The discussion of Tom Nelson and Cypripedium salvage so far seems to be
built on a false dichotomy. Collecting for sale versus leaving the plants
for the bulldozer aren't the only possibilities. As Hansen points out in
_Orchid Fever_, a third alternative is replanting the salvaged Cyps in the
wild, and some of those who oppose Nelson's methods may prefer this
strategy.
Personally, I have no problem with people like Nelson making a living by
salvaging cyps for cultivation, but I don't think we should characterize it
primarily as conservation. A cyp in my backyard or greenhouse is as dead to
the wild gene pool as one that was bulldozed. We might also consider the
effect that selling collected cyps has on those nurseries that propagate
cyps from seed. Each hobbyists must weigh the alternatives when deciding
which nursery to patronize and which plants to purchase.
Nick
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Nicholas Plummer
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