Tom Mirenda:  Tom's African Adventure....my awesome trip through Mauritius, Kenya, South Africa and Gabon.

Not many people have seen the huge variety of orchids native to southern Africa. Just prior to the Covid lockdowns Tom was honored to be asked to be the invited judge and lecturer for the prestigious Kenya Orchid Society. An offer and adventure he couldn’t refuse, Tom spent the month exploring many orchid rich areas in neighboring countries and developed a great love for this astoundingly beautiful continent.

Having nurtured and curated orchid collections at some of the world’s most beloved botanical gardens, Tom has experienced growing a great diversity of species and hybrids. In recent years he has turned his attentions towards conservation and is spearheading a movement to utilize the Circa Situm Strategy (conserving orchids within their natural ranges) more effectively and internationally in orchid hotspots around the globe.

As leader of the OGCN (Orchid Garden Conservation network) Tom has spoken at 4 World Orchid Conferences, delivered keynote addresses at international orchid events, travels frequently and is enlisting stakeholders for this initiative on five continents. Living currently on Hawaii Island, Tom maintains a diverse collection, is the current President of the Hilo Orchid Society and an accredited AOS Judge in one of the most prolific judging centers in the US. In addition, Tom has supported the American Orchid Society with two monthly columns in Orchids magazine for almost 2 decades.