What's new?

2020 Hilo Orchid Show Theme.  Show chair Karl Mendonca announced that the 2020 show theme is "Orchid Ohana: Blending Beauty and Aloha".  This theme captures the special place that orchids have on this island, and we hope it will inspire exhibitors to create even more beautiful displays.  Cindy Caldicott unveiled the show art, above, to be used on T-shirts and posters.  
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2020 Officers and Trustees.  Board members for 2020 were sworn in at the holiday party and auction on Dec. 15.  From left: Lillian Paiva, Tom Mirenda, Ingrid Mendoza, Dana Culleney, Joe Bush, Ben Oliveros, Lise Dowd, Larry Kuekes, Dorothy Imagire.  Not pictured: Karl Mendonca, Shelly Nowaki.

Mountain View Library.  Larry Kuekes gave a talk at the Mountain View Library on Nov. 12 called "The Right Way and the Wrong Way to Grow Orchids" at the Mountain VIew Library on Nov. 12, about how to grow orchids better by understanding how they grow in nature.
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Photo Contest Winner.  HOS members chose this photo of Rlc. George King "Serendipity' as the winner of our 2019 photo contest.  Photographer Rick Kelley won 2 tickets to our holiday party and auction.
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Fall Nursery Tour.  This is a busload of happy orchid growers at the end of our nursery tour on Oct. 13, 2019.  We visited Kalapana Tropicals, Newman's Nursery, and Carmela Orchids.  Thanks to Jerome Siebenrock, front left, for organizing the tour.  Thanks to Janice Williams, front right, for this photo.
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Scholarship Winners.  Each year we give scholarships to students at the University of Hawaii at Hilo.  This year's recipients were introduced at the September 2019 meeting.  They are Aaron Shipman, left, and Lael Bukoski, right.
2019 Hilo Orchid Show – show art and show theme.  The painting above, by local artist Esther Szegedy, is the official art for the 2019 Hilo Orchid Show, being held June 28-30. the artwork represents this year's show theme "Orchid Odyssey".  The art will appear on show posters, T-shirts sold at the show, and other items.

Upcoming Events

The following events are at the Kamana Senior Center, Hilo, unless indicated otherwise:
Mar. 27 6:00 pm – AOS judging, 875 Komohana St
Apr. 11 1:30 – HOS meeting
Apr. 11 4:00 – AOS Judging
Apr. 24 6:00 pm – AOS judging, 875 Komohana St

$8000 Donated to Volcano Relief

Many orchid growers and many of our friends were affected by the lava flows in Puna.  Our Board of Trustees voted to donate the proceeds of the Silent Auction at the 2018 orchid show to volcano disaster relief.  We raised $8000, which was donated as follows:
  • $3000 was given to Hope Services, which has provided housing assistance for those displaced by the eruption.
  • $3000 was given to Food Basket, Inc., which has provided food, water, and other emergency supplies.
  • $2000 was given to Hawaii Island Humane Society, which has rescued pets from the lava zone and provided shelter for them until they can be reunited with owners or adopted.  
See our Community page here for a list of Silent Auction donors who made this possible.
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Mini Displays Make a Big Hit

Karen Kimmerle's mini-display made such a hit at our 2016 show that it was featured on the cover of Orchids magazine.  You can create your own great mini-display for the next orchid show with just a few orchids.  Your space is limited to 16 inches, but results are limited only by your imagination.