Saving Orchids

Orchid fever began in the nineteenth century, when orchid hunters extracted the delicate plants from the tropics by the millions. Their aura of mystery and romance persists, making them vulnerable to extinction. From seed banking to community education, Saving Orchids shows how and why orchids are protected globally, keeping them from extinction and conserving our planet’s rich biodiversity.

In this captivating book, the authors bring us the inspiring stories of people around the world working to conserve orchids. This captivating book explores global stories of the orchid, with cultural history and scientific discoveries throughout. Heavily illustrated throughout with stunning colour photographs, this hopeful story celebrates the work of conservationists overcoming unique challenges to save the treasured orchid plant family and inspire us all to participate in orchid conservation.

About the Authors

Philip Seaton is a Churchill Fellow and Project Manager for the Darwin Initiative project, and has travelled widely to study orchid conservation since retiring as a biology teacher.

Lawrence W. Zettler is a biology professor at Illinois College and research associate at the Chicago Botanic Garden. He illustrated two entomology books and has coauthored over 70 scientific papers.