Tuesday, June 15, 2021 – 7:00 pm Pacific Time

NOTE: Zoom login information below. Our in-person meetings are being held on Zoom until further notice, however we are doing sales booths at occasional events around the Bay Area. Check the sidebar for more info.

Norbert and Elisabeth Sarnes started collecting cacti in 1977, but it was only after a 2004 trip to Patagonia that they began to focus on Austrocactus, Pterocactus and Maihueniopsis. Many trips to Patagonia followed, now totaling over 50,000 km in that part of the world, looking for cacti and other plants. 

This travelogue features a selection of pictures from their last pre-COVID trip to Patagonia in 2019 – a round trip through all Patagonian provinces in Argentina. They were lucky to see nearly every species of cacti in flower and a lot of other plants and wild animals. Join them as they cross the whole range of landscapes from the Andes Mountain chain over the central mesetas to the Atlantic coast. 

The results of Norbert and Elisabeth’s cactus adventures have been published in both German and international journals, including first descriptions of new austrocacti and a Pterocactus. Other publications include the books “Cactus de Patagonia” (2012, sold out), “Austrocactus 2015”, their just-published book on the genus Pterocactus (free download), and their websites cactus-de-patagonia.de and maihueniopsis.sarnes.net.

Between 2008 and 2017 Norbert was Vice-President of the German Cactus Association (DKG), and Elisabeth is a committee member of the ELK, Europe’s largest cactus and succulent event. At home in western Germany, they cultivate a collection of seed-grown Patagonian cacti on about 50 square meters. 

Meeting Format and Login Instructions:

The Zoom meeting will open for mingling and announcements at 7:00pm.

Formal presentation will begin at 7:30pm.

If it’s your first time using zoom, click the link below and it will automatically take you through a download process. If you already have Zoom installed, you can click and go straight in, or  open zoom and use the meeting ID and password to get in. At some point you may be asked a question about audio. “Join with computer audio” is the right choice. Don’t worry, you can keep your microphone muted until you are ready to speak.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82205392598?pwd=YzRLQ0o5YUJxZFdJNXVBcTVCUGFvQT09

Meeting ID: 822 0539 2598
Password: sfscs

If the Zoom meeting fills up or you cant get it to work, we will simulcast on Facebook live on our page at: http://fb.me.sfsucculent

Upcoming Events

SFSCS at the Gardeneur Plant and Food Market – June 27 2021 9AM to 6PM, at the SF Ferry Building

Mesembs Virtually with Roy Earle & Brian Kemble – July 11, 2021 11:30 AM California Time

Stephan Burger: The Chilean Altiplano – July 20, 2021 7:30PM California Time