My conservation presentation at the Central East Texas Orchid Society monthly meeting on February 18 was a golden opportunity to expand on a fascinating new ongoing program being coordinated by the Smithsonian’s North American Orchid Conservation Center (NAOCC).   It is always exciting to learn about ongoing research in habitats filled with orchids by serious botanists and even better to get to enjoy the orchid images captured during these trips.  Our fellow orchid growers in Tyler were the first to experience the new “Palau Orchid Conservation Initiative”, albeit through the excellent photography of Dr. Benjamin Crain from his 2017 initial survey.     

 

The material in this presentation along with Dr. Crain’s trip report from last year have since evolved into an orchid show conservation display for the conservation minded visitors to our orchid shows.  I will have this display in Tulsa (April 20-22) so be sure and check it out.  

 

It is very nice to know that even though Tyler, Texas is the rose capital of the world, the local orchid society is going strong and doing lots of good things.