Lady’s Slipper, Calceolaria fothergillii Illustration from Flowering Plants of the Falkland Islands

Some of the best locations to see Lady’s Slipper en masse are on the smaller islands that are free from agricultural pressures, such as the Falklands Conservation reserve of Motley Island, the privately owned Hummock, Grand Jason and Steeple Jason Islands and the National Nature Reserve, Middle Island in King George Bay. New Island has one of the largest populations of this very attractive flowering plant.

As part of this flagship species project we are launching a national survey of the lady’s slipper along with a photo competition. Dr Rebecca Upson, Plant Conservation Officer, says ‘This flower can still be enjoyed in many places and so we would like to encourage everyone in the Falklands to get out and about and attempt to find as many populations of this national treasure as possible. This will help us produce a more accurate figure for the number distribution and abundance of this plant and improve our understanding of the conditions is needs to thrive.’