THE NEW ZEALAND NATIVE ORCHID GROUP CODE OF CONDUCT:
- Regard the orchid tuber as sacred and leave it undisturbed.
- Take only photographs if a plant is scarce in a locality.
If you need a specimen for identification, take the minimum - don't take
the whole plant unless there are more than twenty;
don't take more than 5% of any one plant; don't take flowers or fruit if there
are few present; don't take duplicates.
It is illegal to take specimens of any native plant from a Protected Natural Area without
official permission.
- Make sure you know whether it can be grown, and if so what its requirements are, before you take even a "common" native
orchid for cultivation; where possible use seeds.
- Preserve the habitat of all native plants: tread with care to minimise compaction of soil and disturbance of swamp habitat;
"garden" minimally before taking photographs and do replace shelter if you have bent surrounding vegetation away.
- Don't introduce any plant into wild habitat without proper authority.
- Do tell the conservation people if you find a new site for a rare plant. Inform those who might unwittingly destroy a site with
normal maintenance activities. Take care who you tell about the whereabouts of a rare plant, and don't take big groups to visit.
- Tell park or property administrators when they need to protect orchid habitat by clearing scrub, maintaining tracks,
spraying
weeds
or burning off.
- Respect the rights and wishes of landowners and those of conservation people who ask you not to visit a site at certain times.
- Make little impact on the environment; dispose of rubbish responsibly.
- Do not try to export any orchid or part of an orchid from New Zealand. It is illegal under international agreements to do so.
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