for conservation, the country has not received anywhere near the attention it deserves from botanists and other scientists and the flora and vegetation remains poorly known scientifically. The programme endeavours to :

• invest in careful, appropriate training - focusing on technical aspects of gathering, compiling and using botanical data which need careful guidance and attention to detail, but often do not require a person with an advanced academic degree,
• instill in the trainees a sense of pride and a clear understanding of the importance of their work for the future of their country through participatory processes,
• attempt to ensure that the trainees have stable employment that is stimulating and motivating, in which their knowledge and skills can be put to use for science and conservation, and where they can have reliable access to the resources necessary to conduct high quality work, and
• promote an open, collaborative approach to botanical work that cuts across projects, institutions and geographic areas, and encourages the exchange of ideas and the sharing of experiences.

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