Time: Tuesday 10 December at 7.30pm (GMT)
We are delighted to have Frank Derer give us our last talk of 2024. Frank was the first chairman of the Naturschutzbund Deutschland in Steinenbronn for 15 years. Apart from his interest in cacti, Franks favourite hobby for many years has been birdwatching. As he says “That’s why you’ll find many bird and animal photos in my talks. I have also had a cactus collection for around 40 years, which has grown from a few specimens to almost 700 pots. I work as a banker at the Kreissparkasse savings bank in Böblingen and am 56 years old.”
In a talk that will surely appeal to everyone Frank will take us on a journey through Bolivia. Bolivia, is often referred to as the ‘Tibet of South America’, is one of the highest and most remote countries on the continent. A country with numerous superlatives such as the largest salt lake, the highest seat of government and magnificent landscapes. More than 50 % of the population is of indigenous descent.
As Frank says, “the trip in August 2023 took us from Santa Cruz de la Sierra in the lowlands to altitudes of over 5,000 metres. In addition to beautiful cities such as Sucre and La Paz, we were also impressed by the spectacular Andes region with its little-visited national parks. Here we stayed in some of the most basic accommodation at an altitude of over 4,000 metres. We also experienced a general strike with roadblocks. The presentation shows the impressive landscapes, cities and the flora and fauna of Bolivia.” This will be a fascinating talk and a hight point to end the 2024 series of talks and we hope that you will join us as Frank takes us on this exciting journey.
