La Ceja (Colombia) (AFP) – Deep in Colombia’s northwestern forests, an orchid enthusiast has gathered a colorful collection of nearly 25,000 specimens, some of which he is cloning to protect them from extinction. Around the world, the unique flowering plants are increasingly threatened by the slashing down of forests, where most orchids are found. Agricultural technologist Daniel Piedrahita, 62, has made it his life’s mission to preserve the flowers at his sanctuary dubbed “The Soul of the Forest” in La Ceja, a town in the department of Antioquia. Colombia, which will host the COP16 UN biodiversity summit later this year, has the world’s largest number of orchid species, and new varieties are regularly discovered.
