"Memorable Places and the Succulents that Live There"
Presented by Dan Mahr
Dan Mahr grew up in southern California, a fifth-generation San Diegan. Influenced by frequent family camping trips to the ocean and desert he developed an interest in the natural world at an early age. He had an outdoor cactus garden by the age of 11 and has been growing cacti other succulents continuously since – about 65 years. He and his wife Susan are both entomologists and lived in Wisconsin for 40 years, on the faculty of the University of Wisconsin – Madison. They have now returned to southern California and are living in the home where Susan’s family resided when she was in high school. The property suffered neglect for many years and the two have been revitalizing the yard, planting over 700 plants – mostly succulents, natives, and other drought-tolerant species. Dan has been a member of the Cactus and Succulent Society of America for nearly 50 years and was on the Board of Directors for 15 years, serving as CSSA president in 2005-2006. Dan founded the CSSA Fields Trips Program in 1998 and served as its director for 20 years, organizing field trips for CSSA members to cactus and succulent habitats throughout the world. He has personally seen succulents growing in their native habitats in 25 countries in Europe, Africa, Latin America, Australia, and various island countries. Dan has been an invited speaker for several local cactus and succulent societies and at numerous cactus and succulent conferences in the United States and abroad. He has given dozens of talks and workshops on growing cactus and succulents to various garden groups throughout the Midwest. His personal interest in succulents has varied through the years; currently he has a mixed assortment of cacti and other succulent plant families, but specializes in succulent trees and hybrid adeniums.
Memorable Places and the Succulents that Live There. This is a talk about memories. Specifically – travel memories. But with some plants thrown in. For folks who might be interested in such.
Those of us who like to travel to natural areas have lived at a pretty good time. Travel is relatively easy and there are enough natural areas still existing to make the effort worthwhile (though that is quickly changing). Many cactus and succulent enthusiasts have made opportunities to see our plants in their natural habitats. And even if the destinations are fairly close at hand, such as the American Southwest or adjacent Mexico, there is plenty to see, lots to learn, and experiences that build memories.
Many of the trips Susan and I have taken have not been succulent-centric, but the plants are often there anyway – sempervivums in the Swiss Alps; sedums on the French Riviera; epiphyllums in the Amazon Rainforest. And even on succulent-intense trips, some of the most lasting memories are of other things – other types of plants, or animals, geology, people architecture, history, cuisine. This talk recalls a few of the memorable places I’ve been lucky enough to visit. In some cases, the succulents may be rather inconsequential – but they were there. In other cases, it was certainly the plants and their surroundings that have firmly fixed the memories in place. As I advance into my late 70s, there probably aren’t many exotic
destinations in my future; so, thank goodness for the memories! As time allows, the talk will visit four locations in southern Africa and three more in South America. The hope is that my memories will allow you to come away with a greater understanding of our very special plants, and the places they call home.
We are always thinking of your safety and if you are not feeling well we ask that you join us on the internet Zoom presentation. If you're doing well and would like to attend you are perfectly welcome to come and join us for this really special in person presentation (masks will be encouraged but not required). This meeting will also be a Zoom program and will be an important educational and informational event you must see. Also, if using Zoom, be sure to log in to win a $25.00 gift certificate from TCSS or choose a copy of the new 3rd edition of the Field Guide to Cacti & Other Succulents of Arizona. Excellent plant give aways will take place at the in person meeting but that portion of the program, because of the recording, will not appear on Zoom. When leaving the live in person meeting, please enjoy great refreshments provided by our member volunteers and also, everyone can get a special free plant offered to you by the TCSS.