May Meeting
On May 24th, renowned aquarist, plant explorer, and aquascaping judge, Karen Randall, will talk about Biotopes of the World. This presentation looks at biotopes of several continents, including the fish and plants found in them. The meeting is in Bowie, MD at 1:00pm.
Karen Randall grew up with aquariums as a child. While experienced in many facets of the aquarium hobby, as an adult her focus turned to a concentration in planted display aquariums and the study and propagation of aquatic plants. Her articles and photography have been published in six languages in 9 countries. For many years she authored the monthly column, “Sunken Gardens” in Aquarium Fish Magazine. She is an international speaker on aquarium subjects.
Karen is past president of the Boston Aquarium Society, and serves on the board of the Aquatic Gardeners Association. She was editor of the AGA magazine, The Aquatic Gardener for 5 years and is now technical editor of the magazine. She has served as a judge for both the AGA Aquascaping Contest and the Aqua Design Amano International Aquatic Plants Layout Contest since their inception. In 2010 she had the pleasure to serve as a speaker and jury member for the prestigious live international contest, “The Art of the Planted Aquarium” held in Hannover, Germany. She has also served as a consultant on several major projects at public aquaria.
Karen travels frequently to study aquatic plants in the wild. She has traveled extensively in South and Central America and South East Asia as well as the southern parts of the U.S. In Brazil she has assisted with Project Piaba, a conservation program in the Amazon centered on the aquarium fish trade. She regularly does programs on these topics as well as aquatic gardening for groups ranging from aquarium clubs, school children, garden clubs and church organizations.
She is currently working on a book for Timber Press titled, Sunken Gardens, a Guide to the Planted Aquarium due out in 2015.
Karen started a program a number of years ago to put aquariums in many classrooms in the local public elementary schools. In 2003 she was awarded the Northeast Council of Aquarium Society’s Betty Mueller Award; a life-time award for her outreach work and other contributions to the aquarium hobby.
In her spare time, Karen maintains a number of perennial gardens on her small horse farm, and trains and shows both dogs and horses.
In addition, we will have our regular auction. Members and non-members are welcome.
May 24th at 1:00pm
Back Entrance of Grace Lutheran Church (in their Fellowship Hall)
2503 Belair Drive
Bowie, MD 20715-2699
Directions:
From I-495
- Take exit 19A to merge onto US-50 E toward Annapolis 6.6 mi
- Take exit 11 for MD-197/Collington Rd toward Bowie 0.2 mi
- Keep left at the fork, follow signs for MD-197 N/Bowie N/Collington Rd N 0.2 mi
- Turn left at Collington Rd 0.4 mi
- Take the 1st right onto Kenhill Dr 0.7 mi
- Turn right at Belair Dr
- Church will be on your left.
- Please park in the back parking lot, enter up the steps near the playground.