CHRIS CHADWELL Modern-day Plant Hunter, Freelance Lecturer, Travel Photographer, Proprietor of Chadwell Seeds since 1984, Botanist and Leader of 28 expeditions to the Himalaya  Chris with stunning Salvia hians in the NW Himalaya Choice seed for discerning and adventurous gardeners Entertaining, informative digital presentations for clubs and societies Scientific research and plant conservation projects in the Himalaya Support for genuine charities in the Himalaya Advice on plant-related topics, available to individuals and organisations operating in and travelling to, the Himalaya I was described as, " something of an anachronism*, a botanist by training, a conservationist by inclination and an old-fashioned plant hunter by profession", in a newspaper article written during a lecture tour undertaken in New Zealand some 20 years ago. * meaning from "a different age" E-mail: chrischadwell261@btinternet.com
THE PROSPECTUS FOR CHRIS CHADWELL'S AUTUMN 2014 SEED-GATHERING AND SCIENTIFIC EXPEDITION TO THE HIMALAYA, IS NOW AVAILABLE - REQUEST YOUR COPY, WHICH EXPLAINS WHICH CATEGORIES OF SHARE YOU CAN TAKE OUT AND PAYMENT OPTIONS EVEN IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO RECEIVE ANY SEED, WHY NOT SPONSOR THIS YEAR'S EXPEDITION, CONTRIBUTING TO ON-GOING CONSERVATION, MEDICINAL PLANT AND BOTANICAL PROJECTS BY TAKING OUT A SUPPORTER CATEGORY SHARE FOR £30? A £10 DONATION WILL BE MADE TO THE BRITAIN-NEPAL MEDICAL TRUST ON YOUR BEHALF, PER SHARE. I HOPE YOU CONSIDER MY WORK DESERVES YOUR ENCOURAGEMENT.....
'The Golden Kashmir Iris' flourishing in Chris' front garden in Slough!
Dhaulagiri - the 'White Mountain', Nepal Himalaya
'The Sacred Lotus of India' adorning a Kashmir lake
Local man in Kulu Valley, Western Himalaya
Crossing a high pass in the borderlands of Western Tibet by jeep
Chris outside a trekking lodge in Mustang District, Nepal (Photo: Bikash Rai)  'West Himalayan Blue-Poppy' (Meconopsis aculeata) WELCOME TO MY WEBSITE Please take your time to browse through the different sections highlighting my varied activities and what I offer (YOU CAN EASILY NAVIGATE AROUND THIS BY USING THE TOPIC HEADINGS ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE-BAR) Enjoy and savour the images taken during my recent travels, which celebrate wild flowers, the pristine environments where they are found, combined with the best of gardens and garden flowers - not forgetting the peoples of the Himalaya and borderlands of Tibet and their fine mountains Operating as I do, on a freelance, "not-for-profit" basis, your support and encouragement is invaluable for me to continue with my on-going research visits, especially those in the borderlands of Tibet - almost all of which are undertaken on a voluntary basis. After devoting more than 30 years to the study of Himalayan flora, I am in a unique position to contribute further towards the FLOWERS FIT FOR A DALAI LAMA Plant Conservation Project, an up-to-date FLORA for LADAKH (known as 'Little Tibet') and providing advice on other projects. Professor Norm Deno stated that "TO SOW A SEED IS A NOBLE DEED" and "PROPAGATION IS CONSERVATION" within his 'Seed Germination, Theory and Practise" publications. I totally agree. My own 'seed' sowing is not limited to plants: one of the objectives of sharing with you a 'personal and very much, private' glimpse of my life on this site, is to encourage and inspire others to respect our remaining un-spoilt places and the people who live there. Such a 'seed' urgently needs sowing in the minds of as many people as possible.......
'Hooker's Iris' (Iris hookeriana) in Kashmir
Cremanthodium decaisnei in the NW Himalaya
Landslide in the borderlands of Western Tibet
A glorious gentian on a mountain slope in Nepal
Chris beside a high-altitude lake in the Kashmir Himalaya SEEDS As Proprietor of CHADWELL SEEDS (Established in 1984) I offer, in association with P.Kohli & Co., India (Established in 1928), an exceptional range of rarely available seed of rockery subjects, herbaceous perennials, climbers, shrubs and trees from various parts of the world for discerning and adventurous gardeners. (See CHADWELL SEEDS section of this web-site to request a copy of this catalogue)
Pages from a past Chadwell Seeds Catalogue
Gardeners for P.Kohli & Co., in Kashmir in 2012 In addition to the seed offered on a per packet basis within my catalogues, I have led 28 plant-hunting and scientific expeditions to different regions of the Himalaya. During these seed of a fascinating range of species, not available from other sources is allocated to those who take out a "share" in advance. A copy of the prospectus for his Autumn (Fall) 2014 Expedition will be available sometime in April (explaining where he is going, the types of seed he expects to collect, types and cost of shares and how to pay) (See SEEDS FOR THE CONNOISSEUR section of this web-site for further details)
Tibetan Larkspur (Delphinium brunonianum) in Little Tibet - who wouldn't wish to grow this in their garden? TALKS/PRESENTATIONS Chris has proven to be a popular and versatile public-speaker, having delivered hundreds of entertaining and informative lectures around the UK. His latest digital presentations appeal to garden clubs, specialist horticultural societies along with more general audiences such as National Trust Centres and U3A groups. He has undertaken lecture tours and speaking engagements in the USA, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, France, Ireland and India. Audiences now regularly remark that the images he shows at his lectures are amongst the best they have ever seen. Why not suggest him as a speaker to the programme secretary of a society you belong to? (See DIGITAL PRESENTATIONS FOR CLUBS and SOCIETIES section of this web-site for details of the topics he offers, his availability and fees)
Title slide of two of Chris' digital presentations
SCIENTIFIC PROJECTS IN THE HIMALAYA Chris recently established the FLOWERS FIT FOR A DALAI LAMA Plant Conservation Project, offering long-term advice on the cultivation and identification of Himalayan plants used in Tibetan Medicine. Through awards of the KOHLI MEMORIAL GOLD MEDAL, on behalf of the Himalayan Plant Association, recognition is brought to individuals (past and present-day), along with Institutions in the Himalaya, who have made a significant contribution to the study, cultivation or conservation of Himalayan flora. He has also undertaken intensive research on the plants of Ladakh over a period of more than 30 years, with a view to producing a flora (See PLANT CONSERVATION and BOTANICAL projects section of this web-site, should wish to learn more about these worthwhile activities - and perhaps become a supporter)
Chris honouring Prem Nath KOHLI during commemorative event in Delhi, India in 2009
Chris with Ladakhi family
Lama in Ladakh - clearly comfortable posing! CHARITIES Chris has raised money for a number of organisations and charities operating in the Himalaya, particularly The Britain-Nepal Medical Trust (BNMT) and wishes to draw attention to others which he judges to be worth supporting. Funds should be directed towards the best. (See FUNDRAISING FOR CHARITIES Section of this web-site)
Matthew Chadwell, Chris' eldest son visiting the BNMT's Kathmandu HQ in 2010 WILD FLOWERS OF BRITAIN It is not just plants in the Himalaya or North America which Chris values. Very much a field botanist at heart, he undertook surveys of riverside vegetation and potential sites of Special Scientific Interest in Wales in the 1980s for the then Wales Field Unit of The Nature Conservancy Council. He is currently Botanical Recorder for Iver & District Countryside, compiling a check-list of local flora (See WILD FLOWERS OF BRITAIN section of this web-site to view images he has taken recently)
BRINGING OUT THE BEST IN PEOPLE.....
The admirable sentiments of India's first prime minister after Independence in 1947, inscribed below his statue in Manali, Himachal Pradesh. The world would be a better place if every nation and individual citizen in the world adopted such a philosophy.
Let me end with images of a cute Nepali girl (who was highly intelligent and full of enthusiasm for life) holding one of my business cards looking after her younger brother (see below) giving the standard greeting of "Namaste" - let us celebrate and help protect their charm and innocence. They and the people of Nepal deserve better in the future. We can do "our bit" by making sure aid monies are spent more effectively than they have been in the past.... Why not find out more about the ways I and others try to "put something back" in the Himalaya? Take a look at the different sections of this site and then help me or directly support charities I am able to recommend. Some of them are genuine and doing worthwhile work along the Himalaya. Let us be "street-wise" and support the best.... And for those planning to trek in the Himalaya, whether with a group on a organised tour or more informally, be prepared to ask searching questions. Safety is the number one consideration in mountains in any part of the world. Do not ASSUME your guide or porters are necessarily that experienced or have satisfactory insurance. Recent multiple deaths of sherpas on Everest has drawn attention to the risks they face. Just because you are not attempting to scale a peak does not mean there are no dangers and why should those allowing you to enjoy your holiday, be at greater risk than you? Please note, mountains in the Himalaya are never 'Conquered' - they need to be respected - so they allow climbers to descend in one piece! Expeditions along the Himalaya in the 1930s typically had team-members knowledgeable about and appreciative of the flowers and birds - 'The Valley of Flowers' (Smythe) or 'Peaks and Lamas' (Pallis) represent good accounts of mountaineering ventures of that period and even up to the 1960s, the likes of Oleg Polunin, a botany master at Charterhouse Public School, accompanied a number of explorations in the Himalaya and Karakoram, as non-climbing naturalist.
CHRIS IS REGULARLY APPROACHED FOR ADVICE ON A NUMBER OF MATTERS RELATED TO THE FLOWERS OF AND TRAVEL IN THE HIMALAYA. THIS CONSULTANCY SERVICE IS PROVIDED FOR FREE. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT RECENT INQUIRIES, SEE THE 'ADVICE SECTION' AT THE TOP OF THE NAVIGATION BAR TO THE RIGHT OF THIS HOME PAGE
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