Pacific Orchid Exposition in San Francisco, California

February 2009 Orchidaceae Newsletter,

Hello Everyone! Welcome to the February Newsletter of Orchidaceae.

This newsletter will be pretty straight forward. I apologize to my many subscribers who live around the globe and nowhere near California. That said I have quite a few local subscribers and I would do them a disservice if I did not mention this incredible show that takes place yearly in San Francisco. It is included among the World's 10 best orchid shows and among the three best orchid shows in the United States.

The first night of the show is the Gala Benefit Night where some 20 plus wineries will showcase their wines at a wine pouring. In additon to the wines being shared the evening promises live music, hors d'oeuvres, fabulous orchid displays and over 150,000 orchids. And, of course, the orchid venders who are happy to part with their lovely plants to grace your home or add to your orchid collection.

Casa Carneros (my winery) will of course be there with bells on. If you are in the San Francisco area and can possibly come to the Benefit Gala on March 5th, 2009. Then by all means come by the table and say hello and taste some Pinot Noir and Merlot. We will be pouring at a table with my good friend Bill who will pour the wonderful wines from Steele Winery.

Below is all the information regarding the Pacific Orchid Exposition from their press release.

"San Francisco Orchid Society and the Orchid Conservation Coalition Leads the Way in Ecological Preservation.

2009 Pacific Orchid Exposition, “Green…with Envy”, highlights orchid conservation. . .

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, California

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 Pictures of the Month

Here are a few pictures to get you interested in going to an orchid show, or particularly the 57th annual Pacific Orchid Exposition coming up in early March.

Please note that the lovely picture of the Zygopetalum hybrid is by Eric Hunt, the talented photographer from Orchidmania.

Don't know what Orchidmania is? By all means go check out their web site. Fabulous folks and a fabulous cause.

http://www.orchids.org

The articles in this newsletter may be copied but must include our Web site name and author reference.

SBI!