[TritteTouff]

For anyone interested...the Southern Ontario Orchid Society is having it's annual Orchid fest in August. One of the guest speakers is our own Kyle. I finally get to meet him!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Southern Ontario Orchid Society
- Canada's largest orchid society

Next Regular Meeting:

OrchidFest - our annual Summer event, is set for August 3.
at the Toronto Botanical Gardens
Join us for 2 extra special guest speakers (with plants to sell) and of course a pot luck barbeque


Speakers:

Glen Decker of Piping Rock Orchids

Kyle Lucyk, of Manitoba and who respresents Ecuagenera in Canada
We are fortunate to have with us 2 speakers who have extensive personal experience with the orchids of the Andes. Both Glen Decker, of Piping Rock Orchids, and Kyle Lucyk, of Manitoba and who respresents Ecugenera in Canada, have been to the Ecuadorian and Peruvian Andes and have seen the splendours of this garden of orchid Eden. Glen has done pioneering work hybridizing Phragmipedium kovachii. Kyle has worked with Ecugenera in Ecuador for several months and knows the local orchid species there very well.

Kyle Lucyk has had a passion for plants his whole life. he has been growing orchids for 7 years. His interest in plants and nature led him to pursue a degree in agricultural ecology. In 2006, he was invited to work for 7 months at Ecuagenera Orchids in Ecuador. There, he was able to participate in all aspects of orchid production, including lab work, internet sales, photography, deflasking, research and identification, and even cooking dinner for tourists. Kyle had the good fortune to make many trips to the country side to observe and photograph orchids in their natural conditions. Presently, he represents Ecuagenera at a handful of shows every year. He has been lucky enough to speak about his experiences to clubs in Canada, USA, Germany and Hungary. He currently works as an education coordinator at a Tallgrass prairie preserve in Winnipeg.