A new, but highly significant, entrant in the area of orchid conservation is a project by the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center focused on North American native species. There are over 200 native species in North America with Florida having the most (124). This project is only in its second year but already is making great headway to documenting the threat level of our species and researching what it will take to preserve them in their natural habitat, in public gardens, and through seed banking.
Their Go Orchids website will have a major impact on awareness of our local species and is already a handy field reference through smart phones.
Read more about this exciting project here.
I recently had the opportunity to visit SERC, tour the facility, and learn about their research on orchids native to North America. Read about my visit here.
SERC has produced an excellent series of environmental videos, which are well worth watching. Start with this one: