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We have witnessed, first hand, both the destruction of tropical forest and unsustainable wild collection of orchids. This drives us to work for conservation and highlight the things that people here in the UK can do to support conservation, especially in horticulture.
When buying orchids check that they are sustainably propagated, and not wild collected. Be especially careful of overseas websales remembering that importing orchids to the UK requires CITES certificates, import and export certificates and phytosanitary certificates.
We feel that a consumer it is important to source ethical suppliers. Lots of the things that we consume are produced in tropical forests where orchids grow. Ensure that your coffee is certified as rainforest friendly and ensure that beef and timber products are sustainably produced. You can also support the many organisations that are working with communities for sustainable futures.
It is inspiring and uplifting to know that throughout the world there are brave and committed people dedicating their lives to fight the threats of deforestation and wild collection. 10% of all our orchid sales is sent directly to conservation projects in Colombia and Sarawak. You can find more information here.
Wild Collection and illegal trade
The threats caused by the illegal trade in wild animals is well documented but the majority of the world's wildlife crime relates to plants. Not just orchids are exploited in wildlife crime. Many Cycads are close to extinction as a result of ancient plants being taken from the wild to fill the atriums of offices and hotels around the world. In the case of orchids we have seen several examples of the unsustainable wild collection of orchids.
In Laos we met members of organised networks that are clearing wild orchids for illegal export and sale mostly in Thailand.
Wild collected Dendrobium chrysotoxum in Southern Laos ready for illegal export.
In Laos also witnessed the scale of collection of certain orchid species for the Chinese Medicine Trade.
Wild collected Dendrobium species for use in the Chinese medicine trade
Paphiopedilum stonei freshly taken from its mountain top habitat in Sarawak
In India we have seen hundreds of wild collected Paphiopedilum hirsutissimum plants collected to select the ‘best clones’ for export to Japan.
In Sarawak we found endemic Paphopedilum stonei along with Pahiopedilum lawrencianum collected by a Forest Department employee.
In Turkey we have seed evidence of the digging up of bulbs and tubers, for horticultural sale in Europe as well as the open sale of ‘real salep’ - wild collected orchid tubers.
The wild collection of orchids denudes these wonderful habitats of their biodiversity as well as its future value to the communities living in and around these habitats. Illegal trade also undercuts and undermines legal and sustainable trade.
Annie with Kitab i College students in Nyungwe National Park, Rwanda
An effective challenge to wild collection and poaching wildlife is the training of local guides. We have worked with Kitabi College of Conservation and Environmental Management, Rwanda, where young people are trained to be the guides and future leaders in the reserves of Rwanda and surrounding African countries.
Another way to challenge to the wild collection of orchids is sharing knowledge on the sustainable propagation of orchids from seed. Growing orchids sustainably from seed is well understood and setting up a propagation laboratory is not very expensive. We are committed to support the development of community orchid propagation skills through our work in Sarawak.
Students at MRSM School Kuching are showing the world that committed young people can develop the skills and understanding to grow orchids from seed successfully and open a range of new opportunities for conservation and conservation education.
Simon and Annie with MRSM students in their laboratory growth room, Kuching, Sarawak
Deforestation
A very obvious threat to orchid populations is deforestation and in our lifetimes have witnessed massive destruction of forests across the world along with the plants, animals and ecosystems that they support.
The most common cause of deforestation we have seen is agriculture. This smoking forest is one we came across in Laos while travelling deep into the rich forests around the Bolaven Plateau. The forest here is being cleared for coffee. The land has been purchased by international corporations showing no consideration for the people who call this forest home and have been living sustainably within it for centuries. The coffee is destined for export.
Recently cleared and still smoking forest in Southern Laos
Logging trucks, Laos
These logging trucks were on the way out of a ‘protected forest’ we guess that the tropical hardwood timber will be sold for export.
In Guatemala we saw widespread deforestation for ranching. The land once cleared is converted to low grade pasture for beef cattle raised mainly for export and throughout South and Central America this sad picture is repeated to satisfy the immense world market for cheap beef.
Around the world there are individuals and organisations working hard to fight back against deforestation.
For example, our partners at SalvaMontes are tackling deforestation in Colombia in many ways including working with local communities to restore the Magnolia Forests of Alto de Ventanas region.
SalvaMontes propagating magnolia species for forest restoration (Salvamontes.org)
If you want to know more we recommend the excellent recent book 'Saving Orchids' by Philip Seaton and Lawrence W Zettler, Published by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and the University of Chicago Press. The book is widely available from independent book sellers.
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