Optima Flora
On the 25th of September 1992 Optima Flora was formed from the merge between Kompatibelle and the Vereniging van Studenten in de Plantenziektenkunde. This was a surprise to some as the previous study associations had grown into a rivalry. However, as people noted, these students share the same goal; creating the optimal plant. Therefore, the name Optima Flora was chosen. The logo consisted of a pentagon that symbolized the five departments with a plant in the middle that symbolized the optimal plant. 

It took a while for the association to become official as the contact with the notary was arduous. That caused the first almanac (Blikvanger) to be finished before the association was even official.

Members called themselves optimaal floristen (optimal florists). They organized a range of different activities, wrote the ‘Rumor Perfectus’ as their association its magazine and produced four almanacs. Optima Flora was also the originator of the infamous HTT-committee. The logo was later changed to a plant growing inside a DNA helix which formed an arrow pointing up, indicating the improvement of the optimal plant.

However, the writers of the last almanac (1999) already knew that they were writing the last one of their association. Without knowing what the future held they trusted in the plant science students and their history of activity in study associations. Therefore, they called their last almanac ‘Onkruid vergaat niet’ (Weeds don’t die out).

It would be the last almanac, because studies and therefore the associations were about to merge again. Students and teachers alike blamed governmental policy for the decrease in the amount of students in agriculture. That is because large budget cuts and increased regulations were implemented in agricultural policy in the ‘90s. The budget that the university received from the government also got cut drastically, forcing the university to restructure. The agricultural advise that the university provided to farmers was also privatized. That all led to the decrease in agriculture students, which in turn led to the merge. However, this decrease in students did not seem to affect the amount of students that were present at activities, but the merge of the studies left them no choice but to merge themselves.

However, shortly before the association would merge again they wanted to put someone in the spotlight. Bert van Marrewijk had helped students as a study advisor since kompatibelle still existed. But apart from his normal tasks he also helped students get internships and jobs in a time where this was a big challenge. Therefore Optima Flora made him an honorary member on the 23rd of september 2000.

His honorary membership was adopted by Semper Florens just a month later. He, Arie Groot and Jan Smeding were the only remaining honorary members back then and were thus the first three honorary members of Semper Florens.

After eight years of activity by Optima Flora the merge between them and WSV Navantus had finished. On the 31st of October 2000 a new association was born.