Act

Acting for orchids in their natural habitats
 

The "Act" component focuses on turning knowledge and planning into practical conservation action. For the In Situ Subgroup, this means supporting activities that help protect orchid species where they naturally occur, together with the habitats, ecological interactions, and local communities that sustain them.

Our work under this category includes promoting habitat protection, supporting field-based conservation projects, encouraging restoration where appropriate, and helping partners develop practical approaches for threatened or poorly known orchid species. We also aim to connect orchid conservation with broader landscape, forest, grassland, wetland, island, and protected-area initiatives, ensuring that orchids are included in wider biodiversity conservation efforts.

Because many orchids depend on complex relationships with mycorrhizal fungi, pollinators, host trees, microhabitats, and specific environmental conditions, effective action must go beyond the protection of individual plants. It must also consider the ecological systems that allow orchid populations to survive and recover over time.

The In Situ Subgroup supports conservation action by sharing expertise, encouraging collaboration, identifying priority needs, and helping translate assessment and planning outcomes into meaningful field-based results.