Hallo from a new member from the Seychelles

[Kevin Jolliffe]

Hi there.
I have been collecting growing orchids for 23 years now. I started collecting orchids at the age of 7 and the bug has bit ever since. I am interested in species, especially African species. I come from Pietermaritzburg in Kwa-Zulu Natal on the eastern side of South Africa and have been working in the Seychelles for 19 months as the conservation manager on a private island. I am currently writing and illustrating a book on the orchids of Kwa-Zulu Natal which has 265 species and am assisting the plant protection trust of Seychelles in revising the orchid species here, which is where I have a question regarding any information that any members may have on the species present here as there is quite a lot of contradictory evidence for most secies.

I have a desire (and I am sure I am not the only one)to try and rescue the orchids and any other plants from areas thet are being deforested like the rainforests of west Africa and Brazil and bring them into cultivation, to sell and donate some to international botanical institutions and interested orchid growers world wide, the money recieved needs to go into purchasing as much forest to re-establish the rescued plants and in so doing conserve many other species of flora and fauna. All we need is CITES to play allong!!

Hope to hear from many of you soon

All the best

Kevin