Sacred Succulents. Cactus O.G. Ben Kamm Fundraising
If you were to name the most OG cactus people, Benn Kamm would be in the very short list and at the top of many people’s list if not most. If you have an interest in Trichocereus, you have benefited from his work, period. He is more than a cactus person though. He collects, studies and houses many rare, medicinal, edible and otherwise interesting plants. In a perfect world, he would have a lot of support to do what he is good at and passionate about. He’s trying to raise money right now to address urgent and critical infrastructure issues. Below is his fundraiser email text. You can also just follow this link to make donations, either ongoing or one time. https://ssbp.betterworld.org/campaigns/renovating-our-nursery
Or send cash/checks to
Sacred Succulents, po box 781, Sebastopol, CA 95473
Ben’s contributions to the cactus community have been monumental and this is a great opportunity to loop some resources back into his valuable work. I’m hoping to talk him into doing a nursery tour video for youtube. Fingers crossed.
SACRED SUCCULENTS FUNDRAISER EMAIL:
This is a call for aid. We seek your support to fund extensiverenovations to the aging infrastructure of Sacred Succulent's nursery & conservancy-research garden—endeavors that are nowcritical 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 Consider Making a Donation Today—any amount helps!
https://ssbp.betterworld.org/campaigns/renovating-our-nursery
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.
For more info and nursery photos, see https://sacredsucculents.com/support-our-endeavors
Donations can also be sent as cash, check or money order to:
Sacred Succulents, po box 781, Sebastopol, CA 95473
Note: while Sacred Succulents is not currently a 501(c)(3), we are assessing the viability of transitioning to become a non-profit and are in the process of arranging fiscal-sponsorship: Those interested in making larger, tax-deductible donations should contact us - benkamm@monitor.net
Handpicked plants & seeds, art, special access & catalog discounts, and nursery & garden tours are available as thank you gifts for your donations, select the various donation amounts for specifics.
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:
“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 from habitat loss and climate change 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
“Sacred Succulent’s 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
“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 species... 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
“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
“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
“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.
“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
“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
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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 & SeedsConservation of Resilient Biodiversity through Propagation, Dissemination and Education
Become a patron of our vital endeavors: https://ssbp.betterworld.org/donate