Botanist David Lorence to Present ‘Gingering Through Southeast Asia’ at KCC Jan. 20

David Lorence

Botanist David Lorence will present “Gingering Through Southeast Asia” at 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 20 in the cafeteria at Kaua‘i Community College in Puhi.

The talk will be the first lecture in the 2015 collaborative series “Balance of Nature” presented by the National Tropical Botanical Garden and KCC.

Lorence will lead the audience on a virtual trek through the dense forests of Borneo and peninsular Malaysia in search of rare, wild gingers.

Senior research botanist at the NTBG, Lorence is a leading authority in the study and collection of Zingiberales, an order of plants that includes gingers, heliconias, bananas and other families.

He will introduce Southeast Asia as a region rich in wild ginger diversity but one facing extinction threats from logging, oil plantations and other development that lead to habitat loss. Additionally, he will share the important role botanical gardens and organizations like NTBG play in the plants’ survival.

The “Balance of Nature” lecture series is one of many collaborations between the nonprofit NTBG and KCC, which share a common goal of quality education to truly change lives. NTBG is headquartered in Kalaheo. KCC is part of the University of Hawai‘i system, and operates a large campus in Lihu‘e.

Call Margaret Clark at (808) 332-7324 ext. 225 at least 10 days in advance for questions about accessibility or to request accommodations. Visit www.ntbg.org and kauai.hawaii.edu for more information.