I just moved back to the US after having lived 5 years in Costa Rica, a couple of years on the Pacific coast and the rest of the time on our 37 acre farm inland inland in the mountains, about 45 minutes south and west of San Jose.
On our farm we had many species of orchids growing wild, and in general, that area is rich in orchids. But they are disappearing. Jay Pfal mentions all the wild orchids in the Guanacaste area about 5 years ago. Unfortunately Guanacaste over the past five years has been undergoing totally uncontrolled, ecologically disastrous development and the orchids are, indeed, rapidly disappearing there. And, in general, most areas of Costa Rica are undergoing rapid development with equally disastrous significance for both the flora and fauna. The country's greatest hope, I believe, is that fully 25% of the country's land is held in biological reserves. But even in those places there is always poaching going on -- first growth rain forest trees, valuable animals (soon there will be no more jaguars or tapirs) and orchids. It seems clear to me that Jay is correct when he says that the greatest danger is development rather than collectors. Though it is discouraging to often see people on the sides of the roads in the countryside hawking orchids that have obviously been taken from the wild. Martin Website & Blog: <http://www.rice-family.org> _______________________________________________ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [email protected] http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
