PUERTO GALERA, Philippines—“Do you hear the chainsaw up in the mountain?” Ravan Schneider, the orchid hunter asks me. We both listen for a brief moment while our eyes glide over the fascinating mountain ranges trying to ascertain where the sound came from. “It would be great [if] we could find the cutting place. But this will only be possible if they keep on cutting for a while so we can follow the noise,” he adds.
We had just met early in the morning at the fringes of the rainforest, approximately 1,300 feet above sea level. Ravan arrived on his motorbike accompanied by his Filipina partner Josephine.
The chainsaw sounds up in the mountains are usually produced by illegal loggers. As disturbing as the noise might be for a nature lover like myself, for Ravan it adds an extra excitement to our hike.
For him, the illegal logging in the area is a kind of blessing in disguise. Of course he prefers a pure and serene environment—and big trees being cut in the forest means less orchid habitats. But on the other hand, freshly felled trees give Ravan the rare opportunity to find new orchids or at least take some close-up pictures after managing to locate the cutting site.
Ravan and Josephine seem well prepared for the hike: ample food and water certainly, but they’re also wearing mountain hiking boots, bush knives and anti-leech socks.
Ravan did warn me about the danger of being sucked by the little leeches, which are common in tropical rainforests. So I prepared wearing long socks and made sure they sit snuggly on top of my long jogging pants with no skin exposed. But as we kept on hiking higher and higher I got so fascinated by the surroundings—especially the change in flora and fauna from ordinary forest to rainforest, like entering a completely different and magical world—that this sense of awe made me forget about the leeches.
All I can say now, I highly recommend anti-leech socks. The little worms were able to drill their way right into the spaces in the weaving of my ordinary socks.
Feeling like Scout Rangers we hiked in the direction of the chainsaw hum, which led us to a well-marked trail left by the illegal loggers and their “carabaos” (domesticated water buffalo used to haul logs).
After about three hours, we finally found the logging area. Here Ravan had his “high time” climbing through the branches of the felled trees, taking documentary photographs using his macro lens. He usually carries more than one camera on these hunting trips.
We had just met early in the morning at the fringes of the rainforest, approximately 1,300 feet above sea level. Ravan arrived on his motorbike accompanied by his Filipina partner Josephine.
The chainsaw sounds up in the mountains are usually produced by illegal loggers. As disturbing as the noise might be for a nature lover like myself, for Ravan it adds an extra excitement to our hike.
For him, the illegal logging in the area is a kind of blessing in disguise. Of course he prefers a pure and serene environment—and big trees being cut in the forest means less orchid habitats. But on the other hand, freshly felled trees give Ravan the rare opportunity to find new orchids or at least take some close-up pictures after managing to locate the cutting site.
Ravan and Josephine seem well prepared for the hike: ample food and water certainly, but they’re also wearing mountain hiking boots, bush knives and anti-leech socks.
Ravan did warn me about the danger of being sucked by the little leeches, which are common in tropical rainforests. So I prepared wearing long socks and made sure they sit snuggly on top of my long jogging pants with no skin exposed. But as we kept on hiking higher and higher I got so fascinated by the surroundings—especially the change in flora and fauna from ordinary forest to rainforest, like entering a completely different and magical world—that this sense of awe made me forget about the leeches.
All I can say now, I highly recommend anti-leech socks. The little worms were able to drill their way right into the spaces in the weaving of my ordinary socks.
Feeling like Scout Rangers we hiked in the direction of the chainsaw hum, which led us to a well-marked trail left by the illegal loggers and their “carabaos” (domesticated water buffalo used to haul logs).
After about three hours, we finally found the logging area. Here Ravan had his “high time” climbing through the branches of the felled trees, taking documentary photographs using his macro lens. He usually carries more than one camera on these hunting trips.
Ravan has found in his home in Puerto Galera in the mountains in an area of approximately 3.9 square miles, 188 different species of orchid so far. About two-thirds grow mostly on trees and the rest on the ground.
“Orchids are very sensitive. Many just wither and die if their special needs are not met,” Ravan told me.
This is the case, of course, when their host tree is cut. Because of this Ravan collects orchids from the cut trees—not only to study them further at home, but also to save them.
Born in Germany, Ravan was already fascinated with orchids long before he found his way to the Philippines, and his home in the beautiful town of Puerto Galera, a place he first heard about from friends in Germany. Puerto Galera is about 3.5 hours from the capital of Manila in the province of Oriental Mindoro.
In spite of his acute diabetes, Ravan explores the area’s towering mountains up to 3,400 feet high and home to many species of orchid and other plants. Some of the orchids are endemic to the Philippines or even to the island of Mindoro, and some are totally unknown. Ravan has already discovered six previously undocumented orchids. These “new” orchids now bear his name, like the Dendrobium ravanii.
To properly document the orchids he had to take pictures of them in their natural habitat. Then, with the support of herbariums and universities around the globe, such as in Leiden, Netherlands, or Vienna, Austria, it is determined if he has discovered a new species.
Ravan says he’s not interested in “typical garden or ornamental orchids” which are often referred to as “hybrids.” He focuses solely on botanical orchids, which grow in the wild. Their blooms are usually not as big as those of the typical garden orchid. But big doesn’t necessarily mean more beautiful. Taking a closer look, one can only be awed by their immense beauty.
Ravan’s discoveries have helped him become well known by orchid and hoya lovers around the world. One of them is the Australian writer Jim Cootes, author of “The Orchids of the Philippines.” In the near future, Jim and Ravan want to compile a field guide of plants in Northern Mindoro.
Ravan doesn’t earn a living hunting orchids. All the work he does to protect these treasures of the rainforest comes out of his own pocket, and he gets by on his meager early retirement pension.
Asked if he would be open to working with an organization and combine his love for nature with an income he replies, “Why not?”
Ravan can be reached at address is [email protected].
“Orchids are very sensitive. Many just wither and die if their special needs are not met,” Ravan told me.
This is the case, of course, when their host tree is cut. Because of this Ravan collects orchids from the cut trees—not only to study them further at home, but also to save them.
Born in Germany, Ravan was already fascinated with orchids long before he found his way to the Philippines, and his home in the beautiful town of Puerto Galera, a place he first heard about from friends in Germany. Puerto Galera is about 3.5 hours from the capital of Manila in the province of Oriental Mindoro.
In spite of his acute diabetes, Ravan explores the area’s towering mountains up to 3,400 feet high and home to many species of orchid and other plants. Some of the orchids are endemic to the Philippines or even to the island of Mindoro, and some are totally unknown. Ravan has already discovered six previously undocumented orchids. These “new” orchids now bear his name, like the Dendrobium ravanii.
To properly document the orchids he had to take pictures of them in their natural habitat. Then, with the support of herbariums and universities around the globe, such as in Leiden, Netherlands, or Vienna, Austria, it is determined if he has discovered a new species.
Ravan says he’s not interested in “typical garden or ornamental orchids” which are often referred to as “hybrids.” He focuses solely on botanical orchids, which grow in the wild. Their blooms are usually not as big as those of the typical garden orchid. But big doesn’t necessarily mean more beautiful. Taking a closer look, one can only be awed by their immense beauty.
Ravan’s discoveries have helped him become well known by orchid and hoya lovers around the world. One of them is the Australian writer Jim Cootes, author of “The Orchids of the Philippines.” In the near future, Jim and Ravan want to compile a field guide of plants in Northern Mindoro.
Ravan doesn’t earn a living hunting orchids. All the work he does to protect these treasures of the rainforest comes out of his own pocket, and he gets by on his meager early retirement pension.
Asked if he would be open to working with an organization and combine his love for nature with an income he replies, “Why not?”
Ravan can be reached at address is [email protected].
