For our April meeting, the speakers will be John Alexander and Peter Kaellgren. Many OSRBG members will have met them at our Show in February or when they addressed our Society on a previous occasion. In this presentation, John and Peter will discuss some of their many travels from coast to coast to coast in search of Canada’s endemic orchids and some of the conservation issues they have encountered.
John has been photographing his surroundings since his teens. Originally from Fredericton, New Brunswick, John moved to Toronto in 1978 to study photography at Ryerson. Along with work on corporate brochures and reports, John has exhibited at Sunbury Shores Arts and Nature Centre in St. Andrews, New Brunswick, and during the CONTACT Festival in Toronto. In addition to local art and craft shows, John has presented his photos in Toronto bars, restaurants and museums. He has received first place and Best in Show awards for his photographs of our native orchids. John’s partner Peter Kaellgren has shared in bird watching and flower hunting. Peter’s interest in nature was inspired by his late father Rev. Andreas K. Kaellgren. Peter served as a curator of European Decorative arts at the Royal Ontario Museum from 1972 to 2009. He earned a PHD in art history from the University of Delaware in 1987. He has lectured extensively and published many articles. A passion for preserving and appreciating nature inspires John and Peter’s search for unusual plants.
The meeting will take place at RBG Headquarters, 680 Plains Rd. W., Burlington Ontario (probably in room 5 – to be confirmed). The formal meeting begins at 2 pm but you are invited to arrive any time after 1:30 to socialize and interact with vendors. For the benefit of those members living at a distance, it will be a hybrid meeting, and Zoom invitations will be sent by email in the week preceding. If you do not receive an invitation, please contact OrchidataOSRBG@gmail.com. Those attending in person are reminded that masking (or not) will be in accordance with personal preferences. If attending in person, you are also invited to bring your marvellous orchids in bloom for the Show Table.