Native Orchids of the Carolinas w/ Bob Sprague – UNCC Campus & Zoom

On Sunday at 2p, the NC Native Plant Society will be co-sponsoring a talk by Bob Sprague on Native Orchids of the Carolinas. You can attend the talk in-person at the Cone University Center or register here for his virtual presentation on Zoom!

Bob’s presentation will introduce viewers to the surprising number of orchid taxa that are native to North Carolina and South Carolina. Some will be old friends while others fall into the categories of rare, obscure, bizarre, enigmatic and even perhaps, controversial. Through the magic of macro-photography we’ll be treated to close-up looks at many of them. The Carolinas are at a crossroad where southern species give way to their northern cousins and vice versa, but thanks to climate change, surprises may occur.

Native orchids have come under intense scrutiny in recent years. Botanic gardens, universities, state natural resource agencies, private non-profits, citizen scientists…it seems everyone is trying to unlock the mysteries of native orchids. We’ll discuss some of those efforts and how they might affect orchids in the Carolinas.

How to View The Presentation In-Person

The talk will be part of the UNCC Botanical Gardens Orchid Festival and Ganache in the Gardens event. Attendees will gather at the Cone University Center to watch the presentation. The cost for the Festival is $5.  Advanced registration for the event will include a ticket for the raffle and entry into all free presentations. Get details of the Orchid Festival at this link.

Physical location: Cone University Center’s “After Hours” (2nd floor):  https://cone.charlotte.edu/directions-and-parking