About growing orchids.
- Had a small flower garden at about the age of 8 years.
- Made a collection of slides from alpine flora from 1974 on till today (some lectures about this subject in Austria and Switzerland).
- Notable interest in Belgian and European flora, wrote some articles of the medical use of herbs in the magazine ‘Macrobiotiek Vlaanderen’ (in Dutch, 1973-1974).

- Growing tropical orchids since November 1974 (at this moment a collection of about 750 plants, most of them species).
- In vitro propagation of tropical orchids from 1980 till 1997.
- Personal orchid herbarium (pressed and alcohol specimen, drawings: black-white and colour) since 1995.

Digital graphic design.
- 2000-2004: followed training and obtained a certificate in digital design, typography, layout, Photoshop and web design in 2004.

Society life.
- 1984 - 1992 and from 1999 - 2024 redactor in chief of the bulletin ‘Het Venusschoentje’.
- Produced in 1991 an important, bilingual (French and Dutch) brochure about C.I.T.E.S. for Orchids, the C.E.E rules and the Belgian laws. The brochure is easily adaptable at the changing of rules and laws so that she could be up to date at all times.
- From September 1991 till 1999 president of 'De Orchideevriend'.
- 1992: co-founder of 'Orchidéenne', Independent Organisation for Contact between societies with interest in orchids and for active protection and conservation of orchid species - a society for societies (this society does not exist anymore due to lack of interest from orchid societies).

My articles about orchids.
- Wrote about 400 articles about orchids and orchid culture, protection and conservation. Most of the articles ware for the bulletin of the Belgian Orchid Society ‘De Orchideevriend’ / 'Orchideeën Vereniging Vlaanderen'.
- Published in Orchideeën (Dutch Orchid Society N.O.V.); Caesiana (Italy); Orchidées, Culture et Protection (France); Orchids Australia (Australian Orchid Council); Orchids (American Orchid Society) and The Orchid Review (RHS). Many of the articles ware illustrated with self-made drawings or photographs.
- Compiled ‘Handleiding en Overzicht voor de liefhebber orchideeënkweker’ (160 pp. in Dutch) for orchid amateurs just started with orchid growing (1986).

European Orchid Council (EOC).
- Since 1986 representing ‘De Orchideevriend’, today 'Orchideeën Vereniging Vlaanderen', in the European Orchid Council (E.O.C).
- From 1992 till 2002 member of Coordinators Commission of the E.O.C.
- From 2000 on till 2009 Board Representative for Eastern Europe and minutes secretary.
- From 2001 till 2009 member of the EOC Board of Directors.

International.
- Since 1995 member of the I.U.C.N./S.S.C./Orchid Specialist Group.

Shows and judging.
- Active collaborator in the organisation of several orchid shows, national and international.
- Artistic designer of several personal orchid displays (most important ware Hanover 1994, London 1997, ’98, ’99, 2000 and Geneva 1997), Orchidee ‘96 in Gent (Belgium) and an orchid show in the Museum of Natural Sciences in Brussels (1989).
- Designer of orchid shows in the UGent Botanic Garden in 2007 and 2009, Alden Biesen 2012-2015 (Belgium), ORCHILIM 2019.

- 1987 First judging experience in Germany (Köln) presenting 3 plants at a table judging.
- At the WOC in Glasgow 1993 secretary and student judge in a judging team with Dr. Henry Oakeley.
- Was present as guest and as orchid judge at many orchid judging’s: all E.O.C.C.E. orchid shows since 1991 (team captain at the EOCCE 2006 in Padua), WOC 1993 in Glasgow (trainee) and WOC 2002 in Malaysia.
- Since the end of 2004 till 2008 (then the AFJO became dormant) president of the AFJO, the Francophone society for orchid judging (Association Francophone pour le Judgement des Orchidées).
- Created with support of the 'Fondation Orchidée' (Switzerland) an interactive CD for education purposes of trainee orchid judges.

WOC Dijon 2005.
- Was active member of the organisation, especially the judging, of the 18° World Orchid Congress and Show, 2005 – Dijon, France.
- At the 18th WOC in Dijon (France) 2005 in charge of the organisation of the judging click here! and go to WOC 18 - Dijon.
- Presented at the 18th WOC a poster for the EOC about the 'European important orchid collections'.

EOCCE and Europe (lecturing & judging).
- Was lecturer and judge at the EOCCE 2006 in Padua with 2 lectures.
- Was lecturing and judging at the EOCCE in Dresden 2009.
- Was at the EOCCE 2012 in Budapest as judge and lecturer.
- November 2015 (S.F.O. - Paris) lecturing about the organisation of Orchid Judging at different types of orchid shows.
- Organised the judging at Alden Biesen 2012-2015 (Belgium), La Capelle 2012-2013-2014-2015 (France) and Wallers-Arenberg 2012-2014-2018 (France), ORCHILIM 2019.
- Was present as judge, sometimes as (co-)organiser of the judging at the occasion of several orchid shows in France, Italy, Denmark, Switzerland, Belgium and Germany (2000 - 2018).
- Advising on their request for the judging committee at the 20th World Orchid Congress and Show in Singapore.

Lecturing.
- Since 1987 lecturing about different aspects of orchids in French, English, German or Dutch in France, Germany (EOCCE and at Orchid Society meetings), Italy (poster about the genus ‘Lycaste’ at the European Orchid Congress 1991 and 2 lectures at the European Orchid Congress 2006 in Padua), Switzerland (in French and in German), Holland, Denmark (EOCCE 2000), Dresden (EOCCE 2009), Belgium (a lot - in Dutch and French), Budapest 2012 (EOCCE) and Rumania.

Publications.
- Autor of 'Het Beloofde Land', 1994, a diary telling about life in Rumania after the December revolution of 1989 (edited by Libertas, Mol-Belgium,1994). Nature and orchids are also important in this book.
- 1995-96: Co-founder of Mednet, a non-profit organisation following Rumanian laws. Mednet hopes to become active in nature and conservation, development of tourism and first line medicine in rural areas, The foundation became dormant in 2005.
- 2013: production of a poster (A2): all 'Endemic Orchids in Belgium'. click here!

A bit of science.
- Since 1996 scientific collaborator (systematics of orchidaceae) at the University Gent Belgium (lab morphology, systematics and ecology).
- Described ‘Epipactis atrorubens (Bernh.) Besser f. sirneensis’ in Caesiana 1995 nr. 5.
- Publication of Aerangis karthalensis (with Marc Herremans), a new orchid species from the Comoro Islands in Caesiana, 2/2006.
- 2 Orchid species have been named after me: Ida rikii Oakeley and Crossoglossa neirynckiana Szlach. & Marg.

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Lectures

Lijst van voordrachten door Rik Neirynck. Contact Rik Neirynck
Liste des conférences par Rik Neirynck. Contact Rik Neirynck
List of lectures by Rik Neirynck. Contact Rik Neirynck