Orchid Recovery Program (ORP) at Illinois College
Established in 1996, the Orchid Recovery Program is an ongoing research project aimed at growing North America’s rare, threatened and endangered native orchids from seed using fungi. This program, under the direction of Dr. Lawrence W. Zettler, relies heavily in undergraduate student involvement (“learning by doing”). Students play a key role in designing experiments, collecting and analyzing data and presenting significant findings to the scientific community. About 70% of the research takes place indoors in the Orchid Research Lab, which accommodates a seed and fungus collection, microscopes, sterile hood, computer, library, and desk space for two students. The remaining time is spent outdoors in fragile orchid habitats, usually during the summer months. Students in the lab have conducted experiments in a number of places including Midwestern prairies, pine forests in Florida, old growth forests in Washington state and a cloud forest in Molokai, Hawaii. In doing so, students often collaborate with some of the world’s leading authorities in the field of orchid conservation. All the students are expected to present their research at regional (Association of Southeastern Biologists), national or international meetings (e.g., 2nd International Orchid Conservation Congress, 2004), and often serve as co-authors on peer-reviewed scientific papers. Taken together, the ORP instills in its students an appreciation for science, diversity and global responsibility.
Photo: Dr. Peter Raven, Director of the Missouri Botanical Garden, visited the Orchid Research Lab at Illinois College last year. Pictured (left to right) Kurt Piskin, Jared Hartsock, Andy Stice, Dr. Raven and Dr. Zettler.
Former Students currently studying orchids in graduate school:
Kurt Piskin (PhD student, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Illinois-Champaign)
Scott Stewart (PhD student, Department of Environmental Horticulture, University of Florida)
Andy Stice (MS student, Department of Biology, University of Illinois-Springfield)
Current Students: Darcie Dennis (Sr.) Sarah Hopkins (Jr.) Jake Weller (Fr.)
Jared Hartsock (Sr.) Sarah Poulter (Jr.)
Currently, the ORP is involved with the cultivation of the following species of orchids:
Platanthera leucophaea –Eastern Prairie Fringed Orchid (US Federally listed as Threatened)
Platanthera holochila –Puahala a kane (US Federally listed as Endangered- C1 rank)