Invite to Tepui Documentary Premier

As you may be aware, carnivorous plant expert and geographer/explorer Stewart McPherson has been assisting a non-profit conservation effort to help the protection of the Tepuis - the spectacular "lost worlds" of Venezuela that are home to Heliamphora, and other incredible wildlife, much of which is found no where else on Earth.

Part of the project was to produce a non-profit conservation documentary to raise awareness of the incredible diversity of life found atop of Mount Roraima, and to highlight the conservation concerns that afflict this spectacular lost worlds.

It is Stewart's pleasure to invite you to the world premier of the film in London at the Royal Geographical Society on September 13th, 2011.

The event will be hosted by Michael Palin (presenter for many travel documentaries and lead in Monty Python) who is the president of the Royal Geographical Society.

Sir David Attenborough has also agreed to attend, if his filming commitments allow. He will be joined by some well known television presenters and personalities who will be amongst the first to view some world exclusive footage of when Jimmy Angel discovered the legendary Angel Falls, amongst incredible material of rare carnivorous plants, spectacular animals and the strangest landscapes on the planet.

The project, and the premier are both non-profit making. However, the conservation group behind the project does have to hire the RGS venue, and to cover costs, it is asking just £15.00 per ticket per person – available at http://lostworld.eventbrite.com . V.I.P. tickets, which include a drinks and canapés reception and the opportunity to meet our specially invited guests are priced at £50.00 and can be ordered by calling 0207 609 6775 and quoting 'Lost World'.

Stew really hopes to see you at the premier. It will be a night to remember!

Posted on behalf of

Stewart McPherson 

EEE 2011 is a resounding success

On the weekend of the 2^nd and 3^rd of July the Carnivorous Plant Society hosted the EEE 2011 at Chester Zoo in a blaze of sunshine, with hardly a cloud to be seen all weekend. As a top public attraction Chester Zoo was the perfect location to showpiece carnivorous plants.

With the great weather, the presence of a dinosaur exhibition, and superb local and national media interest, the Zoo was filled to the rafters with around 20,000 visitors over the weekend, a large number of which made their way to the EEE Village. Tim Bailey, Chairman of the CPS recalls: "Fixed in my memory is a little boy practically dragging his dad towards the Exhibition! 

Tim also comments: "The quality and range of plants displayed and traded was exceptional! Not surprising given the talented growers we are blessed with in the UK and on the Continent."

Visitors gather around the trade stands

National Collections of Drosera and Heliamphora (Langford Williams), Sarracenia and Dionaea (Mike King), Nepenthes (Derek-Clavell-Bate) and a display of Pinguicula (Dennis Balsdon) where highlights in the main marquee. 

National Collection of Drosera

Another highlight was the CPS display, which formed the centerpiece attraction. To the side was the CPS Hydroponic and Peat-free display, showing that there is life after peat and new ways to grow these amazing plants! 

Hydroponic and Peat-free Display

Complimenting the main marquee was the wonderful artwork of James O’Neill, and the CPS promotions stand and kids corner, which proved extremely popular, so much so that some of the adults shook of the years to join in the activities!

The trader stands were stacked to the rafters with an amazing array of genera, species, forms and varieties to suit all appetites and tastes.  Trading were Mike King (Shropshire Sarracenias), Derek Clavell-Bate, Phil Wilson/Alex Abrams, Frank Almedenni (Euroflora), Andreas Wistuba (The Nepenthes Nursery), Gert Hoogenstrijd (Araflora/Extreme Plants), Langford Williams/Becky Gardner (PJ Plants), Steve Taverner, Simon Lumb, Phil Green and Chris Crowe (Sarracenia Nurseries) and Andy Smith representing Hampshire Carnivorous Plants. 

Mike King - Shropshire Sarracenias

Stationed at the CPS History and World of Carnivorous Plant Stand was actor and botanist Chris Bailey who played the part of Charles Darwin. From the same display the CPS also held a number of very well attended and received cultivation workshops: Dionaea/Sarracenia (Tim Bailey), Nepenthes (Derek Clavell-Bate), Pinguicula (Dennis Balsdon) and Drosera (Langford Williams). Also provided was a full

lecture programme, with superbly delivered talks by Gert Hoogenstrijd (General Carnivorous Plant Cultivation), Andreas Wistuba (Nepenthes and Ant Plants of Sulawesi), Rob Cantley (Nepenthes – New Ecological Discoveries), Diana Williams (Life with Nepenthes) and Mike King (NCCPG – Plant Heritage). 

Dennis Balsdon says: 'EEE 2011 exceeded our expectations thanks to the dedicated CPS Committee, traders, exhibitors, lecturers, helpers and of course the visitors who made the event such an amazing success." 

Dennis Balsdon - CPS Membership Secretary and EEE Organiser

Ark of Life - Stopping Extinction

The Carnivorous Plant Society support the Ark of Life conservation initiative. The Ark of Life was founded by Stewart McPherson in 2010 and formally launched on 1st March 2011.

The first ark is the Rare Nepenthes Collection, which was inaugurated on 7th August, 2010 at the Leiden Botanic garden in partnership with the Hortus botanicus Leiden (represented by Paul Kessler) and the International Carnivorous Plant Society (represented by Marcel van den Broek). 

Nepenthes aristolchiodes - Courtesy of Stewart McPherson

The initial set up costs for establishing Ark of Life and setting up the Rare Nepenthes Collection were provided by the International Carnivorous Plant Society and Redfern Natural History Productions Ltd.

Rare Nepenthes plants were generously donated by The Nepenthes Nursery (Andreas Wistuba) and Borneo Exotics (Robert Cantley), as well as private individuals interested in the conservation of carnivorous plants.

The CPS is delighted to support Ark of Life and to help to expand the initiative to save other carnivorous plant groups, and further plant and animal species!

If you want to find out more about Ark of Life and to support this important conservation initiative visit Ark of Life

Courtesy of Stewart McPherson

About Ark of Life

Ark of Life is a nonprofit organisation set up to save species that are already extinct, or nearly extinct in the wild. By building and organising permanent collections of imperilled plants and animals in partnership with botanic gardens and zoos, we aim to support an ex-situ approach to conservation to prevent extinct species from vanishing altogether. Each collection, or "ark" serves as a resource to preserve the genetic diversity of extinct organisms in cultivation, to ensure that in the future, repopulation of the wild remains viable.

Look out for James O'Neill at the EEE 2011

At EEE 2011 there will be a large number of traders on hand offering you a vast selection of carnivorous plants, and of course their expertise.  We are also delighted that artist James O'Neill is joining us and offering a selection of his carnivorous plant artwork for sale. 

James is 15 and has been drawing and painting nature since he could pick up a pencil. James tells us:

"Having just recently (about a year or so) got into Carnivorous Plants, my growlist has grown very quickly, the windowsills are filled to the brim with Nepenthes, Drosera and Utricularia; I realised what good subjects CPs are for art. With their smooth curves and strange shapes, colours, and the way they reflect light, it is a joy to be able to do these studies of them. I especially enjoy drawing Nepenthes and Cephalotus, but some might complain if there won't be any Pinguicula or Drosera!

Look out for James at the EEE 2011, and why not treat yourself! Attached are a few scanned images of James' work.

Cephalotus follicularis

Dionaea muscipula

Darlingtonia californica

Nepenthes bicalcarata

Meat-eating Feast at Chester Zoo

Breaking news!

We have just learned that Chester Zoo will be hosting a large outdoor dinosaur exhibition, starting on the same weekend as the European Carnivorous Plant Exhibition of the year - EEE 2011. The weekend of 1-2 July 2011 has know become a triple celebration of meat eating animals and plants.

Not only will you see an amazing array of plant genera and species that love nothing better than to feast on animals and the modern day animal carnivores Chester Zoo is home too, but a world of dinosaurs too.

If your mind wasn't made up about coming before, and you thought about leaving your kids at home, its time to think again!

Members of European and non-European Carnivorous Plant Societies get all this for a heavily discounted registration fee, with concessionary tickets arranged for members' family and guests too, making it the bargain weekend entertainment of the year. To achieve these savings, tickets must be purchased through the Carnivorous Plant Society - details on how to pay and a full event details will be available soon.