Orchid Conservation

Conservation of orchids is one of the cornerstone pillars of the AOS. The Conservation Committee is dedicated to the preservation of orchids and their habitats for now and the future. How do we do that? Read on! The AOS Conservation Committee serves as a communication point for conservation-related news and information. Its members are often those who are called upon for expertise in matters relating to orchid conservation. The AOS's publications are in the forefront of communicating conservation, related news, particularly on CITES issues as well as import and export-related items. AOS Staff and Conservation Committee members have also played an increasingly important role as liaison with United States federal agencies, such as USDA and USFWS, in communicating the opinions of the orchid community. Would you like more information about Conservation and the AOS? Click on the links to learn more. Do you have an interest in joining the committee?

What exactly is Cites? https://www.aos.org/about-us/orchid-conservation/cites.aspx and try this site for learning a lot more about Cites: https://cites.org/eng

Find out more about our awards:

https://www.aos.org/about-us/orchid-research/conservation-awards.aspx

If you would like to learn more about grant applications? All conservation-oriented projects, anywhere in the world, will be considered. An institutional affiliation is required for administration of international grants. We are seeking applicants engaging in a wide range of projects that study, protect or restore orchids and their natural habitats. Conservation grants are intended to encourage a more practical, applied, hands-on approach. We require all projects to be reported on annually, and that an article featuring your project be submitted for publication in Orchids magazine within six months of completion. Multiyear projects are funded on an annual basis after a required satisfactory progress report has been submitted by March 14th on work from the previous year. Applications must be submitted on the application form available with instructions on the AOS website at https://www.aos.org/about-us/orchid-conservation/grant-application.aspx. Your grant may be more suited for Research or Education grants, which are also available but must be submitted separately to their respective committees. Please contact the Conservation Committee at conservation-committee@aos.org with any questions in advance of the February 1st, 2024 deadline. All applicants will be notified of their acceptance status by May 1st, 2024. Good luck!

- Ron Kaufmann, Chair, AOS Conservation Committee

Interested in learning more about our Orchid Conservation Initiatives?

https://www.aos.org/about-us/orchid-conservation/conservation-initiatives.aspx

Our Partnerships—list of partner organizations.

Native Orchid Conference

Orchid Conservation Alliance

World Orchid Conference Trust

Those of you who would like more information about our efforts in Conservation click here: https://www.aos.org/about-us/orchid-conservation/conservation-policy.aspx

Here are some of the projects we have helped fund, or are funding :

https://www.aos.org/AOS/media/Content-Images/PDFs/Guanacas-Reseve-Report-No-1.pdf

https://www.aos.org/AOS/media/Content-Images/PDFs/La-Reserva-Orquideas.pdf

https://www.aos.org/AOS/media/downloadable-files/Oct-2021-Cons-Com-report-Charles-Wilson.pdf

The National Plant Data Center (NPDC) acquires, develops, improves and disseminates plant information to support the USDA’s National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and other efforts to improve the ecological health of the land. The NPDC is responsible for a wonderful resource - their PLANTS database focuses on the vascular and nonvascular plants of the United States and its territories, including orchids. The database includes checklists, species abstracts, distribution maps, crop information, plant symbols, plant growth data, references and other plant information. Visit the PLANTS Database https://plants.usda.gov/home

More conservation resources:

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