In a case of truly beautiful conservation work, agricultural technologist Daniel Piedrahita has collected almost 25,000 specimens of orchids in his Colombia sanctuary dubbed "The Soul of the Forest," Phys.org reports.
Two years ago, Piedrahita started his work by propagating the national flower of Guatemala, the Lycaste Skinneri, also called the "white nun." Since then, his collection has blossomed to a remarkable scale.
The flowers represent over 5,000 species, including about 20 endangered species from around the world.
According to the Phys.org report, Piedrahita sees the collection as a "genetic bank that I am responsible for ... to ensure that each one reproduces perfectly." Piedrahita hopes to repopulate orchid species that have declined or vanished in the wild.
To achieve that, Piedrahita grows and hand-pollinates the blossoms — in nature, they rely on a specific variety of insects and birds to spread their pollen. This way, he produces a "pure clone" of each plant, a capsule containing the flower's tiny seeds — sometimes even millions in one capsule. Each seed can take years to grow into a mature flower.
The white nun orchid that started Piedrahita's work is extinct in the wild in Guatemala, but Piedrahita wants to fix that. "The seeds are already developing in the laboratory so that in a few years we can reintroduce this species so that it does not get lost again," he said, per Phys.org.
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According to Phys.org, Colombia has the largest number of orchid species in the world, and more are discovered every year. Piedrahita discovered one variety, the Sobralia Piedrahita, growing on a rock in a river at an undisclosed location.
Piedrahita said he has given roughly seven people "a little piece" of his discovery as "the guarantee that this plant will never become extinct," per Phys.org.
He also welcomes visitors to what he calls his "Zen center" and gives cultivation classes in person, online, and through his educational YouTube channel. It helps others to join him in preserving some of the world's most beautiful species.
As Garrett Chung, a young visitor from America, told Phys.org: "Some species are becoming extinct, so it is good to have a backup in case that happens."
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