July 2025 Newsletter Link 

Monthly Meeting:
Tuesday, July 1, 2025
Speaker: Ron Kaufman
Topic: Conserving Orchids in the Wild

About Our Speaker: 
Our speaker in July will be Ron Kaufmann, chair of the American 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 titled "Conserving Orchids in the Wild" will describe threats to the conservation of orchids worldwide and highlight the efforts of the Orchid Conservation Alliance and the San Diego County Orchid Society Conservation Committee to conserve orchids by helping to protect their habitat.

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 reedstem Epidendrum and progressed to a diverse assemblage that contains mostly species orchids.

Ron has a long-standing interest in conservation. He joined the San Diego County Orchid Society’s Conservation Committee in 1999 and became chair in 2004. Since 1991, the Conservation Committee has awarded mor than $300,000 to support projects in 24 different countries. Ron also helped to found the Orchid Conservation Alliance and serves on the boards of the OCA, AOS, Orchid Digest, and Fundación EcoMinga (an Ecuadorian conservation organization).

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.
MEETING OUTLINE:

6:00 - 7:00 PM - Mingle & view plants

6:30 PM - Plant entry for AOS judging

7:00 - 7:45 PM - Intro and Talk 

8:00 - 8:30 PM- SHOW AND TELL

8:30 PM - PLANT OPPORTUNITY TABLE

​LOCATION:
San Francisco County Fair Building
1199 Ninth Avenue, SF, CA 94122
(at the corner of Lincoln and 9th Ave, next to the SF Botanical Gardens)

There is plenty of free parking on the street, inside the park, and and from the back parking lot, accessible from Lincoln Ave across from 10th Ave. 

​Enter the building from the front lobby or back parking lot.

To Join the Meeting Online via Zoom:
Zoom Link - Click HERE:
 
OR use this Zoom log in info:
Zoom Meeting ID: 209 363 4933
NEW 2025 Zoom password is SFOS2025

Upcoming Speakers in 2025​
July 1 - Ron Kaufmann, Conserving Orchids in the Wild
August 5 - Brandon  Tam, Stanhopea
September 2 - Bob Hamilton. Odontoglossums
October 7  - (TBD) Phillip Hamilton: Broughtonia 
November 4 - Carol Klonowski: Cyrtochilum
December 2 - Holiday Party