From 2000 to the present, David Horak has been the Curator of the Orchid Collection and the Robert W. Wilson Aquatic House at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. With over 38 years of experience growing and traveling around the world to study orchids – as well as other types of epiphytic plants - he remains utterly captivated by their ecological stories and is an enthusiastic advocate for the cultivation and conservation of these interesting plants. An accredited judge for the American Orchid Society and a Past Chair of the New York International Orchid Show he is very active in a variety of committees and organizational roles within the international orchid community. Coincidentally, David’s background was in the visual arts where he spent 3 years actively blowing glass on the way to receiving graduate degrees from the University of Iowa and Alfred University in Ceramics, subsequently working in the art museum and conservation communities prior to coming to BBG.
