Death of Dr. Holger Perner- and appeal for his family

[Maggi Young]

Readers here will no doubt be aware of the career and work of Dr Holger Perner  and his wife Wenqing at Hengduan Biotechnology  - the sad news is that he has  died.
the following information is from one of his American friends,  the author Mary Gerritisen:

"Dr. Holger Perner, 55, beloved husband of Wenqing Perner and father of Isabell and Stefanie Perner, passed away suddenly  in his adopted home of Chengdu, China following a short illness. Holger earned his PhD in ecology, and had given up his job in the National Science Academy in Germany in 2001 to pursue his lifetime ambition of protecting the ecology of orchids in China, as well as helping the local mountain populations develop new cash crops to escape from crippling poverty.  He held down multiple jobs to pursue his goals, including that of a senior counselor at Huanglong National Park in Songpan County, Aba prefecture, co-founder of Hengduan Biotechnology, a small company devoted to the development of ex situ methods of Chinese orchid conservation and cultivation, and  to develop and commercialize the tissue culture of blueberries. Holger taught locals to plant blueberry seedlings with the help of his wife, and in doing so, transformed the local economy of villages in the vicinity of Huanglong, Sichuan. He was a local hero in these communities. His last project was to develop cranberries as a cash crop for the high mountain populations of Aba prefecture, and the week before his untimely death, was collecting and analyzing soil samples to determine suitability for this new agricultural venture.

Holger and his wife Wenqing were well known in the international orchid community, where Holger was a featured speaker at national and international orchid meetings. Holger and Wenqing also led multiple Botanic Nature Tours in Sichuan, Yunnan and other parts of China, introducing the flora of this incredibly diverse ecology to botanists and naturalists from many parts of the world.

 
Holger and Wenqing had poured all of their savings back into their business, and with Holgerıs passing, Wenqing now finds herself without life insurance or savings, two young daughters to educate, as well as responsibility to the staff of Hengduan Biotechnology.  Wenqing wants to carry on Holger's legacy by continuing the Hengduan Biotechnology business and the Botanic Nature tours.

 
Many have asked how they can help Wenqing, and thus we have set up this fundraising campaign to help with her family expenses. Any and all donations are most appreciated. The primary goals are to provide funds for the education of Isabell and Stefanie. It was Holger's goal to have both of his daughters receive their high school and college educations in Germany; Wenqing pledged to Holger that she would try to carry out his wishes. Please help in any way that you can.


USA RESIDENTS CAN MAIL THEIR CHECKS, PAYABLE TO WENQING PERNER

TO
MARY GERRITSEN
541 PARROTT DRIVE
SAN MATEO,CA 94402.


100% OF PROCEEDS WILL BE DEPOSITED INTO WENQINGıS USA BANK ACCOUNT.


OUTSIDE OF THE USA, PLEASE USE

https://www.youcaring.com/wenqingperner-814815

Note: The YouCaring website donates 100% of the donation to the recipients, but there is an optional donor fee.

FUNDS ARE SENT VIA PAYPAL DIRECT TO WENQING.


THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT! "

[Maren]

Maggi,

as one of Holger's friends, may I thank you for putting this up. I was shocked to the core when I heard about Holger's death last week from Ian Butterfield, via Phil Cribb. What a tragedy.

His achievements in China are outstanding, balancing the care for local people with opening up China for legitimate trade in orchids. Holger had so much more to give. We will miss him terribly.

I hope people will find it in their hearts to give generously to this cause.

[Maggi Young]

Wenqing Perner intends to continue with the Tours  she previously arranged with Holger.
There are one or two places left on  the Autumn 2017 Tour to North Sichuan.

 You can read all the details in the attached  pdf - you will see that Wenqing has had no chance to change the text since the sudden death of her husband.

As I have heard from Mary E. Gerritsen, the American author - Wenqing is committed to carrying on Holger's efforts, both in the Botanic tours, and in the orchid conservation/business that they set up. She already had several people signed up for this tour before Holger's untimely and completely unexpected death and wants to honor her commitments to her customers. She has arranged for an expert English speaking (an American) friend and plant expert to be the botanical guide for the tour.  Wenqing has always made all of the tour arrangements (buses, hotels etc) and knows the stops and places to visit as well as anyone.

The tours were a significant part of their annual income, so it is important for her family to continue them.

Prospectus for the Tour :
http://files.srgc.net/general/Perner2017AutumnTourNorthSichuan.pdf