To qualify for a certificate or award, certain requirements must be met. These are relatively few and easy to comply with. The requirements are as follows:
Plants reproduced must conform with the following definition of a true aquatic plant:
- A true aquatic plant is one which, in the wild or native state, can be found either as free floating, rooted with leaves floating at the surface of the water or projecting into the air, or completely submerged as a normal occurrence at some time during the course of one calendar year.
- Verification of the plant by either the HAP Chairperson or designate, or the HAP Committee.
- Members should notify the HAP Chairperson when requiring verification so that an initial or second inspection, identification, and HAP report can be completed.
- Verification of the plant in classes A through D will have to be brought to the general meeting for verification. In hardship cases, the HAP Committee representative can visit the member’s home so the plant will not have to be uprooted. The HAP Committee reserves the right to exclude any plant which is doubtful.
- Since flowering may not coincide with meeting dates and flowers would need to be kept to harvest seeds, Class E entries may be submitted by means of a clear digital image or colour photograph taken of the member's plant.
- A completed HAP Report must accompany the plant for verification. The HAP Report Form should be completed and signed by the participant and submitted to the HAP Chairperson. It is his/her responsibility to include the species' scientific name along with all other pertinent information. A clear digital image or colour photograph will be required for any unidentified plant. Unidentified plant species will be assigned a code number for record until scientifically identified. This photograph will become property of the Winnipeg Aquarium Society until the plant is identified.
- To create interest in the program, one of the following options must be exercised by the member: Donation of one plant to be auctioned at the general meeting according to Winnipeg Aquarium Society rules and regulations. This plant must be of the same species for which points were awarded;
Or
Submission of a written article to the HAP Chairperson for publication throgh the club website. This article should include a description of the plant and the methods used in the growth and propagation of the plant. Any information on type of reproduction, special methods used to aid growth, type of light, size of tank, bottom media, or problems encountered during propagation would be welcomed.
The following will be considered the basis for reproduction:
Growth
Floating Plants
Doubling in amount of plant material.
Bunching Plants
Doubling in amount of plant material, determined by a count of rooted growing stems.
Runners/Division
A single, healthy plant reproduced by means of underground stems, roots, runners or by simple fragmentation of parts of the plant which are capable of surviving independently of the parent plant immediately. The parent plant is required to be alive and in good health.
Flowering
Recognition will be awarded for all reported flowerings of aquatic plants, with or without the successful propagation of that particular plant.
Seed Production
Seeds collected from the flowers of a members aquatic plant will be granted award, with or without the successful propagation of that particular plant.
Full sexual reproduction
Recognition for full sexual reproduction from the seeds of a members aquarium plant will be awarded once the plant is large enough to identify it as coming from the said parent plant.
For more information, contact:
HAP Chair |
[email protected]