Dr. Jacopo Calevo is a plant conservation scientist specializing in orchid ecology, mycorrhizal associations, and ex situ and in situ conservation. He completed a PhD on the molecular ecology and conservation of Mediterranean orchids and their mycorrhizal fungi at the University of Turin, in collaboration with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Through postdoctoral research, a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Global Fellowship, and collaborations with institutions including Kew, Curtin University, the University of Naples Federico II, and the University of Turin, Jacopo has contributed to both the scientific understanding and practical conservation of threatened orchids.

He is currently an Honorary Research Associate at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and an Adjunct Research Associate at Curtin University, where his work focuses on understanding the ecological relationships that underpin orchid survival, propagation, and restoration. His research has spanned Mediterranean and Australian orchid systems, with particular emphasis on orchid–fungal interactions, in vitro propagation, conservation genetics, and habitat-based restoration approaches.

Professor of Biology at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls and Research Associate at the Smithsonian Institution’s North American Orchid Conservation Center. His research focuses on geographic, demographic, and ecological aspects of biodiversity conservation and he has been working with orchids for more than 25 years. He is particularly intrigued by rare and endangered species in global biodiversity hotspots and he has led studies in North America, Central America, South America, the Caribbean, and Micronesia.
His investigations explore various ecological factors, ranging from climate change to symbioses, that influence the diversity, distribution, and viability of orchids and their habitats to develop and implement effective conservation strategies.

Professor of biology at Illinois College, and a research associate at the Chicago Botanic Garden.  He earned his B.S. degree from the University of Florida (1987) and Ph.D. in Plant Physiology from Clemson University (1994).  In 1996, he established Illinois College’s Orchid Recovery Program that enlisted the help of 100+ undergraduate students to conserve rare orchids throughout the world. Among the species studied include Dendrophylax lindenii in Florida and Cuba, Platanthera leucophaea of the tallgrass prairies in central North America, and Peristylus holochila endemic to the Hawaiian archipelago. He has also collaborated with researchers from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in Madagascar studying their mycorrhizal fungi, and rare orchids in the Western Pacific (Palau) with researchers from the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center.  He has authored/co-authored 70+ peer-reviewed scientific publications, three book chapters, and illustrated two books in color involving insects.  In February 2020, he presented a talk to the U.S. Postal Service’s unveiling of the Wild Orchids stamp series in Coral Gables, Florida. Since 2023, he has been involved with showcasing native orchids and their conservation at the Chelsea Flower Show in London.  His latest project involves a book he co-authored with Phil Seaton (Saving Orchids: Stories of Species Survival in a Changing World) currently in press for early January 2025 (University of Chicago Press/Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew).

Plant biologist and orchid specialist at the Lankester Botanical Garden and the School of Biology, University of Costa Rica, where she leads research and teaches courses in botany, orchidology, and digital plant documentation. She holds a M.Sc. degree in Botany from University of Costa Rica and a Ph.D. in Plant and Soil Science from Texas Tech University (TTU). Melania has developed a strong international research profile through dozens of research and outreach projects, including collaborations with global initiatives such as The Orchid Tree of Life (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew), ORCHIDBIOM (University of Gdansk) and the Microbial-Association-Distribution MAD project (TTU). Her work integrates orchid mycorrhizal ecology, plant–microbe interactions, biodiversity conservation, and modern documentation techniques. Dr. Fernández has authored over 40 scientific and divulgative articles, serves as a reviewer for leading journals in microbiology, ecology, and plant sciences, and is a Scientific Authority to the CITES Scientific Authorities Council. Her research and educational goals reflect a commitment to understanding plant diversity and advancing conservation through rigorous science and collaborative innovation.

He holds a Master’s degree and Ph.D in plant breeding and genetics (2009, 2014) from The Ohio State University and is currently Director, Conservation Horticulture and Collections, at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA.  In this position he leads the conservation horticulture and plant exploration programs through a combination field, garden, and laboratory based activities.  His main efforts at Longwood have centered around development of a comprehensive conservation horticulture program focused on native orchids of the U.S. and involvement in over 30 plant exploration expeditions throughout the U.S., East Asia, Central Asia, the Caucasus, and equatorial Africa. In 2024 he was awarded the Philip E. Keenan Award in recognition of contributions made to native orchid conservation in the U.S.

Bio coming soon

Dr. Jana Jersáková is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Czechia, specializing in plant ecology, evolutionary biology, and symbiotic interactions. Her research primarily focuses on the ecology and evolution of orchids, with particular attention to pollination strategies, reproductive biology, and mycorrhizal associations. She combines field ecology, experimental approaches, and molecular techniques to explore how orchids interact with pollinators and fungal partners, and how these relationships influence species distribution and adaptation.
Dr. Jersáková has extensive experience in orchid–fungus symbioses, including fungal isolation, in vitro and in situ germination, and next-generation sequencing for community analysis. Her work also addresses deceptive pollination systems, plant reproductive success, and conservation strategies for rare and endangered species. She actively collaborates in international projects and contributes to advancing knowledge on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning.

Born and raised in Thessaloniki, Greece. She is a Geographer (BSc. hons), with an MSc. (hons) on Applied Geoinformatics in Environmental Risk Management, and an MSc. (hons) on Biodiversity Conservation. She holds a PhD in orchid Population and Spatial Ecology (excellent with distinction), and currently a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Biological Applications and Technology, University of Ioannina, Greece, and an adjunct lecturer at the Department of Geography, University of the Aegean, Greece. Her research focuses on orchid population dynamics, spatial ecology and extinction debt in space and time, plant-pollinator interactions and the evolutionary dynamics of floral structure, as well as cultural ecology of salep orchids and their trade in Greece and the Mediterranean. From July 2021 until October 2025 she served as the co-chair of the IUCN SSC Orchid Specialist Group - Global Trade sub-group, and since October 2025, she has been appointed as the co-chair of the IUCN SSC Orchid Specialist Group. Among others, she is highly interested in biogeography, ethnobotany, and the effects of global change on orchid species/populations.

Technical Manager for Biochemestry and in vitro Biology lab at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (UK), where she actively collaborates with researchers and horticulturists for optimizing germination and micropropagation of rare bryophytes and vascular plants, with a particular focus on threatened orchids. Her personal research interests include the biology, reproduction and ecology of orchid species, including studies on symbiotic interactions, and plant in situ/ex situ conservation.

Dr Carlos Lehnebach is Curator of the Botany Collection (WELT Herbarium) at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa in Wellington, New Zealand. He holds a BSc from Universidad Austral de Chile, and an MSc in Ecology and a PhD in Plant Biology from Massey University.

Dr Lehnebach’s research focuses on the diversity and conservation of New Zealand orchids. His taxonomic work has led to the formal description of several orchid species endemic to New Zealand, particularly within the genera Corybas, Gastrodia, and Prasophyllum. He is currently involved in a taxonomic revision of New Zealand sun orchids (Thelymitra), which includes several undescribed taxa of conservation concern.

In collaboration with scientists from the Lions Ōtari Plant Conservation Laboratory and the Department of Conservation, Dr Lehnebach is investigating the mycorrhizal associations of some of New Zealand’s most threatened orchids. This research aims to inform propagation techniques and support conservation actions such as reintroductions, population supplementation, and translocations to prevent species extinctions.

He also has a strong interest in the pollination strategies of New Zealand orchids, particularly deceptive species where effective pollination is critical for recruitment and long-term survival.

Over the years, Dr Lehnebach has co-supervised summer research scholars and postgraduate students from the University of Auckland, Massey University, and Victoria University of Wellington.

Botanist, forester and ecologist by training, Dr Stephan Gale is Head of Flora Conservation at Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden (KFBG), an environmental NGO in Hong Kong, China. With over 20 years’ experience researching the taxonomy, population ecology of evolutionary history of Asia orchids, he has conducted fieldwork across the continent, contributed to several national floristic accounts of the Orchidaceae (including Flora of China and Flora of Thailand) and published widely on various aspects of the orchids of Japan, China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Laos and Singapore. Stephan led KFBG’s Orchid Conservation Section for 13 years, adopting an integrated approach to understanding ecological processes in the field as a foundation for implementing pioneering reintroduction programmes for endangered orchids that synthesise ecology, horticulture and applied conservation. His work now focuses on the restoration of degraded forests, in which he continues to advocate for a holistic approach to the recovery of full ecosystem function through the reintroduction of ground flora and epiphytes, as well as trees.

Bio coming soon