|
|
Malibu Orchid Society
Monthly Meeting
Tuesday, February 18 at 7:00 pm
at the Pacific Palisades Woman’s Club
901 Haverford Ave., Pacific Palisades, CA 90272
David Haelterman will speak on
“Orchids of Columbia in Their Native Habitat”
Colombia is already recognized as the richest orchid country on earth with more than 4,300 orchid species. What explains this incredible richness is its complex topography with 3 main cordilleras running from north to south in the Andean region and the other secondary mountain ranges that interconnect with these cordilleras. Here one can virtually find orchids everywhere from sea level to altitudes of 3,700 meters.
Colombia is also the only South American country with access to both the Pacific as well as the Atlantic oceans. Further, more than 40 % of its territory lies in the lowland Amazonian rainforest shared with its neighbors. These geographical particularities help create many microclimates offering hundreds of ecological niches for our beloved plant family.
David Haelterman is a Belgian Agronomist and Environmental advisor who has developed urban agriculture projects in the city of Brussels. In parallel with his professional activities he has had a passion for orchids for more than 25 years growing many genera. His main interest today is focused on orchid taxonomy, their bio-geography, and especially their conservation in the wild.
After traveling extensively in Latin America for 20 years (from Mexico and Guatemala to Costa Rica, Venezuela, Brazil and Ecuador) to photograph orchids in their native habitats and to understand better their ecology, for the past 6 years David has settled in Cali, Colombia where he works as a natural tourism guide specializing in botanical tours that focus on the Orchidaceae family.
David’s talk will explore some of the more representative and astounding Columbian orchids as well as helping us understand why it is so important to conserve the native habitats of this incredibly bio-diverse country!
Light refreshments will be served and all are welcome!
About us
We are an award winning, volunteer run, 501(c) (3) non-profit organization formed in the spring of 1963 to develop interest in orchids; to aid and assist members with orchid growing and culture; and to provide educational information, which shall benefit its members and the community.
We meet at 7pm on the third Tuesday of every month (except for December and August when no meetings are held), at the Pacific Palisades Woman's Club, 901 Haverford Ave.
At each meeting members benefit from expert speakers who present illustrated talks on various orchid genera and their culture. Members display orchids for ribbon judging each month and share tips on how their plants are grown. The Society also holds a silent plant auction as well as a raffle table for orchids. Upcoming events are announced and fellow orchid enthusiasts consult with each other on the culture of various orchid species.
We meet at 7pm on the third Tuesday of every month (except for December and August when no meetings are held), at the Pacific Palisades Woman's Club, 901 Haverford Ave.
At each meeting members benefit from expert speakers who present illustrated talks on various orchid genera and their culture. Members display orchids for ribbon judging each month and share tips on how their plants are grown. The Society also holds a silent plant auction as well as a raffle table for orchids. Upcoming events are announced and fellow orchid enthusiasts consult with each other on the culture of various orchid species.
