THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

The orchid world depends heavily on volunteers. Chances are that you are such a volunteer who spends many hours of precious personal time furthering and nurturing the orchid hobby. You do so because you enjoy sharing your pleasure in orchids with others, and you like helping out. As a volunteer you also like to see results from your efforts, and if possible you like to hear that you are doing a good job.

Your society is run by volunteers, as is the Canadian Orchid Congress and this newsletter. We believe that the information in this newsletter is important and should at least in part get to your members. The original idea of this newsletter was to provide a means of cross Canada communication between orchid societies, with each individual society providing for the further dissemination of the material through their own newsletter. Are we missing our audience, or do you have a message that you think should be conveyed to other orchid growers? Either way we would love to hear from you, as would all orchid volunteers. Speaking of volunteers, many societies have active orchid shows put on by dedicated show committees. These committees deserve both help and praise, even if not everything always comes out as it should be or as we would like it. Remember we are in it for the fun, it is not a business. Be generous to your volunteers.

The number of orchid shows continues to grow, and the inevitable is happening. You will notice from the show announcements that a number of show dates coincide with the next Congress date in Calgary. That is unfortunate, but some conflicts will be unavoidable when societies need to juggle space reservations with available judging dates. The way to minimize conflict is to reserve and announce early. With that in mind please note that the Southern Ontario Orchid Society offer to host the 1992 Congress stands and that the projected dates are May 8, 9, and 10 , 1992 in Toronto. So when is Montreal in 1993? And Winnipeg in 1994?

Enjoy your orchids and your orchid friends and have a happy holiday season.

Peter Poot

FIRST COC ORCHID TOUR

The following program is proposed but not confirmed. Those interested in the trip should write directly to

Dr. Carl Withner
2015 Alabama St.
Bellingham, WA 98226 USA

Suggestions on Canadian Orchid Congress Tour

Tue Oct 15 Arrive in Miami for those far away. Stay overnight at nearby motel

Wed Oct 16 Miami/Quito 3:00 pm�6:45 pm

Thu Oct 17 Tour of city � La Compania Cathedral. Museo del Banco Central, Casa Guayasamin and/or shops on Avenida Amazonas. Visit orchid collections � Hirtz? Dodson? Or??

Fri Oct 18 Tour to Equator. Calderon (bread sculptures) and Otavalo (Indian market and textiles). Or??

Sat Oct 19 Begin bus trip to Cuenca via Avenue of the Volcanoes (Pan�Am Highway) with stop overnight in Riobamba. Visit Indian market and rug factory enroute at Ambato.

Sun Oct 20 Early visit to Sunday Indian market at Lake Colta. Continue trip � Riobamba to Cuenca via Paute for visit to Padre Andreetta's orchid nursery.

Mon Oct 21 Continue trip to Guayaquil By bus?? Then let's try to see some orchid collections in Guayaquil � Konanz? Any ideas? Flight to Lima 9:30 pm to 11:15 pm

Tue Oct 22 City tour to Museo Antropologia, Museo Arqueologico Larco Herrera. Museo del Oro . Parque Japones.

Wed Oct 23 Alternatives: To Cuzco and Machu Picchu. Leave 7 am, arrive Cuzco 8am. Rest and local tour. To Nazca for the ancient lines and figures. Or, remain in Lima for shopping, etc.

Thu Oct 24 Continue in your place of choice

Fri Oct 25 Return to Lima in am. Possible orchid collection visit in pm. Shopping.

Sat Oct 26 Lima/Sao Pau1o 10:30 pm-6:15 am

Sun Oct 27 Arrival in Sao Paulo in early am. Rest? Or what on a Sunday? Supper at a churrascaria.

Mon Oct 28 Visit wholesale flower market, Lineu Robert Nursery and Iwasita Nursery.

Tue Oct 29 Sao Paulo to Iguassu _ 11:45 am�l:15 pm Afternoon for viewing falls from trail along top from the hotel. Swim.

Wed Oct 30 Bus trip to other side for viewing Devil's Throat.

Thu Oct 31 Iguassu to Rio de Janeiro in am. Free time (trip to Sterns for those interested).

Fri Nov 1 Day trip in Rio: Corcovado, Botanic Garden, Museum Modern Art. Sugar Loaf for evening lights to go on.

Sat Nov 2 Floralia and Orquidario Binot in Petropolis

Sun Nov 3 Return to Miami. 11:15 am�6:15 am

Mon Nov 4 Early arrival from Brazil. Rest am. pm on your own or tour to Fairchild Garden or?

Tue Nov 5 Bus tour to Ruben in Orchids. Orchid World. R. F. Orchids, and if time permits Jones and Scully. Hicory�smoked barbecue for lunch with key 1ime pie.

Wed Nov 6 Return flights to your homes.

INTERNATIONAL ORCHID COMMISSION SUPPORT FOR CITES

A very spectacular orchid show was staged for the 13th World Orchid Conference in Aukland in September 1990. The Orchid Societies of New Zealand are to be congratulated on the design of the Show and the high quality of the plants which it contained. The standard of cultivation was extremely high, particularly of the hybrid cymbidiums which formed the majority of the displays. Resolutions passed at previous meetings of I.O.C. had obviously been adhered to by the organizers and exhibitors: there were no plants of recent wild origin in the Show, and no wild-collected plants were offered for sale. Several nurseries were congratulated on the number of artificially propagated orchid species, including Australian and New Zealand native plants, that were offered as seedlings in flask or as young plants. Relatively few exhibits were presented from other parts of the world, largely because of the difficulties that exhibitors now experience in regard to the quarantine and CITES controls on the international movement of plants.

The meeting of the International Orchid Commission's Conservation Committee (Chairman Phillip Cribb) was also attended by several members of the IUCN/SSC Orchid Specialist Group. The role that orchid nurseries can play in orchid conservation, was the major topic on the agenda.

One of the strategies for the conservation of orchid diversity which is vigorously promoted by the Orchid Specialist Group is that nurseries specializing in the artificial propagation of species should be encouraged, especially in tropical countries. Inevitably, this topic is linked with the controls on international trade in endangered species which are imposed by CITES.

After much discussion, the meeting put forward the following statement to the International Orchid Commission. The statement was fully and unanimously endorsed at the 10th plenary meeting of the I.O.C. As Chairman of I.O.C., I undertook to ensure that this statement will receive maximum publicity in orchid magazines and journals and to forward it to the CITES Plants Officer and the members of the CITES Plants Committee.

It is as follows:

'Having regard to the fact that the vast majority of the international trade in orchids is restricted to horticultural material of hybrid origin, or other artificially propagated material as defined in CITES Resolution Conf.2.12 (1979) (quoted below), the International Orchid Commission

1. Supports in principle the aims and objectives of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES};
2. Welcomes the appointment and funding by the Netherlands Government of a CITES Plants Officer at the Secretariat in Lausanne;
3. Looks forward to co-operating with the CITES Plants Officer in the conservation of all orchid species;
4. Encourages national CITES Management Authorities to implement CITES in a manner which facilitates trade in artificially propagated orchids;
5. Urges national CITES Management Authorities to set up uniform nursery registration schemes and streamline licensing procedures as recommended in CITES Resolution Conf. 5.15;
6. Encourages all bodies to accept and apply the CITES definition of artificial propagation as outlined in CITES Resolution Conf.2.12;
7. Supports and urges the artificial propagation of all orchid taxa as a potent tool in the conservation of natural resources;
8. Offers help, expertise and advice to all parties concerned with the long-term conservation and sustainable utilization of the orchid family.
9. Requests the IUCN/SSC Orchid Specialist Group to prepare a list of those nurseries which sell only orchids which have been artificially propagated (as defined in CITES Resolution Conf.2.12) and to use this list wherever possible to help Parties implement CITES Resolution Conf.5.15

Four resolutions were put forward by the joint meeting for further action by the IUCN/SSC Orchid Specialist Group and these were also supported by the International Orchid Commission. They are as follows:

1. That the CITES secretariat be congratulated on the successful seminar they held in Venezuela in July 1990 and that requests for similar meetings in other parts of the world should be encouraged with the hope that procedures will gradually become standardized worldwide.
2. That steps should be taken to find a sympathetic Party to CITES who would put forward a proposal to the next CITES Conference in Japan in 1992, that all artificially propagated orchid seedlings and cultures in flasks, both Appendix I and II listed taxa, should be exempt from CITES controls.
3. Similarly, that steps should be taken to find a sympathetic Party to CITES who would present a proposal that all artificially propagated orchids (as defined in CITES Resolution Conf. 2.12), both appendix II and Appendix I taxa, should be exempt from CITES controls. There was complete agreement that the distinction between wild-collected plants and nursery-propagated stock is always possible and easy.
4. That CITES Resolution Conf. 2.12 section c) should be amended by the inclusion of the word 'divisions' within the concept of 'artificially propagated' and that CITES Resolution Conf. 5.15 should be amend by the addition of 'Appendix I plants' in section b) in order to bring it into line with section a).

NOTE 1. CITES Resolution Conf. 2.12. recommends 'c) that the term 'artificially propagated' be interpreted to refer only to plants grown by man from seeds, cuttings, callus tissue, spore or other propagate under controlled conditions. The artificially propagated stock must be
i) established and maintained in a manner not detrimental to the survival of the species in the wild, and
ii) managed in a manner designed to maintain the artificially propagated stock indefinately.

Controlled conditions for plants is under an environment that is intensively manipulated by man for the purpose of producing selected species. General characteristics of controlled conditions may include but are not limited to tillage, fertilization, weed control, irrigation, or nursery operations such as potting, bedding or protection from weather.'

NOTE 2. CITES Resolution Conf. 5.15 recommends
'a) that Parties consider, where appropriate to their circumstances, registering individual traders of artificially propagated Appendix I, II, or III plants; adequate steps shall be taken to ensure that such traders do not also trade in wild-collected plants; such steps can include inspection of nursery premises whenever possible, together with inspection of trade catalogues, advertisements and other relevant literature; and
b) that authorized traders may be issued a licence for a specified length of time to export any quantity of specified Appendix II or Appendix III artificially propagated plants, provided that a certified copy of the licence and a schedule recording quantities and other details of the plants accompany each assignment.'

Chairman. International Orchid Commission. 14 Kew Gardens Road. Kew. Richmond Surrey TW9 3HG, England,

Approved Show Dates for 1991 for the Great Lakes Region

NOTES FROM THE EDITOR

This issue as you see is primarily taken up with CITES information. Please read it carefully and make your membership aware of its contents.

The SUGGESTED OUTLINE FOR THE FIRST COC ORCHID TOUR is also included. Please inform your membership of this event and encourage them to indicate their interest early as it will be restricted to between 20 and 30 participants.

I have also included the dates of all the spring shows in the GREAT LAKES REGIONAL JUDGING CENTER. I would appreciate those of you in other judging regions to forward me a list of your dates for publication.

The 4th Canadian Orchid Congress will be held at the University of Calgary in the Science Theatre Complex on April 27, 28, 1991. Dr. Carl Withner will be the Judging Chairman.

Thanks to Nancy Tozer for sending in these additional orchid vendors from the Montreal area.

TROPIC FLORA ENRG. 1236-37e Ave Fabreville Laval, Quebec H7R 4W4 (514)962-1219 By appointment only.

HOWARD GINSBERG 4854 Cote des Neiges Apt 1004 Montreal, Quebec. H3V 1G7 (514) 738-0437 By appointment only. Mainly Phal. hybrids & stem props.

LAVAL ORCHIDS c/o Egon Dreise 71 Clermont, Laval, Quebec H7N 2Z5 By appointment only. Mainly masdevallias and porroglossums.

Canadian Orchid Congress Fees
Society Membership $1.00 per society member
Individual Membership $15.00

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