I'm a newby to bonsai and just joined the ABS last month. The summer edition of
the journal arrived last week and, like you, I was amazed that the
editor/publisher would publicize and encourage collection of 200-300 year old
dwarfed specimens in environmentally stressed areas like the Southwest. Yes, I
know that these guys have all the necessary permits and permissions, but I don't
think that justifies this rape of part of our national and natural heritages.
Page 45 of the same issue mentions a new book by Thomas Pakenham in which he
states that he *loathes* bonsai. After reading the preceeding articles on
collection, I can understand why he feels this way.
I have no problem with collecting cuttings and seedlings in the wild. There are
lots of coast live oak and California black walnut out here and I would love to
collect cuttings from these. IIRC both of these species are protected and so I'm
out of luck unless I can find a cooperative landowner who will give the
necessary permission. But I don't intend to uproot scarce trees to satisfy my
bonsai craving. I can get the same amount of pleasure working with nursery
stock.
Ray Schmitt
Aliso Viejo, CA
Hardiness Zone 11
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jim Lewis"
To:
Sent: Saturday, July 26, 2003 1:41 PM
Subject: [IBC] Bonsai Journal - Summer (Mostly a RANT)
Nice Potentilla article in the summer ABS Bonsai Journal, but as
for the bulk of the issue, I think we need to re-name ABS to
American Bonsai Collector's Society (ABC).
One of the collecting articles includes a telling paragraph (near
the end) about post-war Japanese collectors in the American west:
" . . . . some areas are totally cleaned out, and one can find an
area where there should be trees but the pockets are empty. . .
."
I have seen the effects of over collecting in other rocky
areas -- including protected areas -- out west and in the North
Carolina mountains. Trees simply do NOT grow back in these
environmentally stressed areas, but collectors don't give a damn.
It is, I think, a terrible indictment of bonsai collectors, and
ABS is promoting collecting in these wild areas more and more --
to the point where they're raffling off trips with collectors at
their meeting this year -- the rape, pillage, and plunder raffle.
:-(
Oh well, nothing _I_ can do about it but rant.
As far as the rest of the issue goes, I truly enjoyed the article
and pictures about the Pacific Rim's "Artful Environments"
exhibit and wish others would do the same. Otherwise, there were
the usual plethora of typos and typesetting mistakes, and a final
picture that is NOT an alligator juniper, but is a repeat of the
previous pic (but larger) of a plant that was never mentioned in
the article.
Sigh . . .
Jim Lewis - - Tallahassee, FL - who did not
renew his ABS membership this year, but who keeps getting the
magazine so probably shouldn't knock a freebie?????
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