Carnivorous plant location details

Chris Marsden (100620.2156@compuserve.com)
04 Mar 96 14:57:11 EST

Hello folks,
After having talked with Jan Schlauer and Rick Walker, we have
decided to
start a Carnivorous Plant Location Database (CPLD). This database will
be accessible from the CP web page (administered to by Rick Walker).
The WWW version will have rough data, within a large radius, so it will
act as a more precise distribution map for each Carnivorous Plant
species. I will be in charge of collating and managing the data, while
Rick will do the Internet programming, etc. Jan will be involved with
all of our (or rather my) problems :-) as far as the data goes. Only
having rough data will not worry anyone on the list, or the general
public, that wants to use the data as it is intended, as a more precise
distribution map. The only people not in favour of only having rough
data will be collectors of plants that wish to go and illegally collect
wild plants and vandals who take a twisted pleasure of kicking down a
field of Sarracenias.
A more precise version will be made that has ideally pinpoint
accuracy,
and this data will only be distributed to 'authorized personnel', i.e.
recognized research institutions and individual researchers. Great care
will be taken to ensure only these people get this delicate data. Then,
researchers can go and check sites, to see whether plants are still
there, to produce status reports and check on progress of individual
sites. Then, the researchers can hopefully persuade politicians, etc.
to protect stand of these rare plants and maybe even protect these
species forever. Through more high profile public awareness, stands of
plants can be protected from all threat, e.g. threats from developers,
vandals and collectors, to name but a few.
Ambitious? Maybe, but if someone isn't then our wonderful
plants will
disappear off the face of the earth. To this end, building a
comprehensive database of all known carnivorous plant species and their
respective locations must be started immediately.

Can I ask ANYONE that has ANY information whatsoever as to sites where
carnivorous plants live, to come forward and volounteer this
information. I know that several members of this list have said openly
and privately that they will not volounteer this information, because
they believe it will be misused. I can only reassure them that any
information received will be protected and only put onto the Internet
and WWW as a rough distribution map. To reiterate this, I will offer
that if they feel that the information they provide is especially
sensitive (e.g. It is the only stand of that species left in that area,
etc.) that site will be listed as not to be shown in any way on the WWW
version, and that that data will only be given to the most Bona Fida
researchers.

If you have information, even very rough and maybe inaccurate, it will
be well received and you can rest assured that you have done the world
of CP's some good. If we all pull together on this then we can create a
massive database, so comprehensive and accurate that alone we, the CP
enthusiasts, can save our precious plants from extinction. If, however,
you do not volounteer any information that you have, and of course it is
your choice, I strongly feel that you will regret doing so when you
stand in front of a new house that has been built on top of a Sarracenia
bog, or you have your elevenses on top of you mahogany dining room table
that has originated from a tree containing a rare Lowland Nepenthes.
Perhaps I am being pedantic, but this is the way I see the situation.

Even if you think that everyone else will give the information you were
thinking of giving, surely it won't hurt to back up everyone else's
data? Maybe you will have provided the missing link? Who knows.

I think I have covered all of the points I intended to.

Toby Marsden
Orleton Manor
Orleton
LUDLOW
Salop
ENGLAND
SY8 4HR

TEL: (01568) 780810
FAX: (01568) 780811

100620,2156@COMPUSERVE.COM

Many kind regards,

Toby Marsden

"Each new species becoming extinct is a loss to humanity" Curator of KEW RBG,
London