CSSA Promotional Article (2005 #1)
by Bob Barth CSSA Publicity Chair

The major CSSA event of the past few months was the CSSA-sponsored cactus photo safari to the Atacama Desert of northern Chile. I was fortunate to be one of twelve CSSA member participants. With our two British plant guides and three Chilean tour guides, we traveled for more than three weeks in the field from Santiago to Antofagasta over 2200 miles in all, including side trips. Although we did some strenuous climbing and hiking (one day over ten miles) our lodgings were always comfortable, the food generally good to excellent, and the drinks perhaps even better.

Altogether we made 60 stops to photograph plants in habitat. Our plant guides included Graham Charles, author of The Cactus File Handbook, Copiapoa and Roger Ferryman, an authority on Eriosyce (which according to Fred Kattermann, includes Neoporteria, Neochilenia, Horridocactus, Islaya, Pyrrhocactus, etc.). Both were extremely knowledgeable, excellent at finding the plants and lots of fun to be with. We saw virtually every species of Copiapoa from tiny plants the size of a fingernail to massive clusters 10-15 feet across, and many, many species of Eriosyce, sensu latu. In addition, we saw all possible columnar cereoids (Trichocereus and Eulychnia) and opuntioids within the area of our travels. As an added bonus wildflowers were everywhere during the first (southerly) half of our trip, thanks to El Nino. The northern Atacama is incredibly dry with the cacti, especially Copiapoa, restricted to immediate coastal areas where the fog can reach them. Farther inland where the fog doesn’t reach, the landscape is totally devoid of vegetation until one goes far enough east and high enough in the Andes (to the Altiplano at 10,000 to 14,000 feet) where a few cacti and other plants appear. We spent the last few days of the trip in that habitat where we visited the fantastic El Tatio Geyser Fields and the colorful rock formations of El Valle de la Luna.

Nowadays, CSSA offers plant-photo safaris to members in years alternating with conventions. So far, CSSA trips have been to the Big Bend area of Texas, South Africa/Namibia and Madagascar, in addition to Chile. A trip to Kenya led by Len Newton is being organized for 2006, and 2008 may feature a trip to Brazil. Trips offered in conjunction with conventions are closer to home, within the U.S. or to Mexico. For further information on field trips, contact Dan Mahr, Field Trip Chair at dmahr@entomology.wisc.edu

The next big CSSA event for CSSA members is the convention in Phoenix, August 5- 10, 2005, which promises to be one of the best ever (see my CSSA Promotional Article – 2004 #2 published in a recent newsletter of your society). Graham Charles of Copiapoa fame is to be one of the speakers, so if you attend the convention, you’ll learn more about the cacti of Chile and our recent adventures there. He’s also slated to discuss Brazilian cacti, which might pique your interest in the Brazil trip proposed for 2008. In conjunction with the convention, a pre-convention tour of the Four Corners area will be offered. Details can be found in the November/December 2004 issue of the CSSA Newsletter “To the Point.” Convention updates are regularly posted on the CSSA web site: www.cssainc.org. I’m hopeful that as many of you as possible will register for the convention and become members of the CSSA in the process.

Good Growing!