Wendell S. Minnich, better known as "Woody" Minnich (born 1947), is an American field explorer, photographer, grower, and lecturer primarily known for his extensive field documentation of cacti and succulents.
Early life edit
Born in Ohio in 1947, Woody was raised in the Mojave Desert by his father, an outdoorsman and a rocket scientist involved in the development of the Sidewinder missile, and his mother, a painter.[1] He developed an interest in desert flora and fauna during the 1950s when his father would bring him along to the desert areas surrounding the Naval Air Weapons Station at China Lake.[1][2] During college he would commute home through the Simi Valley, driving by a house with a cactus garden. The owners (Bill and Ellen Lowe) gifted him his first plants and introduced him to the cactus scene in Baja.[1]
Later on he was noticed by Werner Rauh, then Director of Heidelberg's botanical gardens, who introduced him to field research and invited him on his expeditions.[1]
Contributions edit
Woody has traveled the world documenting cacti and succulents in their habitats on more than 128 major trips.[3] While over 70 were in Mexico,[4] he has also explored Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Madagascar, Namibia, New Zealand, Peru, South Africa, the United States, and Yemen.[3][5] During his trips he claims to have discovered three major species of Mammillaria, including Mammillaria minnichii, found in Oaxaca, Mexico and named after him.[2] However, the name Mammillaria minnichii has not been validly published in the scientific literature, and is not found in any biodiversity databases (e.g. Plants of the World Online).
His photographs have been published in many books and journals, including Mammillaria: the cactus file handbook (Pilbeam, 1999), Echeveria Cultivars (Schulz and Kappitany, 2005), The New Cactus Lexicon (Graham and Hunt, 2006), Copiapa (Schulz, 2016), Cactus and Succulent Journal, as well as Xerophile: Cactus Photographs from Expeditions of the Obsessed (Cactus Store, 2021), where he is listed as the primary photographer.
Woody is a recognized international speaker, having used his experience in both the field and his nursery to lecture at conventions, events, and organizations around the world, in countries such as Argentina, Australia, England, Germany, New Zealand, Mexico, and the United States.[6]
He is an honorary life member of 9 clubs and a life member of the CSSA (Cactus & Succulent Society of America). Over the span of his career, he has covered many leadership roles at various organizations, including being President of the Los Angeles Cactus and Succulent Society[4] and co-creator and current President of the Santa Fe Cactus and Succulent Club.[3] While it has been claimed he was President of the CSSA,[7] this contradicts CSSA records.
Since 1975, Woody has operated the nursery Cactus Data Plants, known for catering to hardcore cactus growers and collectors.[2]
Following an investigation by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in March 1985 undercover agents seized 220 endangered cacti, including Aztekium ritteri and Ariocarpus agavoides, smuggled to the United States from Mexico, from several locations, including Cactus Data Plants operated by Woody, then located in Littlerock, CA. Woody and others were indicted on federal charges in May 1986.[8] Being found guilty of charges of conspiracy and unlawful importation of CITES- and ESA-protected species, Woody was fined $2,500, put on supervised probation for five years, and had his car confiscated.[9]
Personal life edit
Woody lives with his wife in Cedar Grove, New Mexico. He is of German and 1/64 Sac and Fox heritage. In the 60s he played guitar in The Humane Society (band).[1] For over 32 years he worked as a secondary school teacher of Graphics, Art, and Architecture, until he retired in 2003.[2]
References edit
- ^ a b c d e Xerophile: Cactus Photographs from Expeditions of the Obsessed (Revised ed.). Ten Speed Press. 2021. pp. 331–333. ISBN 9781984859341.
- ^ a b c d Brown, Eryn (2005-09-29). "He knows their every spine". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
- ^ a b c "Woody Minnich | March 1st Speaker". Gates Cactus and Succulent Society. 2023-02-24. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
- ^ a b Woody Minnich - Bromeliads in the Americas - Sept 5, 2015 - Part One, retrieved 2024-03-14
- ^ "Inside the Indiana Jones-like World of Cactus Explorers". PBS SoCal. 2017-08-25. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
- ^ "Brief Biography of Wendell S. (Woody) Minnich" (PDF). New Mexico Cactus Society. 2011.
- ^ McGivney, Annette (2019-02-20). "'Yanked from the ground': cactus theft is ravaging the American desert". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
- ^ Palermo, Dave (1986-05-30). "Rare Plants From Mexico : 9 Indicted in Cacti Smuggling". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
- ^ "Cacti Collectors Fined" (PDF). Traffic Bulletin. 8 (3): 35. 4 November 1986.