by Cameron Linton | Jun 3, 2018 | Biology, Education
When I say botanist, you might think of a white-bearded man scampering around the woods collecting flowers. Maybe you think of a slightly nutty woman a la Professor Sprout in Harry Potter. Or perhaps you just shrug at me. What is a botanist and what do botanists do?...
by Cameron Linton | May 28, 2018 | Biology, Education, Plant Identification
Tree identification can be a fun way to learn more about the plants around you. It also can be frustrating and cumbersome thanks to the world’s incredible array of plant species. On top of that, field guides can be a pain to carry around, and aren’t always...
by Cameron Linton | May 24, 2018 | Biology, Education, Useful Plants
California wildflowers build seed banks during drought the same way a prudent employee saves money during a recession. According to a study published in Ecology in March of 2018, California’s wildflowers increased seed production over 200% during the 2012-2015...
by Cameron Linton | May 22, 2018 | Biology, Education
Plants are a lot more devious than we once thought. Scientists recently discovered that Dodder, a problematic parasitic plant that causes millions of dollars of damage each year to crops, can basically hack into its host’s genes. You read that right. A parasitic plant...
by Cameron Linton | May 22, 2018 | Biology, Education, Gardening, Plant Identification, Useful Plants
Almost every culture and religion out there make use of sacred plants. People revere these sacred plants for their medicinal qualities, culinary use, healing power, or cultural purposes. Learning about the history and culture of plants is part of the study of...
by Cameron Linton | May 18, 2018 | Biology, Education
Humans are pretty biased when it comes to evaluating the intelligence of other species. We only recently admitted that our closest relatives use tools. Many people still struggle to understand that other species can feel many emotions and even have culture. The more...
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