Photos: Colombian clones orchids on the brink of extinction

Agricultural technologist Daniel Piedrahita made it his mission to preserve the flowers

Last updated: July 23, 2024 | 22:29

Compiled by Christian Borbon, Senior Web Editor

2 MIN READ

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Agricultural technologist Daniel Piedrahita, 62, has made it his life's mission to preserve the flowers at his sanctuary dubbed "The Soul of the Forest" in La Ceja, a town in the department of Antioquia.

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In nature, most orchids rely on a specific species of insect, bee or bird for pollination.

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In the laboratory, Piedrahita pollinates them to get what he calls a "pure clone," a seed capsule, the fruit of the orchid flower which can contain millions of seeds.

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Getting an orchid to flower from the seeds can take years.

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He grows exotics and natives, given, bought and even cloned, in an effort to save endangered species from extinction.

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Around the world, the unique flowering plants are increasingly threatened by the slashing down of forests, where most orchids are found.

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"An orchid? I'll define it for you in one word: perfection," Piedrahita told AFP.

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He describes his collection of over 5,000 species as a "genetic bank that I am responsible for... to ensure that each one reproduces perfectly."

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The reserve is home to about twenty species that are endangered worldwide and that Piedrahita dreams of returning to their original habitats.

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He describes his mission to return the orchards to nature as his "moral, personal duty."

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