April Orchid Shows
From Alberta to Maui, from Florida to Queensland, there’s a good chance that an orchid show is nearby this month. Don’t miss these amazing opportunities!
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Hawaii’s Native Species Face Uncertain Future
Among the Hawaiian Islands, Kauai is the last refuge for many of the state’s endangered native flora __and fauna. They face threats from invasive species, habitat loss, pollution, __and climate change. With human help, however, some are recovering and rebounding. During our recent visit, it was a joy to see that many people on the island were working to protect and preserve these rare species. For example, the Hawaiian Monk Seal, dozing in the third photo below, was accompanied by nearby beach volunteers to prevent anyone from disturbing it.
For eons, Hawaiian animals and plants were isolated on the world’s most remote island chain. As the rest of the world has arrived over the past few centuries, native species have faced threats which they had never known. Since many are endemic (found only here,) if they disappear from Hawaii, they’re extinct forever. Sadly, some are already gone. Fortunately, lots of groups like National Tropical Botanical Garden are working to protect Hawaii’s remaining natural heritage.
These photos were taken at McBryde Garden and Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge on Kauai, except for the Hawaiian Monk Seal photo, which was taken at Lawai Beach on the island’s south shore. All of the animals and most of the plants in these photos are threatened with extinction. We’ve never seen any of Hawaii’s three native orchid species, but we’ll keep trying. They’re all very rare and endangered, and conservation efforts for them are continuing. To learn more about Hawaii’s threatened species, explore facts sheets from the state’s Division of Forestry and Wildlife.
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How to Photograph an Orchid
Enjoy this beautiful National Geographic article with expert photography advice. Photojournalist Christian Ziegler, whose work includes Deceptive Beauties: The World of Wild Orchids, shares tips for taking great pictures. Don’t miss the photo gallery with his stunning orchid shots.
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Orchids to Celebrate the Equinox
As today’s equinox brings spring to Northern California, we’re happy to be done with our long drought. Lots of strong storms over the winter have filled reservoirs __and piled up the Sierra snowpack, but they have also caused some damage. We’ve had some minor problems in our garden, but most of the bruises on my outdoor orchids have been the result of hailstorms. Fortunately for this post, all these photos are from San Francisco’s recent orchid show, not from our garden. With more heavy rains forecast for us later this week, our outdoors plants won’t be ready to show off their blooms for a little while.
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More from the Pacific Orchid and Garden Expo
The Pacific Orchid __and Garden Expo reliably highlights the best of the orchid world. Blooms abound, from the latest hybrids to obscure species. Dave __and I are so busy with our cameras, but we are often stopped in our tracks by the stunning displays. Individual flowers and artful arrangements compete for attention from every direction. It’s an orchid overload!
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New Orchid Species Discovered in Vietnam
New orchid species are discovered all the time. One of the latest, a tiny Podochilus species from Vietnam, adds to the tens of thousands already known to science.
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McBryde Garden
There’s much more to Kauai’s wondrous McBryde Garden than its orchids. Here are some more photos from our recent visit, starting with Dave’s incredible picture of two rare Hawaiian Moorhens looking for lunch in a stream. We were told that they are normally very shy birds, but these two didn’t seem to mind us snapping their photos.
Among Hawaii’s main islands, Kauai is the last refuge for many threatened birds __and plants. McBryde plays an essential role in preserving endangered species. It’s a sanctuary for many of the islands’ endemics, like the yellow flowers with a honeybee in the next photo below. That’s a plant called Nehe in Hawaiian, one of many natives at risk. These __and other imperiled tropical species make the garden a true conservation refuge, and a remarkable place to visit. Don’t miss McBryde Garden if you’re lucky enough to be on Kauai.
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