The study represents the second major milestone of the Orchid Tree of Life project, which Pérez-Escobar leads as a Research Group Leader at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Wandering through the forest with Ríos, Pérez-Escobar was stunned by the abundance and complexity of orchid species. Today, he not only steers the Orchid Tree of Life project, but also coordinates the Taxonomic Expertise Network on Tropical American Orchids and serves as trustee of the Swiss Orchid Foundation. His vision is clear: to use science not only to map the tree of life, but to safeguard it. As he reflects on his journey from Colombia’s cloud forests to leading cutting-edge research at Kew, Pérez-Escobar is keenly aware of the broader stakes.