1. Christy Woods Greenhouses & Gardens Docent Program
Orchid Module 1 – WOCSB History
CWGG Docent Program 2013

2. Introduction
General
Home of Wheeler-Thanhauser Orchid Collection & Species Bank
Education, conservation and research
Facility
Over 1,800 orchids, including species & hybrids
Largest collegiate orchid collection in USA
1,400 sq ft, built in 1971
Includes non-orchid plants and animals for ‘tropical’ experience
lessons of biology, ecology & plant-insect interactions
Uses
Nature Education, school tours, casual visitation, illustration, photography & research
CWGG Docent Program 2013

3. General Facts Maintained as species orchid collection Over 1800 plants
2/3 are wild-type species
Large plant gifts
1983 – Al Thanhauser, Connecticut: Cattleya Alliance
2008 – Dr. Charles Bracker, W. Lafayette: Diverse collection
Plant Rescue Center for USDA CITES
For education, conservation and research
Open to the public M – F, Sat. by arrangement
CWGG Docent Program 2013

4. Beginnings
Gift from Bill and Goldie Wheeler, commercial orchid growers from Indianapolis
Donated to BSU in 1971
Ball State chosen from BSU-Wheeler family/alum connection
Only 1 of 2 University-based orchid collections at the time
Brought to BSU by then-president John Pruis and wife Angie
CWGG Docent Program 2013

5. Curators Term Ken Doolittle 1971 – 1973 2 years
Harry “Russ” Vernon 1973 – years
Herb Saxon – years
Cheryl LeBlanc – present 20+ years
CWGG Docent Program 2013

6. Species Bank 1973: Collection 95% Cattleya hybrid orchids.
1973: Very few species orchids.
1975: Species ‘Bank’ initiated by Curator, Russ Vernon.
Orchid species not in the collection donated for tax credit.
Donors help insure safety of tropical species via ‘banking’.
Donors eligible to request division if available.
Species ‘bank’ option continues to present day.
CWGG Docent Program 2013

7. CITES
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
CITES - international agreement between governments.
CITES mission – ensure international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival, to safeguard species from over-exploitation.
CITES managed through USDA in USA
Plants assigned to Rescue Centers registered in USDA program
85 RCs currently participating in USA
CWGG Docent Program 2013

8. CITES Facts From 1994 to 2012, nearly 18,000 plants placed.
Highest placement: 1995
Lowest placement: 2012, with ~1300 plants.
In 2010 and 2011 USDA/CITES: ~8000 plants placed/year.
: Nearly 129,000 plants placed.
Average placement for 1994 to 2012: 6800 plants/year.
CWGG Docent Program 2013

9. CITES Placements
Proper importation requires Physosanitary certificates, importation paperwork.
Paperwork necessary from both country of origin & USA
Plant/animal materials seized without proper paperwork.
Rescue Centers (RC) contacted for each seizure
Placements based on RC location, regional temperatures for shipping, mission of RC.
CWGG Docent Program 2013

10. Rescue Centers
Nationally, confiscation is extremely variable and unpredictable.
USDA may go weeks/months with no seizures, or have one or two or a cluster all at once.
Estimated number of plants assigned to Rescue Centers annually: extremely variable.
Shipments: one or two plants, or several thousand.
CWGG Docent Program 2013

11. CITES & WOCSB Joined CITES program in 1979 WOCSB Rescue Center #13
Currently one of 85 Rescue Centers in USA
Receives confiscated orchid imports ~1-2x annually
Size of shipment varies from 1 – 2 plants to 100s
The yearly average for all placements in USA: 6800 plants (1994 to 2012)
CWGG Docent Program 2013

12. Current & Future
New Dr. Joe and Alice Rinard Orchid Greenhouse & conservatory to open Spring 2014
Open to the public M – F, Sat. by arrangement
Neotropical exhibit (Display Area in new facility)
Will include emphasis on tropical ecology
CWGG Docent Program 2013