The Boracayán Wildlife Refuge in Costa Rica was the location of Selby Gardens’ latest tropical expedition, in mid-December, 2012. Three Selby Gardens staff members – Bruce Holst, Laurie Birch, and Angel Lara – joined photographer Daniel Perales and world-reknowned orchidologist Dr. Robert Dressler for a week-long visit to this amazing cloud forest. The 5000-acre refuge is home to many hundreds of plant species, including four new species discovered by Selby staff and collaborators after the first botanical inventory in 2003, and is a key location for migrating animals along Costa Rica’s southwestern coast. The major objectives of the recent trip were to train the Refuge staff on how to collect and preserve botanical specimens for their reference collection and to help initiate an on-site species-collection of living plants for conservation and horticultural purposes. In addition, the trip provided an excellent opportunity for Selby Gardens’ staff to experience the tropics and see plants growing in their natural habitats, information which is very helpful for the maintenance of the Selby living collection. Stay tuned for more information on the findings of the trip and for an announcement of a travelogue-lecture by Selby staff.
Marie Selby
Botanical Gardens