[Note: do not respond to
this email, use benkamm at monitor.net ]
Holiday greetings botanical enthusiasts!
Intense storms meant we were without power most
of the past week — I've yet to fully assess damage to the nursery,
but it looks to be _relatively_ minor, at least this round...
I'm excited to share
that we've just arranged 501c3
fiscal-sponsorship
with the
non-profit
organization,
Panax (founded
by United
Plant Savers
director,
Susan
Leopold),
and set
up a fresh
fundraiser through them—so there
is now a place
for folks to
make _fully
tax-deductible_
donations to help fund essential renovations
to our aging nursery & conservancy gardens.
So far we've raised
nearly $5K this month, all from_ fewer than thirty_ donors. We're
deeply grateful for these generous gifts that bring us 15% of the way
towards funding the irrigation renovations. Yet we still have a way
to go:
_Please Consider Making a
Tax-Deductible
Donation Today__!_
Every little bit helps
— _if each
person
receiving this
donated a mere
$10, we'd
reach our $30K
goal for the
winter!_ (See below for
the full fundraiser info.)
I can’t overstate how
critical
this juncture
is for
safeguarding
our living
collection of rare & endangered plants and Sacred Succulents future.
______
SOLSTICE BOOK SALE—extended through
12/31/25! Take 10% off _all_
of our in-stock new books
and collector's
titles, with
further deep discounts on
select titles!
__
NOTE: We are _NOT
_shipping
plants &
seeds this
winter while
we focus on
renovations—
However, you're
welcome to order from
our Specimen Plant
List now to
reserve plants &
seeds _to ship in
Spring_ 2026 (March or
April, exact
date TBD). As it is,
many species are
already selling out...
The _possible_
exception to this
shipping hiatus is Andean Tubers — depending on
the upcoming harvest (delayed
by the storms), we _may_
have a limited number
available to purchase
and ship in January,
2026. Please check back
_after_ the new year
for updates.
_____
FUNDRAISER FOR SACRED
SUCCULENTS:
This is a call for aid. We seek
your support
to fund
extensive
renovations to
the aging
infrastructure
of Sacred
Succulents' nursery &
conservancy
garden—endeavors
that are now _critical_
to preserving
the high
diversity of
rare &
endangered
plants we
offer and grow
here
in the face of
ongoing losses from increasingly erratic climatic
shifts.
The first and most vital phase is
renovating the
entirety of
our irrigation
systems. Your help is crucial
for us to
accomplish
this massive
undertaking:
Please Make
a
Tax-Deductible
Donation Today—any
amount helps!
With
the above link
you can make
your
tax-deductible
gift by credit
card or as a
direct
transfer from
a US bank
account.
Contributions
of $1K+ can
also select to
donate by
check.
(_*Note*_:
When making
your donation,
after you
enter your
personal data,
the Zeffy
platform asks
for a 17%
contribution — _this
is optional_.
To opt-out,
click on the
drop-down menu
[under where
it says “_Help
keep Zeffy
free for
Panax_”],
select “_Other_”
and enter “0”
in the
contribution
box below.)
For smaller donations,
or for those that do _not_
require the
tax-deduction
status,
donations
should be made
via our
BetterWorld
campaign
[where 7-11%
more of the
donation goes
directly to
us]: https://ssbp.betterworld.org
_If
each and every
person
receiving this
donated a mere
$10, we'd
reach our $30K
goal for the
winter!_
Your
generosity
also helps to:
*Sustain
and fortify
our diverse
living plant
collections
and seed bank.
*Protect
rare &
endangered
plants by
supporting our
propagation
&
distribution
efforts.
*Further
our research,
various
writing
projects, and
efforts to
educate and
encourage
others towards
ethnobotanical
and ecological
literacy.
Handpicked
plants &
seeds, art,
special access
& catalog
discounts, and
nursery &
garden tours
are available
as thank you
gifts for your
donations,
inquire for
specifics - benkamm at monitor.net
_Please
help spread
the word about
the fundraiser_—
we are
not on any
social media
and rely on
the grass-root
efforts of our
fellow
phytophiles
like you!
Support our
conservation
work,
research, and
projects
crucial to
Sacred
Succulents
future:
_for more info and
nursery/garden
photos, see
_https://sacredsucculents.com/support-our-endeavors
_Words
of Support_:
“Sacred
Succulents
is... a
preserve and
repository of
many rare
species... It
is also the
lifelong
passion
project of
ethnobotanist Ben Kamm, who
has devoted
decades to
locating,
preserving,
propagating
and
distributing
rare plants...
This fine work
is not
supported by
an
institution,
or any pool of
wealth. It is
supported by
independent
folks who care
about
preserving
biodiversity,
and the
continuity of
knowledge that
must attend
these species.
A donation to
help Sacred
Succulents
upgrade their
facility is a
vote for
carrying these
plants and our
knowledge of
them into the
future.”
—Kat
Harrison,
Ethnobotanist,
Co-Founder and
Director of
Botanical
Dimensions
“In the
effort to
conserve
biological
elements of
Andean culture
and fragile
ecosystems,
Sacred
Succulents is
on the cutting
edge... This
work deserves
the same level
of funding and
support that
the moon
landing and
green
revolution
received.
Please help
this work
continue!”
—Neil
Logan
Ethnobotanist,
Agroforester,
Author of _Legacy
Legumes: Trees
of Renewal and
Abundance_
“If ever
there was a
project that
deserved
support, this
is it! Your
contributions
make a crucial
difference...
you’ll be
helping
safeguard
plants that
are under
threat... while
also promoting
propagation,
scientific
study, and
preservation
of traditional
knowledge. Not
to mention,
helping out an
amazing
family, who
have devoted
nearly all of
their time and
energy to
making the
world a better
place, one
rare plant at
a time. Let’s
unite the
botanical
community
around this
cause so these
extraordinary
species
(including the
rare Mr. Ben Kamm )
continue to
thrive in both
the wild and
in
cultivation.”
—Matt
Magee,
Anthropologist,
Author of _Peruvian
Shamanism:
The
Pachakuti Mesa_
“Ben
Kamm’s
tireless work
to cultivate
and conserve
rare
succulents and
other valuable
plant species
is
unparalleled.
Supporting
this effort to
recover and
steward these
critically
important
genetics will
increase the
resilience and
persistence of
this
biodiversity
reservoir for
generations to
come.”
—Kate
Lundquist,
WATER
Institute
Director,
Occidental
Arts &
Ecology Center
“Sacred
Succulents' Ben Kamm has
done great
service to
people and the
planet through
his
preservation
efforts.
Hands-on
practitioners
like Ben have
done more to
protect plant
diversity than
all the
governments in
the world...
Now is the
time to step
up and support
this work!”
—David
Theodoropoulos,
Conservationist, Seedsman, Director of J.L. Hudson Seeds since 1973
“It’s often
passionate
individuals
that are
responsible
for
stewardship of
biodiversity
and Ben has
dedicated his
life’s work to
sacred
succulent
diversity.
Contribute
your support
to keep this
treasured
living
collection
alive.”
—Susan
Leopold,
Ph.D.,
Director of
United Plant
Savers, Founder of Panax
______
MISC. NEWS:
Our friend, filmmaker/conservationist
Delia Ackerman, is working on another fascinating project, a
documentary about traditional Andean relations with llamas, _The Call
of the Llamas_. Delia's gorgeous films promote deeper understanding of
nature and the cultural heritage of Peru. Watch a teaser and support
the completion of this important project with your donation -
https://www.deliaackerman.com/TheLlamas/# From Delia: “There
is a beautiful resonance between your world and ours: in many Andean
communities, llamas are believed to have a natural affinity with
medicinal and high-altitude plants — herders say the llamas guide
them to healing species, and that these animals protect and
“read” the landscape in ways humans have forgotten. This
relationship is part of the deeper story we are trying to bring to
the world.” _
We are excited about the
publication of the stunning
new book — _MICROCOSMS:
Sacred Plants of the
Americas_
I've been a contributing
researcher and photographer to this
unique science-art project.
Order your copy today! _
Classes in Andean Knowledge:
Our companion on many of our Andean
expeditions, Mateo Magee, is offering online
classes and courses -
https://www.livingtheceremony.com ____
_Further
Words of Support for Sacred
Succulents_:
“Ben
Kamm’s lifelong dedication to plants
has made him one of the most respected
ethnobotanists and nursery experts
working today. Through Sacred
Succulents, he has shared rare and vital
species with a global community of
growers, always with deep ecological
awareness and cultural respect. His
vision combines scientific rigor with a
gardener’s devotion, inspiring countless
people to see plants as teachers as well
as companions. Ben’s current fundraising
efforts to strengthen the nursery’s
infrastructure will ensure that his
invaluable work can continue to flourish
and better serve the many clients and
admirers who depend on his knowledge,
care, and integrity.”
—Steven F. White, Ph.D., Co-Author of
_Microcosms: Sacred Plants of the
Americas_ (Papadakis, 2025)
“Yule is a time of giving, which
includes spreading some philanthropy
around. This season, I urge you to
consider throwing some of that love
towards Sacred Succulents... headed up
by the brilliant and passionate
plant-man Ben Kamm. Sacred Succulents
is, without doubt, the premier nursery
for _Trichocereus_ cactus offerings.
But the outfit is also dedicated to
the preservation of ethnobotanical
knowledge and rare and endangered
plants. Ben is a fiercely DIY guy, and
I am amazed at his independent efforts
to sustain his mail-order nursery,
public-access seed bank, and research
gardens... But Ben’s nursery and
gardens now need some serious
renovation work. In the immortal words
of the Lorax, ‘_Unless someone like
you cares a whole awful lot, nothing
is going to get better — it’s not_.’
”
—Erik Davis, Cultural Historian,
Author of _Techgnosis, High Weirdness,
The Visionary State_, etc.
“Sacred Succulents' Ben Kamm has
done great service to people and the
planet through his preservation efforts
aimed at rare beneficial plants,
especially Andean flora.. Hands-on
practitioners like Ben have done more to
protect plant diversity than all the
governments in the world. Not only are
we losing species and habitats, but are
losing the rare class of dedicated
plantsmen who do the important work of
collecting and maintaining plants from
endangered habitats. I absolutely
support this fundraising effort. If we
lose Ben’s efforts, the world will be a
poorer place. The man has devoted his
life to these plants, and we need to
make sure he can continue for decades to
come. Now is the time to step up and
support this work!”
—David Theodoropoulos,
Conservationist, Seedsman, Director of
J.L. Hudson Seeds [founded in 1911]
since 1973
“I really
want to thank you for taking care of
these very interesting and hard-to
find plants with such dedication.
Being able to source tubers and seeds
from you really enhanced our South
American crops collection and I am so
glad to be able to share these plants
with people who visit us. People who are
familiar with them are often delighted
to see these plants, and most others are
seeing them for the first time! I
appreciate you making these fascinating
plants available—they are really special
and I salute your work!!”
—Catherine Callaway, Horticulturist,
Ethnobotanical Collections, UC Botanical
Garden, Berkeley
“In
the effort to conserve biological
elements of Andean culture and fragile
xerophytic ecosystems, Sacred Succulents
is on the cutting edge—a trend setter
decades ahead of most others engaged in
this kind of work. Land use changes over
the last 500 years have greatly impacted
the Andes and their people. The
situation is dire requiring an 'all
hands on deck' response. Sacred
Succulents has risen to the occasion by
tirelessly collecting, propagating, and
distributing these botanical treasures
along with collection notes about their
cultural and ecological contexts.
Frankly, projects like Sacred Succulents
should be set up in every bioregion on
the planet to help multiply and
distribute local germ-plasm and
knowledge. This work deserves the same
level of funding and support that the
moon landing and green revolution
received. Please help this work
continue!”
—Neil Logan Ethnobotanist,
Agroforester, Author of _Legacy Legumes:
Trees of Renewal and Abundance_
“Ben
Kamm has been in service to people and
plants, specifically plant enthusiasts
and entheogenic succulents, for as
long back as my botanical memory
reaches. Service. ‘What goes around
comes around,’ as they say here in
Southern Oregon. Serving people by way
of plants is perhaps one of the most
enjoyable and effective paths. Plants
offer silent solace, sitting there on
the windowsill, filtering the air,
making oxygen. Secondary compounds held
in their bodies, molecules that heal
illness or expand consciousness, are
less tangible than the visible tissues,
spines and epidermis, fleeting flowers,
yet hold great promise to mend the human
condition. Some of these effects are
known. Some are yet to be discovered. In
each case, conserving the plants
themselves is necessary, worthy of our
selfless contributions. We are of body
and mind. Supporting rare plant
conservation, these strange species from
far-flung places, is one way of throwing
bread upon the waters of our best human
potential. May the minnows in the
shallows be nourished. They are. . .
us.”
—Richo
Cech, Author, Plantsman, founder of
Strictly Medicinal Seeds
“The work you do with Sacred Succulents is extraordinary, and the
way you’ve dedicated your life to preserving endangered species and
ethnobotanical knowledge is deeply inspiring. I truly hope your
campaign brings the support you need to restore the nursery and
protect those living collections.”
—Delia Ackerman, Documentary Filmmaker and Conservationist
___
_Our
deepest gratitude for all your
support — as a small,
family-run organization, it is
essential and goes a long
way!_
Ben Kamm & family
Sacred Succulents: Rare &
Endangered Beneficial Plants & Seeds
Conservation of
Resilient Biodiversity through
Propagation, Dissemination and
Education
PO Box 781
Sebastopol,
CA 95473 USA
_We do
not take Paypal or other online
payments. Still just cash, check or
money order to our PO box._
~~~~~~~~~~~
Jonathan Ott Books
Deluxe editions of
ethnopharmacologist
Jonathan Ott's books
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