February 3, 2015
GULF COAST ORCHID ALLIANCE, INC.
CONTACT: Kathleen Edwards, Director, Communications
Direct: (239) 495-6776 or [email protected]
WILD ORCHID MAN RETURNS to the Gulf Coast Orchid Alliance for February Orchid Conservation Awareness Month
Exclusive SWFL screening: “The Wild Orchid Man in the Ghost Orchid Swamp”
Naples, FL, February 3, 2015 – When Stig Dalström, the Wild Orchid Man, is not traveling the world in search of orchids, he is right here in Florida at his home in Sarasota, inspiring others about orchid conservation – and he’ll be with the Gulf Coast Orchid Alliance on February 19, 2015 for an exclusive Southwest Florida screening of his film “The Wild Orchid Man in the Ghost Orchid Swamp,” to be shown at the Alliance’s Third Thursday Orchid Event at Vanderbilt Presbyterian Church, 1225 Piper Blvd., Naples, FL 34110 from 6:30–8:30 pm. Guests are welcome at no charge.
Stig Dalstrom is a Sarasota botanist, author, botanical illustrator and former curator of the Orchid Identification Center at the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens. He is recognized worldwide as an orchid expert. His lectures and fieldwork have taken him to Bolivia, Columbia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Thailand, Bhutan, and his home country, Sweden. He has published 47 new species of orchids for science and has had 23 plant species named in his honor. Dalström continues to assist with the identification of orchid specimens, as well as providing popular and scientific articles and lectures. He conducts fieldwork to inventory and classify orchids, and contributes to creating awareness about fragile ecological sites.
“Ghost Orchid Swamp” was filmed in the Florida Everglades and has been screened at botanical and educational venues worldwide, but this is the first time it’s been seen in Southwest Florida – the very location where the film was shot. In the film, Dalström is in the Fakahatchee Strand nature preserve portion of the Everglades – the mother lode of orchids and tropical flora and fauna – with help from Fakahatchee Biologist Mike Owen. The self-described “plant nerds” explain their personal feelings about the swamp and its secrets, which broadens the viewing experience. Dalström takes us on a search for his first view of a “ghost orchid” in the wild, and his discoveries along the way.
Darryl Saffer, filmmaker and composer, and founder/owner of Studio Ray Productions, produced the documentary film. Darryl’s work focuses on nature, wildlife and environmental issues. He produces the Florida Field Journal on the Sarasota Education Channel and YouTube as well as the Wild Orchid Man films.
All the Wild Orchid Man documentaries have been funded through DVD sales, donations from environmentally concerned world citizens, and through donations directly to the Sarasota Orchid Society, which is the fiscal sponsor for the Wild Orchid Man documentaries. Attendees will be encouraged to support the filmmakers’ efforts through the purchase of Wild Orchid Man DVDs, which will be available at the screening.
This Alliance event is part of its “Orchid Conservation Awareness Month” of conservation-related activities that include a presentation of “Orchids of the Everglades” during the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Festival of the Everglades on February 28, 2014 at the museum in Everglades City. As part of its fund raising efforts to support its mission, the Alliance will sell orchids to the public during the festival.
To further the awareness of orchid conservation, the Alliance sponsors a year-round “Orchid Rescue Mission”, taking donations of out-of-bloom or unwanted orchids that are then used for educational purposes. Free pick up is available. Please call 239-498-9741.
The Alliance welcomes new members! Come and learn with us! The Gulf Coast Orchid Alliance is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization formed in 2012 to promote interest in orchids – focusing on orchid education, community outreach and orchid conservation – and to bring people together in an enjoyable, inclusive atmosphere.
Please mark your calendar for February 19! For information please call (239) 498-9741 or visit www.GulfCoastOrchidAlliance.com.
What: Gulf Coast Orchid Alliance “Third Thursday” Event
Program: Film screening “The Wild Orchid Man in the Ghost Orchid Swamp” by Wild Orchid Man Stig Dalstrom and filmmaker Darryl Saffer
When: February 19, 2015, 6:30-8:30 pm
Where: Vanderbilt Presbyterian Church, 1255 Piper Blvd., Naples FL 34110
(Look for the tall steeples across from Sam’s Club on Immokalee Road.)
Cost: Guests welcome at no charge.
Our Mission: The Gulf Coast Orchid Alliance is committed to promoting interest in orchids by providing educational opportunities to learn about orchid culture in an enthusiastic, enjoyable, supportive and inclusive environment where beginners to advanced hobbyists can exchange orchid information and ideas. The Alliance reaches out to the community, inspiring others to learn about orchids and orchid conservation.
