"in southeastern Manitoba... a patch of the endangered western prairie fringed orchid [Platanthera praeclara] was mowed down this week. The orchid, which grows nowhere else in Canada, is protected under federal and provincial endangered species acts. It's illegal to disturb the plant's habitat.
... a stand of the flowers... mowed down by a highway maintenance crew on Monday. ... chewed-up remains of the plants strewn along a ditch.... the flowers... bloom for only a few days each summer. ... Western prairie fringed orchids are large, showy plants, with dozens of white blossoms, each with a distinctive fringed lip, on a 75-centimetre spike. "There would in all possibility have been more than 100 plants in blossom that were mowed down,"... Manitoba Conservation spokesman Jim Duncan says the maintenance crew, hired by Manitoba Highway, cut the orchids in error. "I wouldn't call it a catastrophe. I would call it an unfortunate incident," he said. "Accidents happen. The good news is that the orchids weren't permanently damaged. They were cut. The plants should rebound and flower in other years." The penalties for disturbing the flower can include a fine of $5,000 or six months in jail, but Duncan said charges are not being considered in this case. ... Duncan said highway officials have assured him no more plants will be mowed while in bloom. In Canada, the orchid is found only in a 50-kilometre area around Vita and Stuartburn. More than half of the estimated 7,000 orchids growing in Manitoba are found in roadside ditches, provincial officials say. ... the highway crew didn't know about the rare and delicate nature of the plant. ... Duncan said he hoped the incident would help educate [!!!] more Manitobans about the importance of protecting the plant. Officials said the province is planning a publicity campaign about the orchid in the next few months." source : http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/05072006/3/winnipeg-highway-crew-mows-endangered-wildflower.html ********** regards, VB _______________________________________________ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [email protected] http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
