Copiapoa Cacti

One focus of the Cactus and Succulent Plants Specialist Group has been Copiapoa, a genus of cacti found in dry coastal deserts–most notably, the Altacama Desert of Northern Chile, home to 22 endemic Copiopoa. Ambitiously, the group is working on its first conservation action plan for a complete genus of cacti. Initial plans for a 3-day workshop inChile have undergone a pandemic update, and the event is now set to take place virtually. The workshop will focus on understanding the current conservation status of the genus, threats faced, and conservation needs, so that the group can create their 10-year conservation action plan. The Copiapoa were also the subject of an important outreach event in Italy in 2020–a photographic exhibition at La Festa del Cactus, a major commercial event specializing in succulents. The exhibit, “Copiapoa: Patriarchs of the Andes,”targeted thousands of succulent enthusiasts visiting the event from all over Europe, to raise awareness on how their consumer behavior can fuel illegal poaching and smuggling markets, which are driving many of the species in this genus to extinction. Andrea Cattabriga, a specialist group member in the nursery industry, organized the event. The beautiful photos were chosen to demonstrate the importance of the cacti to their desert ecosystem –their home.