As this is the first blog post, I feel obligated somehow to be profound or announce something monumental.  Reyna's Angraecoid Alliance, Inc. was formed to further the conservation of a unique group of orchids known and angraecoids.  These beautiful plants originate in tropical Africa and Madagascar.  Many are either threatened or endangered and habitat continues to be destroyed at a disturbing rate.  

Reyna--that's me--has a collection of several hundred orchids.  Of that, about 300 of them are angraecoids from a variety of genera:  angraecum, aerangis, jumellea, mystacidium, neobathiea, plectrelminthus, sobennikoffia.  I also have some of the weirder and rarer genera such as angraecopsis, cryptopus, microcoelia, neobathiea, rangaeris and etc. 

Several months ago, my sweet husband asked me what I would like to do to change the world.  (He may now be sorry he asked. :) )  I want to protect habitat in Madagascar--where many of these orchids originate.   My experience living abroad for more than a year, in another third-world country, showed me that there is no way for a conservation initiative to be successful unless it also has a social aspect.  So, I want to create a business that provides economic benefit to a Malagasy community, while at the same time protects the habitat of the orchids.  (And of course, protecting orchid habitat also protects the biodiversity of all the other flora and fauna in the area.) 

I have started contacting other NGOs who have a long-standing presence in Madagascar to get their input and advice.  There is no sense jumping in without having done my research.  I have discovered several interesting initiatives for anyone who is interested. 

Conservation International offers you the opportunity to sponsor an acre of land for $15.
 http://www.conservation.org/act/get_involved/protect_forests/Pages/deforestation.aspx

The Royal Botanical Gardens -- Kew allows you to adopt a seed from an endangered plant species for 25 pounds.  Or you can sponsor an entire species for 1000 pounds. 
 http://www.kew.org/support-kew/adopt-a-seed/index.htm

More to come  . . .