BSBI member Richard Bate refound a Ghost Orchid in August 2024: a species not seen in Britain since 2009. The find was authenticated by BSBI and the press release we circulated led to extensive media coverage. More info about the Ghost Orchid on its Plant Atlas 2020 page.
BSBI members can also read a paper about the Ghost Orchid's history published in New Journal of Botany , where you will also find many other papers about the orchids of Britain and Ireland. Just go to the password-protected members' area of this website and follow the links.
Richard Bate was interviewed on BBC World Today
Ghost Orchid 2024 find in print media
Richard's find was featured in these national periodicals, as well as several local newspapers:
Ghost Orchid 2024 find via broadcast media
Richard was interviewed on BBC Radio 4's 'The World Tonight' on 27th August - starts at 36.25. He was also interviewed on BBC Radio 5 Live, on LBC News and on local radio. Websites from BBC Newsround to specialist sites such as The Forester and Floral Daily also covered the story.
Media success 42 years on...
The article in The Guardian about the 2024 Ghost Orchid refind prompted the finder of the 1982 Ghost Orchid to write a letter to The Guardian.
Keen to learn more?
If Richard's find has whetted your appetite to find out more about orchids in Britain and Ireland - where they grow and how to identify them - check out our Orchid ID page for links, helpful hints, scientific papers and videos.
