International Carnivorous Plant Society

Programs: Membership: worldwide network of horticulturists, conservationists, scientists and educators, in excess of 1,100 members. The icps provides strong support for conservation and scientific research. The icps collects and contributions for burning and maintaining sites of sarracenia and other threatened carnivorous plants within the splinter hill bog preserve. Much of the site is occupied by some of the largest and most visually impressive white-topped pitcher plant bogs globally. The board voted to fund a morphological study of several natural populations of sarracenia alata in and around north carolina.

newsletter/publications: four issues of the color journal "carnivorous plant newsletter" were published and distributed to the approximately 1,100 members. The journal has been in print for more than 40 years, which represents approximately 7500 pages of scientifically and historically unique information. Back issues are extremely rare and difficult to obtain. The icps spent several years carefully digitizing and cleaning file to capture the contents of all back issues. This product was sent free of charge to members, libraries, and scientists.

seedbank: the icps seedbank is a member seed exchange and a source of seeds for education. The seeds are available to members to enhance their understanding of and appreciation for carnivorous plants. Seeds shipped included endangered species as part of a poaching abatement project with permits from the us fish & wildlife service. The seed bank also provides seeds free of charge to students, teachers and researchers all over the world. About 25% of the seed orders for education are shipped to locations outside the usa.

internet presence: the online icps web-ring is a central web site which provides links dealing specifically with carnivorous plants. There are currently over 150 web sites participating in the web-ring. Icps is the official registration authority for cultivated carnivorous plants and maintains an online database of plants and registered carnivorous plant cultivars. Icps also maintains an online forum to provide a centralized information source and communication venue for icps members and the general public. Icps has assumed a strong facebook presence moderating a number of very active discussion groups. Icps volunteers and board members moderate various grous to facilitate open communication about carnivorous plant issues and to educate the public.