American Shohin

The American Shohin Bonsai Association (ASBA) became a 501(c) (3) tax-exempt educational organization on July 28, 2009, and intends to provide educational services and activities to encourage and promote the art of bonsai, throughout the country. ASBA, through its website www.americanshohin.org, will provide its members with the educational resources necessary to improve and refine their bonsai skills.

Library: The ASBA bonsai library will be the first of its kind on the Internet. It will be a one-stop source for information on the various bonsai species starting with summary care sheets which will identify the basic information for growing a particular species of bonsai. In addition, members will have access to photographs to identify various aspects of a species such as bark texture, foliage, fruits, and flowers. The library will also have sections devoted to insect and disease identification, including photographs, which affect the various bonsai species. This information will all be cross-referenced within the library, making research easier.

Video Library: In addition to the library of written literature, ASBA will record video demonstrations and lectures on various aspects of bonsai. Topics such as pot selection, repotting, wiring and other techniques will be added to library in the near future.

Scholarships: ASBA will start implementing scholarship programs beginning in 2010. The first scholarship program will encourage participants to prepare video recordings of themselves engaging in a demonstration or lecture on a particular topic. The winning video demonstrator will be awarded a $1,000 scholarship to further their studies in the art of bonsai and encourage them to take a teaching role to other bonsai enthusiasts.

Educational Programs: ASBA intends to develop programs to encourage youths, people with disabilities, and underprivileged people in the art of bonsai.

Publications: ASBA publishes a newsletter every two months devoted to the art of shohin bonsai. The newsletter contains articles on shohin bonsai, current bonsai articles, as well as sources of bonsai-related materials available for sale.