Thanks for the comments Gary and Dragon_kite. The area we were surveying is sandstone escarpment country, so no worry from crocs up higher, we didn't get down into the lowland areas. There's Freshwater Crocs, they tend to be a bit smaller and are mainly fish eaters (okay, bad luck for the fish). It was rough rocky terrain, but I'm used to it. I do quite a lot of surveys. This one was focussed on snakes, but also other animals opportunistically. I'd suspected there'd be those orchids around but surprisingly hadn't come across any previously. They were mainly in a small sheltered gorge protected from fires and dry winds. I had previously found a lot of Hoya in that area but it grows in open very exposed places and is far more visible.

Gary, a bit surprised at Sealing Wax Palms (Cyrtostachys) and Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia) growing together. The BOP isn't a tropical (from South Africa) and the palm is an ultra-tropical. Rainforests are a bit overwhelming, there's no wasted space. Everything has got something growing on it, and that "it" sometimes has something else growing on it again. I like the way Elkhorns and Basket Ferns become hosts to other ferns, particularly the Ribbon Ferns, and also orchids and Hoyas. I did a lot of walking in the high altitude rainforest in Papua New Guinea, it was breathtaking. Was going to try it on Bartle Frere this last time in Queensland but the weather had set in bad on the mountain, becomes a bit dangerous on the slippery boulders near the top. You're doing a lot better for local native orchids than in my locality, we've only got about 46, I think. Most are terrestrial. Over in Queensland they have thousands. Our only epiphytes are Dendrobium affine, D. canaliculatum, Cymbidium canaliculatum and a rather obscure rare one I can't remember the name of. But at least we have a lot more native orchids than all of Hawaii. (Although, even Alaska has more native orchids than Hawaii, oh well...)

Thanks, they are nice. Dendrobiums are great, there's such a diversity amongst them, the choices are almost endless.

Tolumnia bahamense, formerly equtant oncidium bahamense is currently on the cites list. The global list of plants and animals that are endangered via a global treaty. It is on the list due to its rarity in Martin County, Fl. In the Bahamas there are so many it is treated as a weed. On US 1 South near the county line a few decades ago a development of a high priced golf course and country club had started. They were disturbing Tolumnia bahamense. A man names Ruben Sauleda from Miami had heard about this habitat destruction and was going to be the White Knight. Ruben had an orchid business. To help him along he had a PHD on I think it was botany or something related. He was known and reliable source. Rubin has since moved to South America I'm told in pursuit of some orchid dreams. When he arrived he found the orchids of concern. He also found an old cemetery that was used for slaves from many years ago. On the grave markers he found the orchids. Clearly not a natural scene. The plants must have been brought by ancestors to decorate and honor the graves. Regardless, Ruben gathered the orchids and had permission from the State of Florida to plant them in Jonathan Dickinson State Park. Just a mile or 2 from the development. And they sat for years and the myth grew. Now the State Rangers have wrapped their arms around this plant and will not let go. It is an easy day at work to play as savior for the bahmense when it hits their schedule. They have even come to our society to continue the lie. Regardless I have one that was legally collected pre cites. And it flourishes. As orchids go it is not very exciting. But the plant itself has its own story. It grows under a rosemary bush. Not to be confused with the rosemary we eat. The bush is symbiotic. The orchid starts out as a terestial in a sugar type sand. In the early stages its flowers get eaten by rabbits. As the plant gets taller it latches on to the rosemary bush and drops its roots in the ground. Finally it becomes tall enough that the rabbits can't eat the flowers and the flowers go to seed and drop them on the sand and on and on. That part is true. When we had some odd weather I got an early bloom of the bahmense for the first time during our annual show. Being a local cites and in fine bloom I thought I had a shot of something special from the judges. I was not there but I was getting a play by play info on the phone. The plant was creating quite a stir. At first they gave it a blue ribbon. Then the thought it was illegal to possess. Completely wrong. So they finally gave it nothing. Even though the cites was false the judges had no way of knowing the truth. After a few days they wanted to give me a red ribbon. Was not interested. One of the purposes of judging is to enhance and improve breeding. If the judging is corrupt then breeding will not find its apex. So I decided to retire from having my plants judged. It does not seem meaningful anymore. I still support the event with labor and buy plants from the vendors. If I can get a big bloom at the right time on my new den. speciosum I got from orchidnick, I might come out of retirement to blow the house down. Then retire again. Maybe.