Pacific Orchid Exposition in San Francisco, California

February 2009 Orchidaceae Newsletter,

Hello Everyone! Welcome to the February Newsletter of Orchidaceae.

San Francisco Orchid Society and the Orchid Conservation Coalition Lead the Way in Ecological Preservation 2009 Pacific Orchid Exposition, “Green…with Envy”, highlights orchid conservation

(San Francisco, CA January 2008) The San Francisco Orchid Society, host of the annual Pacific Orchid Exposition, is proud to be trailblazing the path to environmental responsibility and activism through a partnership with the Orchid Conservation Coalition (OCC), which is a grassroots organization made up of people, orchid societies, and orchid businesses dedicated to raising awareness and money for orchid conservation.

The San Francisco Orchid Society helped launch the OCC and was the first orchid society to donate 1% of the profits from the Pacific Orchid Exposition (POE) to in situ orchid conservation, which means protecting orchids through preservation and managment of their natural habitat. Ex situ conservation refers to preserving living populations outside their native environment, particularly if that ecosystem is threatened or already extinct.

The POE is one of the top three orchid shows in the United States, and the micro climates of the Bay Area helps orchid growers foster a wider diversity of species orchids from around the world. Many orchid species considered hard to grow elsewhere in the country can be grown outdoors in the Bay Area, making orchid growers and connoisseurs all over the country "Green with Envy" at the variety of species grown here.

According to OCC founder Mark Sullivan, orchids are niche players that can indicate the health of a specific environment. Much like canaries in a coal mine, a decline or increase in how an orchid thrives can indicate changes in the overall health of a particular ecosystem. The conservation of orchid habitats can save unique environments that contain less flashy but equally endangered species. Many of these environments, such as wetlands, directly affect the quality of human life. Once thought worthless, we now know coastal wetlands help protect against flooding and coastal erosion, and serve as nurseries for many fish populations. Freshwater wetlands help recharge and filter our groundwater supplies. Many of our endangered American orchids are native to our increasingly rare wetlands.

"Conservation is about hope to safeguard the earth’s great diversity for the future,” said Sullivan. “Hope comes through action."

This year, the San Francisco Orchid Society invites you to visit the Pacific Orchid Exposition not just to enjoy and browse through over 150,000 orchids, but also to learn about their unique habitats and participate directly in preserving the world around you.

Who: San Francisco Orchid Society and the Orchid Conservation Coalition What: 57th annual Pacific Orchid Exposition, “Green…with Envy” Where: Fort Mason Center, San Francisco When: Gala Benefit Preview Night: Thursday, March 5th from 6:30 – 10:00 pm Show and Plant Sale: • Friday, March 6th from 10 am – 6pm • Saturday, March 7th from 9am – 6pm • Sunday, March 8th from 10am – 5pm Cost: Gala Preview Night: $35 in advance/$40 at the door Show and Plant Sale: General $12 advance/$14 door, Disabled/Seniors (65+) $8 advance/$10 door Info: Visit www.orchidsanfrancisco.org or call 415.665.2468

Orchid Picture of the Month

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SBI!