AMERICAN ORCHID SOCIETY

FLORIDA NORTH-CENTRAL JUDGING CENTER

NEWS LETTER

Volume 2 Number 4 ........................................................... August 1997

Florida North-Central Judging Center Officers


1997
Chairman: Dr. Thomas Sheehan.
Vice-Chairwoman: Doris Dukes.
Treasurer: Waverly Fant
Training Coordinators: Joe Bryson and Ken Roberts
Publication Committee: Doris Dukes, Bill Guthrie, and Ken Roberts.
Newsletter Editor: Bill Guthrie P.O. Box 350489 Jacksonville, FL 32205
E-mail:Gutsljax@msn.com (or) Guts2jax@aol.com

The Chairman's Corner

There is one thing that can be said about orchids and orchid growing - "it never gets dull". There is always something new and interesting happening. It may be a new seedling blooming for the first time; the acquisition of a new orchid book with tempting color photos to entice us or perhaps a hint from a fellow orchidophil on why he/she wins so many awards. Here is a hint for caring for your plants in this hot, humid and showery weather we have been experiencing. These conditions are ideal for Black Rot and Bacterial Soft Rot to develop and thrive on your orchid plants. Check your plants carefully and consult your AOS Orchid Pests and Diseases when suspicious spots appear. Yes, I said "it never gets dull"

Talking about something new, as I mentioned at the recent seminar (8-2-97), AQ will have between 150 and 200 color pictures per issue beginning with the first issue in 1998. Presently, there are only 26 color pictures per issue which means AQ will be much more colorful. Hopefully, this may be the first step towards total color in the future.

There is another item that should be of interest to all of us. The Judging Committee, when it meets in October during the AOS Trustees meeting, will be taking a look at the point score breakdown for each genus as it pertains to AOS flower quality awards. Some of the questions they will be addressing are:
1. Do the allotted points in each category reflect the current goals or trends in modern hybridization?
2. Should the 50% or more flowers open be required for plants like Phalaenopsis equestris hybrids where the first flowers are often fading or past their prime before 50% are open?
3. Are scoring breakdowns realistic?
. 4. Do scoring breakdowns reflect current judging requirements?
5. Do the standards of perfections, for major genera as they appear in the AOS Handbook of Judging and Exhibition, reflect our member's desires . and expectations?

I am sure there are other items you may be concerned about. Now is the time to express those concerns. Please let Doris Dukes or myself know of an item so we can bring it to the attention of the committee in October. Soon it will be fall and we can all look forward to a wide array of orchid blooms in our greenhouse. There maybe a new surprise each day. "It never gets dull." Tom Sheehan ==============================================================================

ORCHID CONSERVATION 97
CONFERENCE REPORT
by
Kenneth A. Roberts, Chairman OC97

ORCHID CONSERVATION 97 is now over, however, the results of the conference are still very much under way and most likely will be for several more years. More about this later.

The basic intent of the conference was to presentt successful and positive conservation efforts currently being employed, with the hope that these efforts could be adopted in total or modified for use in other places. While it could be quite some time before any of the intended benefits of the conference could become apparent, the participants were unanimous in judging the conference as "good" or "excellent". Also the participants were unanimous in desiring to attend a second conference, when held.
The conference started off with a reception in a beautiful tropical area adjacent to the pool of the Hyatt Hotel. Most everyone was able to arrive in time to participate in the evening activIties, the most important of which was the meeting and talking with other conference participants and speakers.

The conflerence was opened the following morning by myself, as Conference Chairman. Mark Bierner, Executive Director Marie Selby Gardens, welcomed the participants and an opening address was provided by Elmer Spence, President of The Orchid Conservation Committee. Additional speakers for the day were Eric Hagsater discussing, Conservation from a Mexican Perspective, Richard Warren talking on Practical Conservation in Brazil - Assessment of Vulnerability, James Ackerman addressing Inferring Genetic Diversiy and Gene Flow from Patterns of Floral Variation in Orchids, and the BVearing of these factors on Conservation Jonathan Driller introducing OrchidNet-A Communication Network and Seed Banking for the Future ,Alexander Sulecki talked on A Proposed New Orchid Conservation Project for the Big Cypress Basin, John Beckner addressed Orchid Conservation Beyond the Nineteenth Century, and finally a panel discussion was conducted between the participants and a panel made up of Vinciane Dumont, Robert Gabel and John Beckner,addressing orchid conservation issnes in general, but in particular, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) The day was rounded out with a receptIon in the foyer of the Botanical Gardens, which included tours of the behind the scenes areas of the Botanical Garden and greenhouses.

The final half of the afternoon session of the second day, was used to discuss with all participants the potential for generating a proposal to down list certain non-endangered orchids from CITES, and was scheduled to also address the topics of Hand Pollination in the Field, Rescue of Orchids From Endangered Habitat, and the Reintroduction of Rescued Plants into Previously Known Habitats. Unfortunately, not enough time was allocated to this portion of the conference because the topics dealing with Rescue, Reintroduction and Hand Pollination could not be discussed. The consideration of a proposal to down list, being a very controversial and complicated issue, consumed all of the available time and had to be curtailed with the formation of a committee to draft, review with all the participants, and finalize the desires of the conference participants. In the time since the end of the conference considerable effort has been invested in the redrafting of the proposals and transmitting them to the committee. When. completed the final draft will be provided to each of the participants for review and comment. The other topics have also been incorporated into draft resolutions for dispersal to the participants for their review and comment. Of particular interest is that an INTERNET site with a special Chat Room is being established for discussing these topics. This discussion will be open to anyone that wishes to participate.

The intent of the down listing proposal is to (a) remove those orchids from CITES II (and possibly CITES I), that are not endangered; (b) prepare an identification handbook to clearly identify those species or genera that continue to require protection; (c) reduce the identification burden of those orchids remaining on either of the CITES list, by the importing country's inspection officials and (d) allow freer trade in non-endangered orchids. The intent of the other topics is to propose recognition of these techniques as viable conservation measures and to recommend their use when appropriate.

Once the proposal to down list has been reviewed and approved by the majority of the conference participants, it is planned to be presented to the CITES Plants Committee, meeting in Chile during November 1997. Several official country convention representatives, who will be participating in the Plants Committee meeting, have agreed to present the proposal for consideration. If the Plants Committee agrees, understandably after careful consideration and thorough review, then the proposal will be submitted as a potential submitted as a potential agenda item to be consideration by the 11th Conference of the Parties (COP) CITES (to be held in about two years)

If the other topics can be completed in time they may also be presented for consideration by the Plants Committee in Chile, however these proposals are not as mature nor as important as the down listing proposal, so may have to be presented at a later date.

While it may appear that there is plenty of time to accomplish all of these tasks, this is not the case. It will take everyone working together, responding in a reasonable time,and keeping an open mind to insure that these proposals are given proper consideration by the COP. We will continue to date everyone on our progress.

The Conference closed with a very enjoyable banquet at the Hyatt Hotel. The Keynote Speaker was The Honorable Sir Alasdair Morrison, the immediate past Chairman of the of Royal Horticultural Society, Orchid Committee. Dr. Morrison started off explaining some of his personal history so that the participants could understand what had formulated and significantly influenced his perspective on conservation. He included insightful information on CITES and some of the problems currently under review by COP. He supported the efforts of the Conference and the provided suggestions on the proper methodologies to accomplish these goals. His talk will also be included in the upcoming issue of Selbyana.

While I may be slightly prejudiced, I think the conferencewas a success and that the other participants had an enjoyable and educational time. I hope all of us that participated can employ some of what we learned to conserve orchids.

==============================================================================

Some Thoughts on CBR/CHM Awards


By Doris Dukes

This is reprinted from a letter to AOS judges from Don Herman (then COA Chairman) and Lee Cooke (then AOS Executive Director) some years ago. It was my understanding that if a previously unawarded species could be found described in an easily accessible orchid book that we should not spend time awarding a CBR unnecessarily. Not so, according to AOS and I have revised my thinking accordingly. 1. It is not the purpose or intent of the CBR/CHM to have judges act as botanists or taxonomists or to infringe upon their activIties. 2. The CBR is not an award reflecting characteristics of merit, it is a recognItion of an unawarded species' existence. One judges' response reflects the intent fairly well: 'The term recognition' simply implies 'worthiness' of cultivation be it for botanical or horticultural interest "Worthiness" is determined by a judging team, thus not all plants will be so recognized. 3. The intent was not to give both CBR/CHM at the same judging. If a plant qualIfies for the CHM award, it should be considered awarded and therefore not a candidate for a CBR. 4. If a hybrid that is not a natural hybrid has distinctive characterlstics but does not deserve a merit award, it may deserve a Judges Commendation. The true intent of the CHM/CBR, in possibly oversimplified terms, is a follows:
Certificate of Horticultural Merit
1 It is a merit award.
2. It is for species and natural hybrids only.
3. The entire plant must be considered and it must appear to be healthy and well-flowered.
4. It must have features or characteristics that distinguish it is a positive way from the norm or that
make highly desirable to cultivate.
5. The judging team must point score the plant, give complete measurements and give a full description that clearlypoints out its distinctive features.
Certificate of Botanical Recognition
1. It is not a merit award.
2. It is a recognItion of existence, based on the feeling
of a judging team that the plant was worth of being noted for, as the Handbook states, rarity, novelty and/or educational value.
3. The entire plant must be considered.
4. The plant must be a species or natural hybrid that has not previously been recognized by the AOS judging system.
5. It does not have to be highly desirable.
6. It is not point scored, but it must be fully measured and described.
7. Two-thirds of the judging team must agree to the recognition.
In conclusion, one might ask, "Should we be in the practice of just recognizing plants? In response, the judging system is an arm of the American Orchid Society which has made it quit clear in recent years that one of its major reasons for existence is to promote all phases of orchidology through service to its members and the orchid world in general. Few Regional Judging Centers and fewer individuals have access to complete reference llbraries. Because of the American Orchid Society's size, statute and capabilities, it was considered the only orchid organization in the world that had the potential to create an easily accessible source for reference and educational purposes. By publishing "recognition" we are therefore giving a service, we are educating ourselves and we are increasing the appeal of the Awards Quarterly.

I hope the above referenced letter will be of help clarifying the basics about these two awards. It certainly focused my understanding. ==============================================================================

IN MEMORIUM


It is always with sadness that we note the passing away of one of our own, even when that note is somewhat belated. Bertha M."Bim" Cornett passed away October 30, 1996 at the age of 77. A recent issue of SHARE News (Special Help for Agricultural Research and Education - published quarterly by the UF/IFAS Office of Development-SHARE, University of Florida) acknowledged a generous bequest from Bim valued at more than $350,000 which it stated would be matched 50 percent by the State to create "The William C. and Bertha M. Cornell Fellowship Fund'. In the article a number of interesting facts about Bim were cited, which I thought would be of interest to our readers.

She was born in New Orleans. She received a degree in graphic arts from Tulane University. She and her husband, William, who predeceased her by nine years, worked for the Orlando Sentinel until their retirement. She was an ardent orchid lover (of which we were aware) and took advantage of much UF/IFAS research efforts and seminars, particularly with regard to orchid virus research in the 60's and 70's.

. She owned her own orchid business, Emerald Gardens, and sold orchids for some 35 years. She was a member of the American Orchid Society for over 40 years and (as we know) was a certified orchid judge. She helped found the Central Florida Orchid Society. She was interred with her husband at Arlington Cemetery. She will be missed by those of us who knew and judged with her.

==============================================================================

The Center's WEB SITE


http://www.orchidjudges.org


The Florida North-Central Judging Center's Web Site is under construction. The establishment committee is waiting for materials to post. Materials on the site will be this Newsletter, judges roster, student papers and other items of interest. The site address is given above. If you have items of interest you would like to submit, send them to: Glenn Sponholtz at : orch19@polaris.net or by mail to: 5091 Ochlockonee Rd, Tallahassee, FL. 32303. If the material is on a computer file you may send a disk or by e-mail. You may send photographs in 2x2, print or file. Information, material, can also be sent directly to the center by Email to webmaster@orchidjudges.org. . Glenn Sponholtz
 ==============================================================================
Return to Main Page
Return to Archives Page