Roger and Jane Smith are co-owners of Kelsey Creek Laboratories (KCL), starting the business about a decade ago in the basement of their suburban home in Bellevue, Washington. The growth of their business forced them to move to a new location with more elbow room. They have been learning orchid biology from processing seeds ever since! About year 2000, some mutual friends told them of a location in NE Oregon where wild Mountain Lady’s Slippers (Cypripedium montanum) grew. The following spring they took a trip to GROWISER (Grande Ronde Overlook Wildflower Institute Serving Ecological Restoration, founded by Andy Huber) see these wild orchids blooming in their natural habitat. They were completely hooked on this beautiful orchid when told that the seed were very difficult to germinate. This species, found from northern California to Alaska and east to Montana and Wyoming, is a threatened species due to loss of habitat over the years caused by land development, overgrazing, forest fires and poaching. Attempts to germinate the seed collected from mature pods did, in fact, prove to show no germination in the KCL laboratory. Gradually all persons involved with these particular orchid populations concurred that a bigger and more directed effort was going to be needed to unlock the secret of these seeds’ germination.

In 2003, a pilot study was conducted to find out whether or not green pod seeds would germinate as reported by fellow researchers. Fortunately, a few of them did germinate and developed into twisted masses of roots and growing tips. Roger and Jane used this pilot study to write a grant proposal (USDA-SBIR) to study seed germination in greater depth for the purposes of possible re-introduction projects and commercial nursery stock. This study was funded for 6 months (June ’04 to December ’04). Building on that success, they have since been awarded a Phase II grant (2 years) to further refine the procedures and attempt to make these orchids available to gardeners, hobbyists, and forestry restoration projects. This project is ongoing from 2006-2008.

Restoration efforts of populations of either plants or animals have always been challenging. Usually the effort is ‘too little, too late’. One example of a success is found in England. About 10 years ago, a partnership was formed by some concerned citizens and the seed germination lab at Kew gardens to save the Cypripedium calceolus. This terrestrial orchid was once plentiful in meadows of the countryside north of London. When this effort was begun, there were only a few plants remaining and no natural pollinators were found. The national government agreed to establish a guarded area to protect the remaining plants. The orchid enthusiasts agreed to do the hand pollinations when the flowers were in bloom. The laboratory at Kew Gardens agreed to germinate the seed. Through these collective efforts, the population is slowly recovering.

With the support of the USDA-SBIR grant Roger and Jane are working together with a team of biologists, striving to develop hardy C. montanum seedlings in large numbers for restoration of depleted populations of Mountain Lady Slipper in the western portion of the United States. Also, KCL hopes its research will result in the development of this species for commercial sales through landscape nurseries. Of course, such work cannot be accomplished alone. Roger and Jane are collaborating with area universities, nurseries, federal and state agencies, and local conservation societies. Results of this work will be shared through public presentation and publications. Through these efforts it is hoped that this beautiful orchid will be made available for restoration projects and to the public for personal enjoyment.