February Speaker - Country and Flora of Namibia by Tim Harvey
Tim is originally from England. Oxford University forced him out after ten years and three degrees. He arrived in North America courtesy of NATO and the Ontario Cancer Institute. Once he completed the move to California where he went to work for a local biotechnology company, he was able to relocate his cactus collection, started 20 years earlier, to a more favorable climate. Escaping the industry with his morals intact in 2006, he enrolled as a full-time propagator and pollinator of his favorite plants, as well as becoming Editor of the Cactus and Succulent Journal for a decade or so. He makes frequent trips to his adopted country Namibia, as well as appearances at clubs in Southern California, either as a speaker, or as a vendor under the pseudonym Plantae Novae. Never able to walk past a plant in flower without trying to pollinate it, he is also a keen hybridizer, with the pachycauls, Aloes and bulbs in his collection being defenseless subjects for experimentation or micropropagation in his laboratory.
Namibia is (or should be) near the top of every succulent plant lover's to-visit list. Large cyphostemmas greet the air traveler at the exit of the Windhoek airport terminal - so you know you've come to the right place. Home to succulents from the tiniest of mesembs to the most massive pachycauls, we will take a look at what makes the region such a hotbed for the plants that excite us so much. Understanding ecology is an important and a valuable, often overlooked aspect of success in our hobby. We will take a highly biased and selective tour of the succulent plant families in their natural habitat, with emphasis on popular groups such as aloes, stapeliads and cyphostemmas. Current issues surrounding plant poaching will be highlighted as well as some general pointers on cultivation provided.
