CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) is a subject that inevitably provokes orchid growers. No one is indifferent to it. Harold Koopowitz, a university professor and author of many books on conservation, covered the subject in his lecture on Friday, and again moderated a panel discussion on the same topic on Sunday. I attended both sessions; there was no way that I would miss the fun.
Koopowitz is not alone when he describes CITES in no uncertain terms as “a waste of time”. In fact, he’s in good company; Phillip Cribbs describes it as "a pain in the butt". In his Friday lecture, Koopowitz covered the origins of the CITES agreement and the evolution of attitudes towards it.
POLLENATRIX 