Membership in The Angraecoid Alliance

For several months now, I have considered how best to welcome other angraecoid growers as members of The Angraecoid Alliance.  There are a number of orchid societies, groups and specific genera alliances, and each is currently struggling to maintain its membership.   As should be obvious, the purpose of The Angraecoid Alliance is not to create just another orchid group that happens to be dedicated to angraecoids.  Rather, our objective is to make a serious impact on both the in situ conservation and the successful ex situ cultivation of these plants.

So, to that end, we have decided that membership in the Alliance should reward and facilitate efforts to that end.  While the details are still being worked out, we will base some or all of membership on individual or business participation in a world-wide effort to share pollen, set pods, flask the seed and then disperse the plants for cultivation.  Members who participate in the effort will have the first option to obtain the plants propagated via the Alliance.  The cost of obtaining the plants (or flasks) will be minimal.  This is not a for-profit endeavor.  Members of the Alliance will presumably be interested in growing or at least conserving angraecoids ex situ.  Most certainly, should an individual or business obtain a flask, those plants could be resold, but the primary objective would be to create a co-op for the propagation and ex situ conservation of the plants.

If you have thoughts about the logistics of this method of membership, we welcome your emails or comments here on the blog.    And, please email angraecoids@gmail.com to receive our quarterly newsletter which will be sent in July.

Meeting other orchid growers who cultivate angraecoids is always a pleasure.  Several weeks ago, Cindy Hill called  as she prepared to write an article for "Orchids" about Cryptopus paniculatus.  My conversation with her only underscored the urgent need for both conservation and cultivation of these orchids.  After surveying a number of the botanical gardens, orchid nurseries and private collectors, she found less than a dozen plants.   Her article in the June 2012 issue of "Orchids" gives the encouraging news that at least one nursery has successfully flasked this species. 

And, she discovered that the angraecoid devotees are very willing to cooperate and share information to further the conservation and successful cultivation of these beautiful orchids.  I couldn't agree more.   Thank you Cindy for mentioning The Angraecoid Alliance in your article, and even more thanks for gathering and sharing information about this little known angraecoid.

"Orchids" is published monthly by the American Orchid Society.  Annual membership subscriptions and/or copies of individual issues can be obtained by visiting www.aos.org.

The Angraecoid Alliance receives American Orchid Society award

 

This weekend the Angraecoid Alliance had an exhibit at the American Orchid Society's Trustees' Meeting hosted by the Southwest Regional Orchid Growers Association in Wichita.  The exhibit focused on the importance of conservation of angraecoid orchids in Madagscar and cultivation ex situ.  The exhibit received an educational award from the AOS.  The award description was very flattering:  

"Dramatic exhibit telling the story of how in-situ and ex-situ conservation may save angraecoid orchids threatened by habitat destruction in Madagascar.  Focused presentation draws observer to a central focal point, a photograph of Angraecum sesquipedale, the quintessential Madagascaran orchid.  The eye naturally retreats to a collection of Angraecoid species and hybrids in bloom and two comprehensive reference manuals.  This tabletop exhibit is flanked by four two-feet by five feet banners giving an overall description of slash and burn deforestation.  The end banner identifies the Angraecoid Alliance as a new organization and source for additional information."

The exhibit also served to open conversation with a number of individuals.  Several show attendees gave me the contact information for various individuals who have expertise in Madagascar, flasking etc.  There is so much to be done, but I appreciated the encouragement of the individual conversations and the AOS award.

In developing The Angraecoid Alliance, it seemed only reasonable to research what Integrated Conservation and Development projects had been successful in Madagascar.  Because Madagascar is such a high-priority country for conservation, there are quite a number of scholarly journals dedicated to various aspects of conservation.  

There are articles which provide an in depth analysis of the deforestation and habitat destruction in Madagascar: 

• Grady J. Harper et al., “Fifty years of deforestation and forest fragmentation in Madagascar,” Environmental Conservation 34, no. 4 (2007): 330.
• Orjan Bodin et al., “The Value of Small Size:  Loss of Forest Patches and Ecological Thresholds in Southern Madagascar,” Ecological Applications 16, no. 2 (2006): 440.
•  James E.M. Watson, et al., “Habitat structure and proximity to forest edge affect the abundance and distribution of forest dependent birds in tropical coastal forest of southeastern Madagascar,” Biological Conservation 120 (2004): 311.

 There are articles specifically assessing the success of ICDPs and other economic development projects in Madagascar.  

• Nadine V. M. Fritz-Vietta et al., “Community-based management in two biosphere reserves in Madagascar—distinctions and similarities: What can be learned from different approaches,” Madagascar Conservation & Development 4, no. 2 (Dec. 2009): 90.
• Robert A. Kozak, “Alternative business models for forest-dependent communities in Africa:  A pragmatic consideration of small-scale enterprises and a path forward,” Madagascar Conservation & Development 4, no. 2 (Dec. 2009): 7.
• C. Kremen et al., “Economic Incentives for Rain Forest Conservation across Scales,” Science 288 (9 June 2000): 1830.
•  Jorg U. Ganzhorn, “A combined research agenda towards integrated conservation and development for Madagascar,” Madagascar Conservation & Development 5, no. 2 (Dec. 2010): 82.
•  Jeffrey Sayer, “Can conservation and development really be integrated,” Madagascar Conservation & Development 4, no. 1, (June 2009): 10.
• Richard R. Marcus, “Seeing the Forest for the Trees:  Integrated Conservation and Development Projects and Local Perceptions of Conservation in Madagascar,” Human Ecology 29, no. 4 (2001): 384.

There are articles analyzing the Malagasy people's reaction to and feelings about conservation reserves. 

• Richard R. Marcus, “Seeing the Forest for the Trees:  Integrated Conservation and Development Projects and Local Perceptions of Conservation in Madagascar,” Human Ecology 29, no. 4 (2001): 382.
•  Andrew Walsh, “The Obvious Aspects of Ecological Underprivilege in Ankara, Northern Madagascar, American Anthropologist 107, no. 4 (Dec. 2005): 654.

There are articles evaluating land management concerns and issues unique to Madagascar because of its history and culture. 

• William J. McConnell and Sean P. Sweeney, “Challenges of Forest Governance in Madagascar,” The Geographical Journal 171, no. 2 (June 2005): 227.
•  Christian A. Kull, Isle of Fire:  The Political Ecology of Landscape Burning in Madagascar (Chicago, University of Chicago Press, 2004), 15.
•  Daniela Raik, “Forest Management in Madagascar: An Historical Overview,” Madagascar Conservation & Development 2, no. 1 (Dec. 2007): 5-10.

Having read these sources -- and dozens of others -- I have come to several conclusions.  

1. Conservation in Madagascar needs to happen now.  (Well, actually it needed to happen 10 years ago, but now will have to do.)  There are a number of organizations working hard to conserve habitat in Madagascar.  Many of them have been in Madagascar for a long time and have made significant progress. 
   
2. The Angraecoid Alliance's planned nursery and conservation area is following in the footsteps of other successful programs.  One of the experts observed that successful ICDPs “almost always come from the new opportunities presented by external investment, new infrastructure and access to markets.”   (Sayer, 10).  The Angraecoid Alliance, Inc. plans to provide the investment and training to establish the nursery and micro-propagation facility. 
   We will also obtain the necessary documentation for the nursery to legally export the orchids around the world and will assist to develop the international market.  Finally, we will broker the plant sales on behalf of the nursery until such time as it can be independently managed by the village community.
   
3. There is a great deal of work to be done, even before we break ground in Madagascar.  Of course, that is obvious, but not discouraging.  :)