Orchids in the spotlight at the Botanic Park

(CNS): The QE II Botanic Park in Frank Sound was offering thanks recently to a local donor who has given over $6,000 to its new orchid garden. Park officials said the new garden will be unveiled at the forthcoming annual Orchid Show on 13 and 14 February, and it provides another avenue for the protection and conservation of Cayman’s native orchids, as well as a focal point for education. The new garden will consist of a boardwalk over the natural woodland area that is home to Cayman’s extensive orchid collection, including nine of the 26 species known to be native to the Cayman Islands. (Photo - Cayman’s ghost orchid)

The Orchid Garden will also have a number of educational signs and display panels describing the plants, their natural history and how many have been lost to deforestation.

“This new feature in the park will allow us to help protect, conserve and educate visitors on the importance of orchids, as well as our cultural and natural heritage,” said John Lawrus, Deputy General Manager at the Botanic Park.

The donation of US$6,130 came from HSBC Bank (Cayman) Limited, a ‘gold’ sponsor of the project developed to ensure a safe haven for native and Caribbean orchids.

“HSBC Cayman is pleased to support this project, which represents a big step forward in preserving a part of Cayman’s natural heritage. A lot of care and attention has been put into this by the staff and supporters of the Botanic Park and we are proud to assist,” said Gonzalo Jalles, Chief Executive Officer of HSBC Cayman. John Lawrus and Sue Gibbs accepted the donation on behalf of Friends of the Botanic Park.  “We are grateful to HSBC Cayman for assisting in such an important development in the Botanic Park,” said Lawrus.

The Botanic Park is home to ten of the twenty-six orchid species recorded from the Cayman Islands, and three of these are found nowhere else on earth. One of these unique three, the most commonly seen by park visitors, is Cayman’s National Flower, the indigenous Banana Orchid.

http://www.botanic-park.ky