Bruce Guthrie Photos: DC -- Natl Museum of Natural History -- Orchid Show

DC -- Natl Museum of Natural History -- Orchid Show -- Notes:

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Description of Pictures: Orchids of Latin America
January 26, 2013 - April 21, 2013
Do you want to stroll through a tropical rain forest on a cold winter's day? Visit this year’s orchid exhibition to explore the rich crossroads where orchid botany, horticulture, and Latin American cultures meet. Learn about the importance of orchids in Latin American folklore and cultural traditions, see how that region is a hotbed for scientific research on orchid biology and evolution, and discover conservation efforts to preserve orchids and their habitats for future generations. And, of course, enjoy the beautiful orchids from the Smithsonian Gardens Orchid Collection and the US Botanic Garden collection.

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Copyrights: All pictures were taken by Bruce Guthrie who retains copyright on them. Free for non-commercial use with attribution. See the Creative Commons definition of what this means. "Photos (c) Bruce Guthrie" is fine for attribution. If asked for permission in advance, I'll usually waive the non-commercial clause unless it's for people trying to sell the photos. A free copy of any printed publication using the photographs is requested. Descriptive text, if any, is from a mixture of sources, quite frequently from official signs at the location or from official web sites; copyrights, if any, are retained by their original owners.

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Specific picture descriptions: Photos above with "i" icons next to the bracketed sequence numbers (e.g. "[1] ") are described as follows:
1. SINHOS_130129_068.JPG: Orchids to Honor the Dead: In early November, Mexicans celebrate the Day of the Dead to honor their dead relatives. In Chilapa de Alvarez in southern Mexico, grave sites are elaborately decorated with the brightly colored orchid Laelia anceps subspecies dawsonli variety chilaponsis, which blooms in late October and early November.
2. SINHOS_130129_074.JPG: Orchids of Latin America: Thousands of orchid species flourish throughout Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean islands. Indigenous people in Latin America have long used orchids in their daily lives. Scientists study these species and their intricate ecology. Conservationists work to save orchid habitats, while horticultists grow brightly colored beauties.
3. SINHOS_130129_081.JPG: Not just a Pretty Flower: Indigenous people throughout Mexico and Central America used orchid plants for a variety of purposes. The Aztecs of central Mexico made a delicate but strong adhesive from the fleshy roots of terrestrial Bletha and Govenia orchids.
4. SINHOS_130129_093.JPG: The Mystery of the Aguilas: In 1935, Costa Rica naturalist Anastasio Alfaro noted that the gold aguilas, or eagles, of the Chibcha culture looked much like the flowers of the orchid Trichocentrum cebolleta. Since then, there has been a flurry of speculation that this orchid was sacred to the Chibcha people and that it may have been used as a hallucinogen in religious rituals. But is that true?
5. SINHOS_130129_118.JPG: Orchids in Danger: Orchids in Latin America and around the world are under severe threat as their habitats are destroyed. Orchids struggle to survive that we cut down forests, build houses, and pollute the air. But while humans can destroy habitats, we can also protect them.
6. SINHOS_130129_140.JPG: Protecting Orchid Habitats: The survival of many orchid species depends on the preservation of their natural habitats. Many orchids rely on very specific environmental conditions and intricate relationships with other organisms. National parks and privately funded reserves throughout Latin America protect the wild environments in which orchids thrive.
7. SINHOS_130129_171.JPG: A New Home for Orchids: Some orchid specimens can be collected before their habitat is lost. Botanical gardens and ecotourist destinations give scientists and the public better access to epihytic (tree-dwelling) orchids by removing them from the threatening tree canopy areas and planting them at eye-level.
8. SINHOS_130129_206.JPG: Saving the Seeds: The seeds of many plants can be preserved to protect biodiversity in case the living plants are destroyed. Orchid Seed Stores for Sustainable Use (OSSSU) works with universities and botanic gardens throughout Latin America to teach orchid seed banking techniques and establish storage facilities.
9. SINHOS_130129_339.JPG: Orchid Science at the Smithsonian: The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in Panama hosts scientists from around to [sic] world who study many species, including orchids and orchid bees. Their work helps us to better understand the processes that shape biological diversity, the ecological roles species play in their environments, and how they adapt to change.
10. SINHOS_130129_346.JPG: What's Happening in the World of North American Orchids? The North American Orchid Conservation Center (NAOCC) works to safeguard orchids native to North America. NAOCC promotes biodiversity through orchid conservation by: * Establishing a national collection of seeds and fungi, * Promoting habitat conservation and restoration, * Developing techniques to propagate orchids, and * Creating a web-based national educational program. NAOCC is a partnership between the Smithsonian Institution, the US Botanic Garden, and public and private organizations, and is located at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) in Edgewater, Maryland.
11. SINHOS_130129_375.JPG: Vanilla: The Orchid in the Kitchen: Natural vanilla flavoring is extracted from the cured and fermented seed pod, or "bean," of Vanilla plafolia, a climbing, vine-like orchid native to southern Mexico, Central America, and northern South America. One of world's most popular spices, vanilla is one of the few orchids whose economic value is not in its ornamental flowers.
12. SINHOS_130129_450.JPG: Pleurothallis circumplexa Orchid family -- Orchidaceae Costa Rica It was interesting seeing the little pieces growing out of the leaves.
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Directly Related Pages: Other pages here that have content directly related to this one: [Display ALL photos]
- 2004_DC_SINHOS: DC -- Natl Museum of Natural History -- Orchid Show (9 photos from 2004)
- 2007_DC_SINHOS: DC -- Natl Museum of Natural History -- Orchid Show (18 photos from 2007)
- 2009_DC_SINHOS: DC -- Natl Museum of Natural History -- Orchid Show (67 photos from 2009)
- 2011_DC_SINHOS: DC -- Natl Museum of Natural History -- Orchid Show (63 photos from 2011)
Generally-Related Subject: DC -- Natl Museum of Natural History
Generally-Related Subject Description: The National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) is part of the Smithsonian Institution, the world’s preeminent museum and research complex. The Museum is dedicated to inspiring curiosity, discovery, and learning about the natural world through its unparalleled research, collections, exhibitions, and education outreach programs. Opened in 1910, the green-domed museum on the National Mall was among the first Smithsonian building constructed exclusively to house the national collections and research facilities.

Whether looking at the history and cultures of Africa, describing our earliest Mammalian ancestor or primate diversity around the world, examining ancient life forms including the ever popular dinosaurs, or exploring the beauty of rare gemstones such as uniquely colored diamonds, the Museum’s temporary and permanent exhibitions serve to educate, enlighten and entertain millions of visitors each year. The main building on the National Mall contains 1.5 million square feet of space overall and 325,000 square feet of exhibition and public space; altogether the Museum is the size of 18 football fields, and houses over 1000 employees. With a growing network of interactive websites, the Museum is transforming itself into a hub for national and international electronic education, accessible to anyone with access to the internet.

At the center of the Museum’s exhibition and research programs are its expertly documented collections: more than 125 million natural science specimens and cultural artifacts. Just to name a few of our museum holdings, the collections include 30 million insects carefully pinned into tiny boxes; 4� million plants pressed onto sheets of paper in the Museum’s herbarium; 7 million fish in liquid-filled jars; and 2 million cultural artifacts, including 400,000 photographs housed in the National Anthropological Archives. Over 3� million specimens are out on loan each year; over 15,000 visitor days are spent in the collections; and there are almo ...More...
Generally-Related Subject Pages: Other pages here that have content somewhat related to this one:
- 1999_DC_SINH: DC -- Natl Museum of Natural History (6 photos from 1999)
- 2003_DC_SINH: DC -- Natl Museum of Natural History (16 photos from 2003)
- 2002_DC_SINH: DC -- Natl Museum of Natural History (28 photos from 2002)
- 2008_DC_SINH: DC -- Natl Museum of Natural History (31 photos from 2008)
- 2001_DC_SINH: DC -- Natl Museum of Natural History (2 photos from 2001)
- 2004_DC_SINH: DC -- Natl Museum of Natural History (51 photos from 2004)
- 2007_DC_SINH: DC -- Natl Museum of Natural History (9 photos from 2007)
- 2009_DC_SINH: DC -- Natl Museum of Natural History (39 photos from 2009)
- 2010_DC_SINH: DC -- Natl Museum of Natural History (84 photos from 2010)
- 2011_DC_SINH: DC -- Natl Museum of Natural History (41 photos from 2011)
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Same Subject: Click on this link to see coverage of items having the same subject: [Museums (Other)] [Natural Beauty]
2013 photos: So far, my camera is mostly the Fuji X-S1 but, depending on the event, I'm also using a Nikon D7000 and Nikon D600. Trips this year have been limited to a Civil War Trust conference in Memphis.
Photo Contact: Email Bruce Guthrie.