Saving nature by protecting orchids

World Nature Conservation Day on 28 July is a reminder to us to conserve nature and nurture it. Too often, however, our visions of nature exclude plants and our rich relationship with them. Conservation campaigns and projects tend to focus on charismatic animals like rhinos and tigers, and on protecting Nepal’s spectacular landscapes.

Plants are everywhere, which makes them vital but also easy to overlook. They are often left in the background, both during public discourse and by government officials allocating conservation budgets.