Fraser Cook

The more time I spend in Kapuas Hulu, the more I navigate by instinct not GPS.
I spotted a hill that felt right. Same slope, same aspect, same rock face as where I’d found Paphiopedilum kolopakingii before. I was right.
#conservation #planttrade #Paphiopedilum #kalimantan #orchid

Honestly forgot BlueSky exists.
Trying to be a bit more engaged again. Currently deep in the field in West Kalimantan.

Here are some of my favourite photos.

I’ve just received a grant from the Carnivorous Plant Society and will be contributing to their newsletter regularly. #conservation #borneo

Contact Singapore Botanic Gardens and visit their website to attend.

Richest nations ‘exporting extinction’ with demand for beef, palm oil and timber Consumption in wealthy countries including US and UK is responsible for 13% of global forest loss beyond their borders, study finds

Unsurprised. But the blame on the global south continues rather than blaming the west for its consumption: www.theguardian.com/environment/...

This is a great piece that highlights many of the gaps in the plant trade particularly for online sellers. Will use this for reference.

I see this in my research “Typically, that process does not involve consultation with the people extracting or trading wildlife. Nor does it really consider insights from the social sciences, including economics, on the likely impact of trade measures on wildlife and people”

mailchi.mp/niras/bcfs_e...

Obviously the term ‘poaching’ is a loaded term and not all plant collectors understand what is and what isn’t. But I am pleased to hear them understand a root cause of plant being over-harvested from the wild. #conservation #plants #sustainability

Five things scientists can do to fight the rise of fascism. Access to trustworthy information is among the most important preconditions for safeguarding democracy.

The freeze of the NIH is just the latest culmination of the right's long war on science, education, and democracy.

Here are some of my ideas for what I think scientists can do about it. 🧪 conservechange.medium.com/five-things-...

I am Botanicalotter on YouTube

This 👍🏻

a woman with blonde hair and a white jacket is standing in front of a pink fence ALT: a woman with blonde hair and a white jacket is standing in front of a pink fence

Good things happen to good people

😭

Along with invasive pine. Everyone should be concerned about specie endemism in Sulawesi.

Home 💚

We do need more investment then for captive breeding so we have better control and can monitor diseases in populations. Sadly I worry about the decline in funding for environment and biodiversity now.

Where I work many do feedback but the university is 50/50 split here on conservation old vs global views. They even have debates and both arguments are equal. However, students are more aligned with contemporary conservation and worry about it.

They need more understanding the palms are not trees and not all tree are good for biodiversity

conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/share/77FMUN...

Mamasa Toraja

Making new family friends in Mamasa West Sulawesi

IAPT | Grants The IAPT provides competitive grants for research on the taxonomy, systematics and nomenclature of plants, algae and fungi and to support botanical collections.

IAPT Grants

www.iaptglobal.org/grants

More plant diversity of Sulawesi

Not everyday needs to be an adventure but connecting with local hunters is equally important. So is trying the local brew.

Meeting new people on both sides of West and South Sulawesi .

Orchid diversity Sulawesi

Climbing down a mountain through a cutting made by a stream and rocks today was how I recorded plants. Then we had to climb back up again.

I hope I don’t slip on day one

So I made to deep remote West Sulawesi which is very mountainous and lots of winding roads. But the views 💚