During the annual orchid exhibition at the University of Tartu Botanical Garden, a seminar was held for the second year in cooperation with the Estonian Orchid Conservation Club, offering fascinating presentations for both beginner orchid enthusiasts and experienced orchid experts.
The theme of this year's seminar was "Orchids and Pollinators". The topics discussed included the relationships between orchids and other organisms, the vulnerability of orchids in the context of climate change, their pollination strategies, and the challenge of photographing orchid bees.
“In Estonia, orchid pollinators have been studied very little, as the life cycle of orchids is quite complex and their survival rate is extremely low compared to many other plant groups. Therefore, growing orchids from seeds seems impossible – after all, orchids in nature need the help of a fungus, because the seed lacks endosperm,” says Anne-Mai Adamberg, president of the Orchid Conservation Club and also a bachelor's student in the Pollination Ecology Working Group, who gave an overview of the pollinators of Estonian orchid species.
The presentations given at the orchid seminar held on March 5 can be found here: https://natmuseum.ut.ee/et/uudis/nuud-jarelvaadatav-botaanikaaia-orhideeseminar.
More information:
Anne-mai Adamberg
Tsipe Aavik / tsipe.aavik@ut.ee / +372 516 1187
