Orchids come under scrutiny

GARDENERS, orchid growers and plant lovers should not miss next month’s environmental talk at Crocworld Conservation Centre.

Guest speaker will be Gavin McDonald, one of South Africa’s leading orchid authorities and his lecture, ‘All About Orchids’, will be a real treat. It takes place at Crocworld on August 9 at 9am.

For more than a year now, Crocworld Conservation Centre has hosted monthly environmental talks, each one focusing on a different aspect of the magnificent Southern African ecosystem. These talks are designed to inform and inspire a wide variety of nature enthusiasts.

The August talk is aimed at anyone interested in botany. Guests will learn about growing exotic and indigenous orchid species both inside and outside and will also have the opportunity to approach Gavin with their own orchid-related queries or concerns. The talk promises to maintain the high calibre that Crocworld regulars have come to expect and will provide a fascinating insight into some of the planet’s most beautiful, and sought-after plant species.

Gavin is the obvious choice for presenting this particular talk. Recognised as an expert in his field for the past three decades, he maintains his own extensive collection of orchids from a wide range of genera, including many rare hybrid species.

His knowledge and expertise is widely recognised and he is the official botanist to the South African Orchid Council, for whom he also acts as an accredited judge. His work is regularly published in ‘Orchids South Africa’, the official journal of that organisation. For him botany is not only a passion but a career- he teaches as a senior lecturer in the Department of Nature Conservation at the Mangosuthu University of Technology, where his academic research focuses particularly on the study of indigenous orchids. As a result of these studies, he has authored and co-authored a number of new orchid species.

Book soon if you wish to attend the talk. Tickets are R70 per adult, with a concession price of R30 for pensioners, scholars and students. The ticket price also includes admission into the Crocworld grounds.

To make your reservation contact Nolean Allun, Crocworld Conservation Centre at 039 9761103 or 083 6549651.