Southwest Regional Orchid Growers Association backs Serra Bonita Reserve
SWROGA kicked off its new calendar year by holding the first of two yearly meetings in Benton, Arkansas. This meeting provided an opportunity for the Conservation committee to meet and discuss goals for this current year.
Linda Horton, the previous conservation chairperson, along with Emily Quinn, provided a smooth transition as we outlined a strategy to best serve the conservation interests of the different societies for the coming year. Later at the General Meeting we presented and discussed the following recommended actions:
- promote education and awareness of conservation efforts, both local and global
- identify a conservation representative from each society to identify and conduct fundraising activities for their society
- identify projects worthy of support from each SWROGA state for local or native species conservation; this item was suggested by Lena Parker during the general meeting
Currently SWROGA does not collect funds for conservation from its member societies. This past year SWROGA made a special one-time only donation from the general fund to support the Serra Bonita matching fund project. This special vote contribution helped the Orchid Conservation Alliance meet its $20,000 year-end fundraising goal. The Conservation Committee recommends that we actively promote future conservation and funding from each of our societies.
It is up to each of us to support the native environments orchids inhabit, for they are the ultimate source of enjoyment we all experience growing and sharing the beauty of orchids. As the world’s population continues to encroach on local orchid habitats, and deforestation continues to obliterate our rain forests, there is not a moment to spare in conserving that which, once lost, can never be replaced.
QUIZ: Rain forests cover what percentage of the Earth’s total surface? (From Nature Conservancy)
- Less than one percent
- 2 percent
- 10 percent
- 45 percent
Just in from the OCA trip to Brazil! Photos from Australian photographer Gary Yong Gee of a beautiful Cattleya elongata specimen. Your funding is helping protect this and many more.
Answer to quiz: Rain forests cover only 2% of the Earth’s surface. Many acres are lost every day to deforestation.