“…The ground-breaking work being carried out by a group of volunteers on the island of Crete is making a significant difference to the plight of the endemic and native orchids of this small Mediterranean island and could be emulated by like-minded individuals in other areas of the globe. At a time when government funding is at an all-time low, maybe this is the way forward for conservation in a cash depleted world…”
Naked man orchid (Orchis italica) growing nr Spil on the Gious Kambos plateau
If you have a love of wild flowers then do read the feature below that appears on the website of the Orchid Conservation Coalition (OCC)
The Orchids of Crete and their Conservation
text by Julia Jones and Dr. Rosemary John
photos by Paul Harcourt Davies, John Fielding, Julia Jones, Olle Meurling and Thomas Sampliner
Cretan Ophrys (Ophrys cretica) an orchid endemic to Crete and neighbouring islands
Crete, the third largest of the Mediterranean islands has an important place in my development as a naturalist-cum-photographer-cum-writer for it was here in 1974 that I realised this was the rocky path upon which I wanted to launch myself. I fell in love with the island then and that love has not dimmed with the years since.
Crete has an incredible flora – orchid species in particular – but this is threatened by unbridled development and a lack of interest on the apart of the authorities in preserving and protecting.
A Triad of Cretan Tulips
Baker's Tulip (Tulipa bakeri syn T. saxatilis) an endmic tulip that flowers in thousands on the Omalos plateau
Cretan Tulip (Tulipa cretica) a tiny Cretan endemic growing on serpentine gravel
Scarlet Tulip (Tulipa doerfleri) on the Gious Kambos, Crete
Not all is doom and gloom for the dedicated work of a small but active group of individuals is helping redress the balance.
In an article by Julia Jones and Dr Rosemary John for the Orchid Conservation Coalition the wealth of the floral heritage is described and detailed with copious photographs… a large number of them mine, donated as a way of ‘doing something’ for a place that I love.
I discovered a personal link with one of the authors, artist Julia Jones for her son Matthew was one of my charges when I was a Housemaster at Denstone College, Staffs back in the 1980’s before launching into photography full-time. It is funny how things come full circle and it is great to have the chance to aid the work of a group of dedicated people doing great things on the ground.
In May of 2013 I shall be running a course on flowers, close-up and macro photography for Flowers of Crete (http://www.flowersofcrete.info/) at The Orthodox Academy of Crete at Kolymbari a residential centre that nestles on a rocky hillside above the village with spectacular views across the bay towards Hania and the White Mountains. Information will appear on the Flowers of Crete website in due course
This is a not-for-profit association that was formed in 2006 to raise awareness of the need for conservation on the Greek island of Crete. Since its foundation it has attracted members from around the world. Its Charter of Association can be found on the website.
Ah yes, the flora of Crete. I did my first serious botanising there in 2003 and 2004 when I went as a driver for Gullivers Natural History Holidays. Then Gullivers retired a few years ago, and those trips came to an end. I have probably photographed the same plants, in the same places. I even grew Tulipa bakeri in a tub in the garden here – they came into flower as I was leaving on a trip a couple of years ago, and again last year. This year I’m not sure if they did anything as I missed them again as they coincided with me being on Skokholm in horrendous April weather. So I still don’t have any digital photos of them. Crete is definitely one of those places I’d be happy to return to if I had the time and the money.