SFV Bromeliad Society Speaker: Andy Siekkinen " “Bromeliads of Northeastern Mexico”

Andy has spoken to
our club before and he has great power-point programs.  This travelogue will focus on
the Bromeliads found in northeastern
Mexico.  Within this region there are bromeliads that grow in the
humid, low elevation forests up through the mid-elevation deserts and into the
highest elevation cloud forests.  

Andy is a nanotechnology
chemist with a love of plants. Andy left his family in Ohio to get his Master’s
degree at the University of Washington in Seattle before settling in San Diego.

After discovering
the bromeliad family he hasn’t looked back. Andy has been traveling to study
bromeliads in their habitat and intends to begin formal, academic study of the
genus Hechtia in the coming years.  He has been President of two
bromeliad societies in San Diego.  He has also given presentations at
nearly all of the California Bromeliad Society (BSI) affiliates providing
educational content on both bromeliads in habitat as well as cultural
techniques.  

Promoting
bromeliads to wider audience is important to him and he has spoken at several
California cactus and succulent societies including LACSS.  He also has a
strong presence on online forums with worldwide audiences.  In 2012 he was appointed as California Regional Director for BSI..

His plant
collection focuses on Tillandsias and the terrestrial genera.  With a
strong scientific background he is an enthusiastic advocate for bromeliads and
is always willing to share any and all of his knowledge with everyone who
enjoys bromeliads.  Over the past several years he has been exploring the
cultural and botanical diversity of Mexico covering thousands of miles driving
throughout the country.
He just recently returned from conducting a two week tour in the Oaxaca deserts and mountains in
Southern Mexico.  You don’t want
to miss this Free meeting!<>  

We serve refreshments and visitors are welcome to participate in our Show-n-Tell and the raffle.

Our club meets at the garden center on the first Saturday of each month at 10:00am.  We have a variety of speakers featuring plants and culture from around the world.