November 2021 – Ron Kaufmann

Ron KaufmannWe are happy to welcome back Ron Kaufmann, chair of the San Diego County Orchid Society Conservation Committee and a founding director of the Orchid Conservation Alliance. Ron has been growing orchids for more than 25 years and has travelled extensively to view orchids in the wild in Asia and South America, particularly Brazil, Ecuador and Colombia. His talk entitled "Cattleya eldorado: Searching for Gold in the Brazilian Amazon" will describe an unusual orchid habitat near the confluence of the Rio Negro and the Amazon River, home to beautiful species like C. eldorado. Cattleya eldorado is a delightful orchid that is uncommon in cultivation outside Brazil but well worth growing.

Ron is a marine biologist by training, and his scientific work includes studies of Antarctic and deep-sea ecosystems as well as marine communities in coastal Southern California. His orchid collection began with a reed stem Epidendrum and progressed to a diverse assemblage that contains mostly species orchids.

Ron has a long-standing interest in conservation and has been a member of the SDCOS Conservation Committee for nearly 25 years and chair since 2004. Since 1991, the Conservation Committee has awarded nearly $250,000 to support projects in 23 different countries. Ron also helped to found the Orchid Conservation Alliance and serves on the boards of the OCA, Orchid Digest, and Fundación EcoMinga (an Ecuadorian conservation organization). He currently serves as vice chair of the American Orchid Society Conservation Committee.

Most of Ron’s orchids are grown in a 36 x 24 foot greenhouse and several outdoor shade-covered areas around his house in San Diego. Friends have suggested that he build a second, much larger greenhouse to accommodate the many plants that often make walking through his greenhouse an exercise requiring extensive training in gymnastics and yoga to avoid serious injury. Thus far, this recommendation hasn’t been followed, although the temptation is always there.

This month’s plant table will be provided by one of our local orchid vendors.