ORCHID CONSERVATION ALLIANCE! OCTOBER 20, 2017 Chiapas April 12-27,2018 The OCA plans its first “Orchids in the Wild” trip to the state of Chiapas, Mexico. Our in country leader for the expedition will be Trip Summary Dennis Szeszko, and Mary Gerritsen as the OCA tour leader. The trip starts by meeting everyone in the city of Villahermosa Tabasco,on April 12 where we will travel by bus, boat, plane and donkey to various reserves, parks and other areas in the state of Chiapas, Mexico. We will visit ancient Mayan ruins, areas with gorgeous lakes and waterfalls, and unspoiled primary subtropical and tropical forests. Expect to see a rich assortment of Mexican orchids, as well as other flora and fauna. We expect this tour to fill up very quickly, so if you are interested, send in your deposit as soon as possible. The total number of In general, Chiapas has a Chiapas is home to the participants is strictly limited warm, tropical climate, ancient Mayan ruins of to 14 due to lodging although the central part of the Palenque, Yaxchilán, limitations in the reserves we state has several mountain Bonampak, Chinkultic and are visiting. At the end of the ( ) ranges with cloudy, more Toniná. We will be visiting the trip April 27 we will depart temperate climates. ruins of Palenque at the from Tuxtla Guiterrez. beginning of the tour. Ancient Mayan Ruins at Palenque ! PAGE 1 ORCHID CONSERVATION ALLIANCE! OCTOBER 20, 2017 DAILY ITINERARY Day . 1 Arrive in Villahermosa, Tabasco and such as Cycnoches ventricosum, swim in one of travel via chartered bus to Palenque in Chiapas. the jungle pools then transfer to Lacanja Lodge Overnight in Palenque. Those wishing to visit Day . 3 We take a dawn boat ride along the the ruins in Palenque could arrange to arrive in Usumacinta River that forms the border Palenque a day earlier. Overnight in Palenque between Mexico and Guatemala to reach the Day . 2 Travel to Agua Azul waterfalls Mayan ruins of Yaxchilan deep in the (travertine pools), hike upstream to see orchids unperturbed Lacandon jungle. Expect to see Agua Azul Pools Ancient Mayan Ruins of Yaxchilan many Gongora spp., Stanhopea spp. and Day . 5 In the morning we will see the famous Pleurothallid spp. Overnight at Lacanja Lodge Mayan painted murals at the Bonampak ruins Day . 4 The area around the jungle lodge is under the shade of enormous chicle trees amazingly biodiverse. We will take a jungle walk (Manilkara zapota) that harbor plants of from the lodge to Lacanja lake and observe the Encyclia alata and Maxillaria tenuifolia. plants and animals of the jungle. There are more Afterwards, we will be take off from a jungle than 150 species of orchids in this part of airstrip and ly over the vast expanse of jungle Mexico including Brassia caudata, Chysis below before landing in Comitan. In the bractescens and Coryanthes speciosa. Overnight afternoon we can take a quick tour of the at Lacanja Lodge Lacanja Lake Jungle airstrip Mayan murals at Bonampak ! PAGE 2 ORCHID CONSERVATION ALLIANCE! OCTOBER 20, 2017 Hacienda Santa Maria Barkeria spectabilis Laelia superbiens Montebello Lakes National Park. Overnight at inlorescences alongside Cuitlauzina pulchella&%% Hacienda Santa Maria. Overnight at Casa Santa Lucia. Day . 7 Easy day in San Cristobal de las Casas. Day . 6 Some easy hikes. In the area around We%>1ll be bac?%1#%8ivilization again and%/0is%>1ll% Comitan we may be able to see Laelia superbiens give everybody a chance to have internet access growing in the dry temperate oak forests, and and get some rest. San Cristobal is a beautiful we will deeinitely%2ee%/0e large%Klowers%.f% colonial%/own with a strong presence of Barkeria spectabilis in bloom in many locations. indigenous people and their culture in the We%2hould be able%/.%2ee large plants%.f% Chiapas highlands.%Bring%a%sweater and en9oy a% Oncidium leucochilum with 2-­‐3 meter cup of organic coffee that's grown in the Lycaste skinneri Rhyncostele cordatum Sobralia macrantha San Cristobel ! PAGE 3 ORCHID CONSERVATION ALLIANCE! OCTOBER 20, 2017 mountains nearby. Overnight at Casa Santa Lucia. Day . 8 Transfer to Jaltenango and%(onke$%-ide%/. El Triunfo% Biosphere%P+serve%>1th%6,1de. Yes'%$.,%-ead%/0at correctly. We% will be taking donkeys from Jaltenang.%up%t.%the Sl%Triunfo Reserve. It's a six hour%9.,-ney Rainforest but we will observe many Cycnoches egertonianum plants and animals as we make our way up the mountain with our guide t.%Dexico's best% Day . 11 We make the reverse preserved evergreen cloud% trip down the mountain on forest and mountain rainforest donkeys t.%Jaltenango wit0% habitat&%4n Cerro Ovando guide and transfer to Tuxtla alone, about 800%(ifferent Gutierrez. It's our last%80"nce species of plants have been to appreciate%/0e%1ntricate% recorded.%Overnight%at%Sl% details found in the lowers of Triunfo resea-80%2/ation. Epidendrum pugioniforme many of the less widely known Day . 9 Guided hike in the species of Epidendrum, Stelis evergreen cloud forest. It%12% and%Lepanthes th"/%1nhabit quetzal%HPharomachrus these misty mountains. We mocinnoI%<reeding season and return%t.%the capital%city of we%0ave a 90%%8hance%.f% Tuxtla%Q,/ierrez. Overnight%"t% seeing one of these elusive and hotel in Tuxtla magniicent birds in its natural Day . 12 From Tuxtla we head habitat%>hile w+%/rek%/hrough north for a day Trip to El Ocote the%8loud%@orest with%.ur%6,1de.% Biosphere%P+serve and%V1erra Expect to see lots%.@%.-chids. Prosthechea vitellina las%Lotorras%>1th%.ur%*.cal Overnight at El Triunfo% guide, Julio Arevalos. Julio has research station.% spent%over 20 years tracking Day . 10 Guided hike in the down orchids throughout%the mountain rainforest. These state of Chiapas. At El Ocote forests are dripping wit0% Reserve we will ind various epiphytes and we expect%/o see species of Sobralia spp. and% many famous Mexican species Encyclia diota%6-owing on the and%2everal Rhynchostele karstic%-oc?%.utcroppings. species during the peak%spring Overnight at hote*%1#%:uxtla, blooming season. If we are lucky we may be able to see Prosthechea cochleata Rossioglossum grande and% Guarianthe skinneri,%"2 well. Overnight at El Triunfo% research station. ! PAGE 4 ORCHID CONSERVATION ALLIANCE! OCTOBER 20, 2017 our international%K*ight2%/he next day. Overnight at hotel in Tuxtla. Day 16. Departures from Tuxtla Gutierrez to home. DENNIS SZESZKO Day 13. Day Tr13%/.%T,+5.% Our guide for the trip will be Dennis Szeszko. MeE1co%1n the%Lhiapas%Lentral Dennis had what all of you would probably Depression with Julio Arevalos.%% consider your "dream job". He was hired by the We%>1ll explore%/0e%.rchids%.f% Mexican government as a research scientist and the%*.wland%(eciduous jungle% was lucky enough to spend five years traveling sout0%of TuEtla%which include throughout Mexico looking for orchids. During that time, he spectacular drought-­‐tolerant was employed by the Ministry of Agriculture and his job was to species like Encyclia cordigera, identify the Mexican wild orchids that could be adapted for Mormodes spp., and Clowesia use as commercial flowers. His adventures took him russelliana. throughout Mexico looking for the most beautiful clones of many of Mexico's most acclaimed orchid species. He has Day 14. Day trip to Cerr.%G-,9.% extensive first-hand knowledge of Mexican orchids, where they (Wizard’s PeakI%>ith Julio can be found, and ex-situ cultivation techniques. His field Arevalos. Cerro Brujo is a research formed the basis for his book, La Orquideoflora secret%locality and stronghold Mexiquense. His large format “co&ee table" book featuring for populations of hundreds of photographs of orchids in the wild was published by Phragmipedium the Mexican government to commemorate the bicentennial of exstaminodium, Mexico's only Mexico's independence. representative of this genus.% In addition to his scientific research with orchids, Dennis There will undoubtedly be has a keen interest in the business of orchids. He led a other surprises in this virginal% government initiative to commercialize Mexican native orchids trac/%.f%-ainforest near%/0e% and transform them into an important new crop for Mexico. border%>1th Oaxaca. Overnight% He also founded a company that is breeding and developing new "/%0ote*%1#%:uxtla. varieties of Mexican orchids that will be sold as pot plants and Day 15. Day tr13%/.%./0+-% cut flowers. Dennis is particularly forests in the area%wit0%Julio excited about the possibility of Arevalos. We will make a group% using Barkeria species as the decision as t.%where we want% cornerstones of this new enterprise. to%6.%.n the las/%(ay. It could be% Dennis speaks English and Spanish that we want to%Kind%"% fluently, and is proficient in French. particular%2pecies that we have He holds an undergraduate degree in missed, or perhaps spend more% history from Princeton University time exploring in a certain and an MBA from the Sloan School ecosystem. Julio will make of Management at the some recommendations and Massachusetts Institute of accommodate our requests. We% Technology. return%t.%TuEtla%Gutierrez in% the%+vening and%3-epare%@or% ! PAGE 5 ORCHID CONSERVATION ALLIANCE! OCTOBER 20, 2017 Calendar LEVEL OF ACTIVITY AND ACCOMODATIONS: Dec 5, 2017: $500 deposits due Participant2%20.,*d be in good physical condition and be Feb 15 2018: Balance of trip expected to walk 2-­‐3 hours on most days with a light backpack costs due that would include ield guides, light snacks, camera and water bottles. The climate will vary from extremely hot and humid to April 12, 2018: Arrive in Villahermosa chilly at nights in locations at high altitude. The chartered bus will ge/%,2 near%/0e plants, but to%-eally%6+t up close%-eMuires% April 27, 2018: Departures from Tuxtla Guiterrez walki#6%1n forests and jungles.
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