Vildtvoksende orkideer. Om Orkidee Overvagningen i Danmark.2023.(Miljöbiblioteket,9). richly illustrated. 320 p. gr8vo. Paper bd. - In Danish.

A wide range of Denmark's wild orchids have been monitored for more than 35 years in the national orchid monitoring programme launched in 1987. This is a unique programme as it is the first of its kind where an entire plant family has been monitored nationally.

The monitoring programme includes both the more common and the rarer Danish orchids. At least 200 people have spent many hours of labour or volunteer time visiting the selected orchid populations across the country and conducting annual counts of flowering and in many cases vegetative plants. At the same time, they have described the condition of the sites.

The book presents the monitoring programme and explains its results, but also gives the floor to a number of the programme's faithful monitors who talk about their fascination for the beautiful and delicate plants. A fascination they are not alone in.

Orchids are widely recognised by the public and have often made headlines in the media. The majority of native orchids in the Danish flora are endangered, and all wild orchids are protected and must therefore not be picked, damaged or dug up.