For our February meeting, we escape our Ontario winter (via Zoom) and travel to sunny Ecuador. Our speaker, José “Pepe” Portilla Andrade is the President of Ecuagenera, a family-owned and operated business that grows and exports more than 8000 varieties of orchids. His topic is entitled “Ecuadorean orchids in situ, ex situ.”

This is a joint meeting for OSRBG and COOS members. Zoom invitations will be sent out about a week in advance to members of both Societies. If you don’t receive yours or if you are not a member but would like to attend as a guest, please contact OrchidataOSRBG@gmail.com. The formal meeting starts at 2 pm but the site will be available around 1:30 approximately for those who would like to get settled and socialize a bit before the meeting.

There will also be a virtual Show Table. Members with special orchids in bloom may email photos to OrchidataOSRBG@gmail.com. Please send them by 6 pm on Friday February 18 to be included in the power point. Include the name of the orchid and its parentage (if known) and any other salient details, as well as your own name of course.

Here are two more of Pat’s photos from his trip to Ecuador some years ago. They show the same Phragmipedium besseae from a greater and greater distance to give a better idea of what “in situ” really means!