Learning opportunities

“The concept of plant blindness refers to the inability to see or notice the plants in one’s own environment. The term was coined twenty years ago by two botanists, Elizabeth Schussler, of the Ruth Patrick Science Educator Center in Aiken, South Carolina, and James Wandersee, of Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. Plant blindness is a form of cognitive bias, which in its broadest meaning, is a human tendency to ignore plants. This includes such phenomena as not noticing plants in the surrounding environment, not recognizing the importance of plant life to the whole biosphere and to human affairs, a philosophical view of plants as an inferior form of life to animals and/or the inability to appreciate the unique features or aesthetics of plants” (Wikipedia).

The primary goal of this effort is to combat this unfortunate human condition. To cure this ailment, lectures and field experiences provides a range of botanical education opportunities to the general public at minimal cost to the participant.

Lectures

General, non-technical, presentations on a number of basic botany topics to include bryophytes, Poaceae (grasses), Cyperaceae (sedges), and Juncaceae (rushes). Additional topics include carnivorous plants, lichens, and fungi (with a colleague) in addition to specialized habitats such as biological soil crusts, bogs, etc. Presentations can generally be customized to address your groups specific interests. For additional information about these lectures select the CONTACT button in the main menu and complete the requested information.

Field Experience

Field experiences are intended to immerse the participant in an in-depth examination of the specific topic through a combination of technical lectures (an expanded version of the general lecture series above) and field and lab observations of the organisms at selected locations. These are typically 2-3 day excursions at public and private field sites.

To learn more about these Lectures and Field Experiences, click the appropriate link from the menu to the left.

Linked below are a few interesting sites dealing with various aspects of plants which may be of interest.

  • In Defense of Plants is a great site for podcasts, and other related information, providing a diverse array of topics about plant blindness.

  • Dr. Christopher Martine’s “Plants are Cool Too” videos are also very informative.

  • Seeds: The Untold Story is a video produced by Collective Eye Films which deals with plant adaptations for seed dispersal.