Georgy coming towards a Tulipa korolkowii in full bloom in Batken, Kyrgyzstan. In October 2018, I started a PhD on tulip taxonomy and conservation at the University of Cambridge with a question that sounds simple and turns out to be anything but: what actually is a tulip species? Depending on whose classification you followed, there … Continue reading Chasing Tulips Across the World: An Eight-Year Journey from Mountains to Publication
Category: Conservation story
Experts in front of the lens
In Spring 2025, members of the IUCN SSC Wild Tulip Specialist Group visited Kyrgyzstan primarily for outreach and media purposes. The expedition included attending the Tulip Festival in Bishkek and filming wild tulips in remote areas. The team experienced the beauty of an array of diverse tulip species and the stunning landscapes of Central Asia on their journey.
The land of mountains
It was with great excitement that I set off for Central Asia for the first time since the Spring of 2019. After a few years of global pandemic that had left me organising expeditions in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan which I could not be part of, it was finally time to return to the wild! Although … Continue reading The land of mountains
A year to remember
The lengthy time between blogs has not been because there hasn’t been anything to write, but because so much has been going on. I have now found the time to sit down and type up this year’s story, and so it is with great excitement that I can present the newest blog that will bring … Continue reading A year to remember
Why do we need tulips?
Scientists agree we are now in a new period of time aptly named the Anthropocene, a period of time where our planet’s climate and ecosystems are all managed or changing due to humans. We are also thought to be entering the sixth mass extinction period with extinction rates much higher than the background rate determined … Continue reading Why do we need tulips?
The Journey Begins
Our project to conserve wild tulips begins now, as we head in to the cold depths of another winter. There is much to do before the currently, snuggly tucked away bulbs sprout in the early months of next year. In a range of offices across the U.K. and Kyrgyzstan our team members are scurrying … Continue reading The Journey Begins
IUCN SSC Wild Tulip Specialist Group 