Native Orchid Adventurer
Tom Nelson first became interested in orchids as a teenager in Utah, where he was mentored by the noted botanist Arthur Holmgren, an authority on the flora of the Great Basin Region. Tom studied the native species of the nearby Bear River Range and grew tropical species in the greenhouse that his wonderfully supportive parents built. Tom ended up pursuing a career in music, and is currently a professional jazz pianist in New York City, where he lives with his wife Jackie and daughters Johanna and Christina. In 2007, the Nelson family began a series of epic family orchid hunting road trips to the far corners of North America. The Nelsons have driven over 70,000 miles in pursuit of wild orchids, allowing Tom to see and photograph 107 species and varieties. Tom has written a series of articles for the North American Native Orchid Journal telling the tale of these trips; he also gives talks about native orchids.
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Tom Nelson's Family Expedition Articles:
2007: Newfoundland 2008: Lake Superior and Manitoba 2009: Utah, Colorado, California and the Pacific Northwest |
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Tom’s images have been published in the following media:
Websites
-ARKive (a digital record of life on earth).
-U.S. Forest Service Website “Celebrating Wildflowers.”
-PBase. Tom Nelson’s online photo galleries. http://www.pbase.com/tomdean
-NAOCC (North American Orchid Conservation Center, Smithsonian Institute) Website"Go Orchids"
Periodicals & Journals
- Long island Botanical Society Newsletter.
-Native Orchid Conference Journal.
- North American Native Orchid Journal.
-Orchid Digest.
Books
-Brown, P.M. 2009. Fringed Orchids in your pocket. A Burr Oak Guide, University of Iowa Press.
-Nelson, T. & E. Lamont. 2012. Orchids of New England & New York. Kollath+Stensass Publishing, Duluth, MN. (The majority of the images in this book are Tom’s)
-Risen, K. & C. 2010. Orchids of the North Woods. Kollath+Stensass Publishing, Duluth, MN.
Websites
-ARKive (a digital record of life on earth).
-U.S. Forest Service Website “Celebrating Wildflowers.”
-PBase. Tom Nelson’s online photo galleries. http://www.pbase.com/tomdean
-NAOCC (North American Orchid Conservation Center, Smithsonian Institute) Website"Go Orchids"
Periodicals & Journals
- Long island Botanical Society Newsletter.
-Native Orchid Conference Journal.
- North American Native Orchid Journal.
-Orchid Digest.
Books
-Brown, P.M. 2009. Fringed Orchids in your pocket. A Burr Oak Guide, University of Iowa Press.
-Nelson, T. & E. Lamont. 2012. Orchids of New England & New York. Kollath+Stensass Publishing, Duluth, MN. (The majority of the images in this book are Tom’s)
-Risen, K. & C. 2010. Orchids of the North Woods. Kollath+Stensass Publishing, Duluth, MN.