Goals of the Finnish Saintpaulia Society
The Finnish Saintpaulia Society is a registered society with the following goals:
- conservation of the wild Saintpaulia (African violet) species in East Africa
- scientific study on the wild Saintpaulia species
Saintpaulia is a popular house plant representing thousands of commercial varieties. Its wild relatives grow in the mountain and coastal forests of southern Kenya and eastern Tanzania where they are threatened by forest destruction. Key reasons for the destruction of forest are poverty and population growth, which increase unsustainable exploitation of the forest.
The Finnish Saintpaulia Society has initiated a field project which aims at mapping the distribution of Saintpaulia localities in the Easter Arc Mountains and coastal lowlands of Tanzania. A further objective is to integrate Saintpaulia with the local ecotourism initiatives for the benefit of the local communities.
Many of the members are also involved in MSc and PhD thesis research on Saintpaulia. Topics of the research range from population ecology, pollination, taksonomy, ex situ conservation and habitat modelling. We also raise awareness about the conservation Saintpaulia and its habitats in various events and collaborate with many people and institutions in Finland and abroad.
Saintpaulia grotei growing on huge boulders Nilo Forest Reserve, East Usambara, Tanzania (September 2003)