northamericanorchidcenter.orgNorth American Orchid Conservation Center

Collaborators Resources Gallery orchid-gami News Go Orchids Support Why Orchid Conservation? Orchidaceae is the world’s largest flowering plant family, with 28,000+ species in 736 genera. The Orchid family represents a tremendous amount of biodiversity distributed across our planet’s many ecosystems - from the tropics to the high Arctic regions. Orchids outnumber bird species 2:1 and mammal species 4:1. Orchids are the source of exciting biology in their own right, with much still unknown. There is a need for more concerted efforts to conserve wild orchids via the establishment of plant, seed, and fungal banks representing their immense genetic diversity. Orchids are important for the study of evolution as a whole, to understand speciation, fungal relationships, pollinator interactions and habitat adaptability. Orchids play a vital role in their natural ecosystems and environmental health. Given their interdependence with specific trees, pollinators, soils, and mycorrhizal fungi, their presence is an indicator that the pieces of the environmental puzzle are in place. When orchids disappear from their historical habitats, it is an early sign that something is wrong. Orchids are a canary in the coal mine”, and a sign that urgent attention is needed to address accelerated climate change and biodiversity loss. © Ben Rostron © David Arbour Why North America? North America (north of Mexico) has 200+ orchid species; over half are listed as endangered or threatened somewhere in their native range. Prior to NAOCC, there was no centralized effort to understand or preserve native orchids of North America - most research and propagation work had focused on tropical species. The pace of individualized efforts addressing North American orchids has been far too slow to assure the successful conservation of species. Recognizing that the survival of orchids requires a focused, large scale and integrated effort that engages the public, The Smithsonian Institution and the United States Botanic Garden funded the establishment of the (NAOCC) to ensure the conservation of the native orchids in the U.S. and Canada. NAOCC is the first continent-wide collaborative effort to conserve native orchids - offering a pioneering model which may be replicated world-wide. What’s New? September 27, 2023 Featured – Orchids in and around the Ouachitas Read More April 30, 2014 Grande Ronde Native Plant Reserve Read More August 5, 2019 Ghost Orchid - breaking news Read More Native orchids are at risk! NAOCC is committed to the survival of our native orchids through programs that focus on preservation, propagation and education. Your gift will help NAOCC grow a network of botanic gardens, public and private landowners, researchers, educators and citizens to meet this challenge. Support NAOCC © Hal Horwitz Home About Collaborators Resources Gallery orchid-gami News Go Orchids Stay up to date with NAOCC Receive a newsletter right in your email box by clicking on the button below. Sign Up for Our Newsletter Smithsonian Environmental Research Center 647 Contees Wharf Road Edgewater, MD 21037-0028 Smithsonian Gardens Interested In Collaborating With NAOCC? Dennis Whigham Melissa McCormick Julianne McGuinness Established By: Terms of Use Privacy Subscribe to the NAOCC Newsletter! Get news from the in your inbox. Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form. Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form. Name * First Last Email * Email Confirm Email By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive email newsletters from: , SERC, 647 Contees Wharf Road, Edgewater, MD, 21037-0028, US, goorchids.northamericanorchidcenter.org . You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact . Our Privacy Policy . Sign up! close arrow-circle-o-down times-circle-o bars...