Bergen Water Gardens in the News
We've been very fortunate this season to have been the recipient of lots of favorable publicity... most of it revolving around our work with The Hyacinth Project.
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At the AKCA Meeting in Buffalo on Friday, June 23rd, at 2pm, Larry Nau will talk on the following:
Completing Your Koi Pond:
Aquatic and Terrestrial Plants with Asian Roots
As koi hobbyists, we go to great lengths to construct the perfect pond for our living jewels. Most of us want to keep an Asian theme with our garden to correspond with our Japanese koi. We go to great lengths to get the perfect rocks, bamboo fence or to build the classic tea house. What about the final aquascape and landscape? Ideally we would like to keep the Asian theme in our plantings as well. In his presentation, Larry Nau will highlight some of the Asian water plants and surrounding terrestrial plants that will make our Oriental creation complete. Waterlilies, lotus, dwarf conifers and Japanese maples plus other Asian treasures will all be highlighted. In addition there will be examples of some Western New York oriental gardens featured in this program.
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Tropical Resources and TFH Magazine have this to report:
TROPICAL RESOURCES AND TFH MAGAZINE BRING YOU LARRY NAU ! Announcing our first interview of the month, on Saturday, May 6th at 8:00 EDT, our live chat with Water Garden and Waterlily expert, Larry Nau !
 In addition to Larry's fantastic article in the June edition of TFH Magazine entitled Down the Garden Path, Larry is also an Officer on the Board of Directors for the International Waterlily and Water Gardening Society and Owner of the Bergen Water Gardens in New York.
He will be on hand to take all your questions on the majestic and awe-inspiring Waterlily - the classic jewels of the garden pond. We hope you will join us for this exciting opportunity to learn new ways to make your backyard pond even more beautiful !
 Two rare and beautiful water lilies so graciously donated to us by Larry Nau on behalf of Bergen Water Gardens and Florida Aquatic Nurseries in support of the International Waterlily and Water Garden Society - the N. William McLane lily and the N. Stan Skinger lily - both exceptional and beautiful plants that will bring any water garden to life !
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Tropical Fish Hobbyist had this to say:
From the Editor
Giving Back
Malawi cihlids are enjoved by millions of aquarists around the world, and the ornamental fish trade provides a living for some people in Malawi, but Malawi is the world's third poorest nation, and it is no exaggeration to say that many captive mbuna live better than the people in their homeland.
Whenever I speak with hobbyists who have visited Lake Malawi, along with their excited reports of diving with the cichlids are tales of how wonderful the people are. In fact, a major topic of conversation among aquarists contemplating such a trip is what items can be easily brought to give out to the people. The list of cherished presents is embarrassingly basic— things we don't even think about, let alone consider gifts.
This month we have an article by Larry Nau (p. 118), who handles publicity for the International Waterlily & Water Garden Society. His interests go far beyond the beautiful lilies he writes about, and he has turned his hobby into a profession; he owns and operates Bergen Water Gardens in western New York (bergenwatergardens.com).
Many years ago Larry spent time in a research project at Lake Malawi studying cichlids. While there, he developed a close and lasting tie to the people of Malawi, who for the most part live in abject poverty, and who are now suffering from prolonged drought conditions. So when he heard about Chapin Living Waters, a program that provides easy-to-use drip irrigation kits to the rural poor in Africa and elsewhere, making it possible for them to grow food in the parched soil, he started the Hyacinth Project, which channels some of the proceeds from his business into Living Waters. This is yet another example of hobbyists giving back to the people and lands that provide our beloved tropical fishes.
But it is also much more. There is a growing understanding globally that in order to preserve the ecological riches of the tropics, we must work with indigenous peoples to help them procure the necessities of life in a manner that does not destroy natural resources. It is one thing to sit in our comfortable homes munching microwaved popcorn and lament the deforestation of Madagascar, but saving the forest is not top priority to the Malagasy peasant with no alternative fuel to cook the family meal.
If we want to conserve the biological diversity of tropical ecosystems, we have to help make it worthwhile for the people who live there to preserve them. The ornamental fish trade is a natural partner to such projects, since catching and exporting our favorite species generates income that empowers the local people to purchase allernalive foods and fuels. Similarly, people are unlikely to pollute an area if doing so kills off otherwise useless fish that will bring real money on the international market. In contrast to handouts or relief efforts, these programs create a viable economy in which local people can improve their lot and provide for their families, making a living sustainably from their environment instead of using up irreplaceable resources.
Our readers often learn about programs of this type in these pages—to name just two recurrent ones:
Project Piaba among Amazonian peoples and Marine Aquarium Council (MAC) cenirication among Pacific coral reef fishing folk. This month we have both our quarterly "MAC News" report (p- 82) and a spotlight on the Vancouver Aquatic Hobbyists Club, which includes a report on their fundraising on behalf of Project Piaba (p. 142). To this we now add the Hyacinth Project. That's a not-for-profit self- regulatory agency, an aquarium society, and a private business, all representing hobbyists supporting programs to bring life, hope, and self sufficiency to indigenous peoples, and all sharing a motivation of aquarists giving something back to the people, countries and ecosystems our fishes come from. And that's a wonderful thing. _
David Boruchowitz
Editor-in-Chief
Tropical Fish Hobbyist
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