A recap greeting from French Guiana FRANCE Europe

Slippertalk Orchid Forum

Help Support Slippertalk Orchid Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

treefrog

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 1, 2009
Messages
87
Reaction score
98
Location
Matoury - FRENCH GUIANA - FRANCE
Hi everyone,

I have been a member of the Slippertalk communities since 2009. At that time, I was living in Montreal, CANADA (see my first post presentation here: Hi from Montréal - Canada) and I had a small collection of slipper orchids.

In 2011, I moved to Tarapoto PERU where I stayed for 7 years investigating the evolution of poison dart frogs and butterflies. This amazing opportunity in life led me to many incredible moments finding and discovering wild Phragmipedium in Peru and even collaborating for their population management.

Unfortunately, a few weeks after one of the kovachii population assessments in 2014, I was badly wounded by a poacher shotgun trap in the middle of the forest. I realize my last post in this forum corresponds exactly to that period….I guess the sequels were worse than I realized. Since it has been so long, I taught I was due for a recap presentation.

Since then, in 2019 I moved to Cayenne in French Guiana to continue investigating Amazonian biodiversity. French Guiana is a weird place! It is a French department (part of Europe) in the middle of the Amazon….and the only place in Amazon where you can have good wine, cheese and charcuterie!

Only two slipper orchids are present in French Guiana: the litophytic Phragmipedium lindleyanum and the mysterious epiphytic Phragmipedium guianense. While I saw populations of the first, I still have to find the later in the remote forests of the inside. I have a few expeditions planned this year so with luck I might have some good pictures to share with the community. Also, I don’t forget about the Selenipedium!

After moving around South America for the last 10 years, I finally settled in French Guiana and I’m currently building my shade/green- house to start again growing slipper orchids (other orchids too)! The climate here is simply perfect for growing most slipper orchids (except highland species and, of course, cypripedium). The only difficulty so far is for finding the cultivated slipper orchids in French Guiana. With a demography of only 250 000 inhabitants, finding slipper orchid aficionados is extremely difficult/impossible. Luckily for me, French Guiana is part of Europe, and as such there are no restrictions for importing orchids…..but no nursery wants to ship them here either (transport delays are too long). I’m currently investigating how to acquire plants when I travel to Europe. So, a good plant hunting ahead of me!

Cheers,

Mathieu
 
Hi everyone,

I have been a member of the Slippertalk communities since 2009. At that time, I was living in Montreal, CANADA (see my first post presentation here: Hi from Montréal - Canada) and I had a small collection of slipper orchids.

In 2011, I moved to Tarapoto PERU where I stayed for 7 years investigating the evolution of poison dart frogs and butterflies. This amazing opportunity in life led me to many incredible moments finding and discovering wild Phragmipedium in Peru and even collaborating for their population management.

Unfortunately, a few weeks after one of the kovachii population assessments in 2014, I was badly wounded by a poacher shotgun trap in the middle of the forest. I realize my last post in this forum corresponds exactly to that period….I guess the sequels were worse than I realized. Since it has been so long, I taught I was due for a recap presentation.

Since then, in 2019 I moved to Cayenne in French Guiana to continue investigating Amazonian biodiversity. French Guiana is a weird place! It is a French department (part of Europe) in the middle of the Amazon….and the only place in Amazon where you can have good wine, cheese and charcuterie!

Only two slipper orchids are present in French Guiana: the litophytic Phragmipedium lindleyanum and the mysterious epiphytic Phragmipedium guianense. While I saw populations of the first, I still have to find the later in the remote forests of the inside. I have a few expeditions planned this year so with luck I might have some good pictures to share with the community. Also, I don’t forget about the Selenipedium!

After moving around South America for the last 10 years, I finally settled in French Guiana and I’m currently building my shade/green- house to start again growing slipper orchids (other orchids too)! The climate here is simply perfect for growing most slipper orchids (except highland species and, of course, cypripedium). The only difficulty so far is for finding the cultivated slipper orchids in French Guiana. With a demography of only 250 000 inhabitants, finding slipper orchid aficionados is extremely difficult/impossible. Luckily for me, French Guiana is part of Europe, and as such there are no restrictions for importing orchids…..but no nursery wants to ship them here either (transport delays are too long). I’m currently investigating how to acquire plants when I travel to Europe. So, a good plant hunting ahead of me!

Cheers,

Mathieu

Did you go to Peru for some sort of thesis? Sounds amazing to be able to investigate such things. I wanted to go on to get an MS or Ph.D, having my thesis revolve around plant/pollinator interactions specific to orchids, but it was (and still is) much to expensive to go for that right now. Sounds like it'll be quite the task getting a collection started, best of luck!
 
Yes absolutely, I was in Peru for my postdocs. I left Canada just after I completed my PhD. In Peru I was officially employed by Canada for the first few years, then later by the European Union. It was an amazing experience, but at the same time I have to admit that it was stressfull to be abroad without any job security....always writing grants for the next year. Fortunatly, it worded well for me!
 
Very interesting, challenging and rewarding. Consider yourself fortunate in more ways than one!
Peru has some endemic species that are very desirable…if your able to ship to French Guiana!
Welcome back!
 
Yes absolutely, I was in Peru for my postdocs. I left Canada just after I completed my PhD. In Peru I was officially employed by Canada for the first few years, then later by the European Union. It was an amazing experience, but at the same time I have to admit that it was stressfull to be abroad without any job security....always writing grants for the next year. Fortunatly, it worded well for me!
That sounds amazing, it's great to hear that everything worked out well! I'd love to PM you sometime and see how the thesis proposal process was like, as well as the postdoc process.
 
Post doc work ain't for sissies! I lost a dear friend and colleague doing work in SA when
she contracted some sort of unidentified parasite. She was in a very remote area and
the parasite killed her before she could get back to the states.
 
may be you could import through someone like Peruflora, Ecuagenera, then on ship???

PERUFLORA 888?DTZDK.GU8

I payd for an order 18 months ago, Almost € 1000 What did I get, NOTHING, They won't answer my emails asking when or how the plants will come or even give me a refund.
PEUFLORA = NONONONONONONO!!!!!!!!!!!


Ecuagenera you can order through Germany!
 
that's not good.

Unfortunately, I"m not the only one. Several people in Europe are waiting to get their plants or money back.
At first they used Covid as an excuse, now they won't even reply.
PERUFLORA NO WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Post doc work ain't for sissies! I lost a dear friend and colleague doing work in SA when
she contracted some sort of unidentified parasite. She was in a very remote area and
the parasite killed her before she could get back to the states.
I'm very sorry to her that! Realizing postdocs needs dedication and passion, however, their is always some risks when following a passion in remotes areas. I was lucky to survive and I realize everyday how precious life is.

may be you could import through someone like Peruflora, Ecuagenera, then on ship???

It appears my best option is to make orders from Europe and pick them up when I'm in France.

Cheers,
 
It appears my best option is to make orders from Europe and pick them up when I'm in France.

For Pahs, I can Really recommend.
Exotic Plant Comany - Netherlands - Overnight shipping!
SalonOrchidei - Poland

I just got Paphios from both of them.
I did some unboxing videos on both of them on my YouTube channel. The one from SalonOrchidei will be uploaded on Monday since I'm finishing editing it now.
 
Yes absolutely, I was in Peru for my postdocs. I left Canada just after I completed my PhD. In Peru I was officially employed by Canada for the first few years, then later by the European Union. It was an amazing experience, but at the same time I have to admit that it was stressfull to be abroad without any job security....always writing grants for the next year. Fortunatly, it worded well for me!
I hope you have a faculty position now? Your field work is full of adventure. Fun and dangerous if you are collecting species in wilderness. Please stay safe!
 
Back
Top