Lady’s Slipper Orchid – from extinction and to recovery

A talk by Dr Kevin Walker on the Lady's Slipper orchid, Britain's rarest plant, covering its near-extinction, rediscovery and conservation.

Dr Kevin Walker tells the story of Britain's rarest plant, the Lady's Slipper orchid, from its loss to unscrupulous collectors in the 18th and 19th centuries to its rediscovery at a secret site in Wharfedale in 1930. He describes how the discoverers kept the site hidden for over 20 years, and how conservationists have protected the plant since the 1960s, including laboratory propagation and reintroduction efforts. The speaker has been personally involved in its conservation since 1993.