The plots were subjected to different conditions, e.g. some fenced and others not. Monitoring was carried out on a monthly basis in order to record plant condition and growth, environmental variables including weather, the presence of invertebrates and the effects of grazing in unfenced areas. One element of the project involved a training programme at Royal Botanic Gardens Kew and the Millennium Seed Bank, which covered conservation and horticultural techniques that were then applied to the plant conservation work on Ascension. Seeds were gathered and analysed and batches tested to determine whether they were viable for entry into Ascension’s own seed bank, ready for future sowing. A herbarium collection of all plant species present on the island was initiated, providing a reference tool that could assist able to assist in plant identification and documentation of the island’s floristic species. The propagation of endemic and native plant species has continued so as to meet the aim of achieving a full ex-situ collection of endemic and native plants. The endemic and native plant communities that were planted at each of the OTEP project sites will develop over time and produce viable seed, germinate and become self-contained. They will remain as a living seed bank for Euphorbia origanoides and will help towards conserving both individual species and the habitat.