- Natural History Museum, London, Life Sciences, Department Memberadd
- Gender and Science, Botany, Learning and Teaching, Biology, Darwin, Environmental Education, and 31 moreChildren's environments, Field botany, Literature And Science, Children's Perceptions, Taxidermy, Gothic and horror writing, Citizen Science, Public Understanding Of Science, Outdoor Education, Botanical literature, History of Science, History, Institutional Value, Jacqueline Palmer Nature, Special Needs Environmental Education, Outdoor Learning Special Educational Needs, Learning Science Through Experiments, Carnivorous Plants Essay, Education, Botanic Gardens, Arts-Based Research, Art and Science, Science Education, Ecology, Critical Animal Studies, Outdoor Learning, Biodiversity, Outdoor Play and Learning, Conservation Biology, Anthropocene, and mashing up the institution: Teacher as Bricoleuredit
Berger’s work (1980, 2009) provokes us to adjust our frames of attention both within, and beyond, an anthropocentric lens. In this chapter two climbing plants: Monstera deliciosa (The Swiss Cheeseplant) naturally found in South-American... more
Berger’s work (1980, 2009) provokes us to adjust our frames of attention both within, and beyond, an anthropocentric lens. In this chapter two climbing plants: Monstera deliciosa (The Swiss Cheeseplant) naturally found in South-American rainforests and Hedera helix (Common Ivy), which occurs across Europe, are used as focal points from which to consider ‘plant blindness’ (Wandersee and Schussler, 1999,2001). As Berger has noted, ‘our customary visible order is not the only one: it coexists with other orders’ (Berger, 2009, p.10). Time-lapse photography has enabled the private lives of plants, and plant movement, to become more visible to humans (Attenborough, 1995) and yet we still appear to render plants, and their movements, invisible. No less so than in and around our homes. Schiebinger affirms the act of naming ‘as a deeply social process’ (2004, p.195) and speaks of the ‘linguistic imperialism’ of binomial names developed by the Swedish botanist, Linnaeus. However, an even greater act of imperialistic enclosure is embodied in the aforementioned climbing plants; one has a long-history of life in captivity as a ‘house-plant’; the other is commonly viewed on an antagonistic continuum between an ‘attractive’ plant, which can make shady walls interesting and a self-clinging, rapid-growing ‘nuisance’ on homes and walls (RHS, 2016). Climbing was one of the plant movements that fascinated Charles Darwin. In his desire to study this aspect of ‘plantness’ (Darley, 1990) he used the walls of his own home as an experimental plane upon which to watch the ‘twitchers, twiners, climbers and scramblers’ (Browne, 2003, p.417). In so doing he became increasingly intimate with the diverse strategies plants employ to sense structures that can aid their clamber away from the dark towards the light. And yet these complex morphologies and behaviours are often reduced to simple everyday categorisations, as in the case of Hedera helix (Common Ivy) or creating a functional need (a plant support) in their care, as in the case of Monstera deliciosa (The Swiss Cheese Plant). Berger suggests, in The Field, that our observance of a ‘first event’ can lead us to observe other events, which result in us being ‘within the experience’ (Berger, 1980 p.196-197), thus Darwin, through his lengthy observations of climbing plants became familiar with the subtle nuances of plant movement and came to understand the ‘quietly complicated lives of plants’ (Browne, 2003, p.163).
Research Interests:
This chapter is an exploration of the possibilities afforded children’s imaginations by three books. It constitutes a teacher’s situated reflection on how the heterotopic “nowhere and here” of children’s literature can be a metaphorical... more
This chapter is an exploration of the possibilities afforded children’s imaginations by three books. It constitutes a teacher’s situated reflection on how the heterotopic “nowhere and here” of children’s literature can be a metaphorical window to “something or somewhere else” in the context of environmental sustainability. Children’s stories are reflected on as points of departure from which to consider an aesth/ethical (Bergmann 2005) trope between humans, more-than-humans and material matter.
Research Interests:
Darwin has been the subject of many published biographies (e.g. Desmond & Moore, 1991; Browne, 1995, 2003) and, as a prolific correspondent (see Stafford chapter), offers extensive personal material with which to build a biographical... more
Darwin has been the subject of many published biographies (e.g. Desmond & Moore, 1991; Browne, 1995, 2003) and, as a prolific correspondent (see Stafford chapter), offers extensive personal material with which to build a biographical reading of his life, his science and the landscapes in which he developed his ideas. It has been suggested that Charles Darwin’s story is “the story of an era” (Browne, 1995, p.xiii) and as such offers educators a platform for learners to engage with scientific ideas throughout his life, and to appreciate the ‘power of place’ (Browne, 2003) written into his scientific identity. This chapter proposes a biographical model for using the work of scientists in teaching science. It will draw on the writings of Hustak and Myers (2013), Avraamidou and Osborne (2009), Browne (2005),Szybek (1999) and Bruner (1986,2004) in developing a narrative-based approach through which to stage Darwin’s science. In so doing it will build on Browne’s assertion that, “ the material grounds of lived experience provide an avenue of historical access extending beyond the reaches of textual evidence” (Browne, 2005, p.273).
Research Interests:
Charles Darwin’s achievements are all the more extraordinary when we reflect on the simple tools and domestic spaces in which he practised his post-Beagle enquiries. The relatively unchanged garden at Down House – with its glasshouse,... more
Charles Darwin’s achievements are all the more extraordinary when we reflect on the simple tools and domestic spaces in which he practised his post-Beagle enquiries. The relatively unchanged garden at Down House – with its glasshouse, kitchen-beds, lawn, hedgerows, adjacent woods and meadows – is a living monument to the observations, experiments, collections and continuous questioning clearly evidenced in his notes and letters. This chapter will examine Darwin’s ‘living laboratory’ in the context of gardens as scientific spaces – from the experimental garden of Gregor Mendel to contemporary studies of ecological patterns and communities in a Leicestershire suburban garden. Drawing on Darwin’s correspondence, notebooks and publications it will position Darwin within a social network of garden experimentation, and associated fieldwork, by both amateur and professional, male and female, correspondents. These historical explorations of Darwin’s ‘locale’ (Kohler, 2011, p. 581) will set the scene for contemporary discussions of Darwin-inspired learning.
Research Interests:
Much has been written on childhood experiences of gardens as places in which physical and imaginary experiences converge (e.g. Pollan, 1991). Similarly, recent research has examined the capacity of gardens and school grounds to provide... more
Much has been written on childhood experiences of gardens as places in which physical and imaginary experiences converge (e.g. Pollan, 1991). Similarly, recent research has examined the capacity of gardens and school grounds to provide artefacts and spaces for children to assimilate into imagined worlds (e.g. Malone & Tranter, 2003; Dowdell et al., 2011). In addition, a growing body of evidence affirms the rich educational opportunities provided by cultivated gardens and other outdoor landscapes (e.g. Rickinson et al., 2004; Malone, 2008).
The role that learning away from the traditional classroom plays in education has a long history; for example, Johann Comenius (1592-1670) argued that education should be a social process, much of which should occur outside of normal schooling (Braund & Reiss, 2004; Nundy, 2001). The educational theorists Pestalozzi (1746-1827), Froebal (1782-1852), Montessori (1870-1952) and Dewey (1859-1952) all highlight aspects of learning out-of-doors. In particular they see cultivated gardens as environments in which to engage in active learning. By the time of Darwin in the Victorian era, informal learning about science had become embedded in society, with the rapid advances in science and technology leading many people to visit science exhibitions and museums, as well as zoological and botanical collections; with these experiences being seen as important for ‘lifelong learning’ (Anderson, 1997; Braund & Reiss, 2004). In addition, creating personal collections of flowers and fossils and going on public excursions to observe and learn the names of plants and animals was part of the fabric of Victorian life, activities which extended across boundaries of class (Secord, 1994). Darwin himself was immersed in collecting beetles from an early age (see Chapter 7) and driven by a deep curiosity to explore the natural world (see Chapter 27).
Modern science lessons inhabit a range of environments beyond the classroom: science centres and museums, field visits, trips to universities and research institutions, botanic gardens and zoological collections (for example, Braund & Reiss, 2004; Sanders, 2007) along with the more local environments of parks, school gardens and adjacent streets (for example, Ross-Russell, 2001; Johnson, 2012). Darwin focused much of his science on learning out-of-doors and was interested in a broad range of both cultivated and other outdoor landscapes, whether it was the work he carried out on insectivorous plants in his glasshouses at Down House or his systematic surveys of the meadows surrounding his home (see Chapters 19 ). This chapter highlights the role cultivated and other outdoor landscapes can play in developing children’s understanding of the living world.
The role that learning away from the traditional classroom plays in education has a long history; for example, Johann Comenius (1592-1670) argued that education should be a social process, much of which should occur outside of normal schooling (Braund & Reiss, 2004; Nundy, 2001). The educational theorists Pestalozzi (1746-1827), Froebal (1782-1852), Montessori (1870-1952) and Dewey (1859-1952) all highlight aspects of learning out-of-doors. In particular they see cultivated gardens as environments in which to engage in active learning. By the time of Darwin in the Victorian era, informal learning about science had become embedded in society, with the rapid advances in science and technology leading many people to visit science exhibitions and museums, as well as zoological and botanical collections; with these experiences being seen as important for ‘lifelong learning’ (Anderson, 1997; Braund & Reiss, 2004). In addition, creating personal collections of flowers and fossils and going on public excursions to observe and learn the names of plants and animals was part of the fabric of Victorian life, activities which extended across boundaries of class (Secord, 1994). Darwin himself was immersed in collecting beetles from an early age (see Chapter 7) and driven by a deep curiosity to explore the natural world (see Chapter 27).
Modern science lessons inhabit a range of environments beyond the classroom: science centres and museums, field visits, trips to universities and research institutions, botanic gardens and zoological collections (for example, Braund & Reiss, 2004; Sanders, 2007) along with the more local environments of parks, school gardens and adjacent streets (for example, Ross-Russell, 2001; Johnson, 2012). Darwin focused much of his science on learning out-of-doors and was interested in a broad range of both cultivated and other outdoor landscapes, whether it was the work he carried out on insectivorous plants in his glasshouses at Down House or his systematic surveys of the meadows surrounding his home (see Chapters 19 ). This chapter highlights the role cultivated and other outdoor landscapes can play in developing children’s understanding of the living world.
Research Interests:
Kurztext "Learning by Doing" is about the history of experimentation in science education. The teaching of science through experiments and observation is essential to the natural sciences and its pedagogy. These have been conducted as... more
Kurztext
"Learning by Doing" is about the history of experimentation in science education. The teaching of science through experiments and observation is essential to the natural sciences and its pedagogy. These have been conducted as both demonstration or as student exercises. The experimental method is seen as giving the student vital competence, skills and experiences, both at the school and at the university level. This volume addresses the historical development of experiments in science education, which has been largely neglected so far.
The contributors of "Learning by Doing" pay attention to various aspects ranging from economic aspects of instrument making for science teaching, to the political meanings of experimental science education from the 17th to the 20th century. This collected volume opens the field for further debate by emphasizing the importance of experiments for both, historians of science and science educators.
"Learning by Doing" is about the history of experimentation in science education. The teaching of science through experiments and observation is essential to the natural sciences and its pedagogy. These have been conducted as both demonstration or as student exercises. The experimental method is seen as giving the student vital competence, skills and experiences, both at the school and at the university level. This volume addresses the historical development of experiments in science education, which has been largely neglected so far.
The contributors of "Learning by Doing" pay attention to various aspects ranging from economic aspects of instrument making for science teaching, to the political meanings of experimental science education from the 17th to the 20th century. This collected volume opens the field for further debate by emphasizing the importance of experiments for both, historians of science and science educators.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Fifteen primary and secondary schools made a commitment to put research at the heart of their work. Their local education authorities and a team of researchers at the National Foundation for Educational Research supported them and this... more
Fifteen primary and secondary schools made a commitment to put research at the heart of their work. Their local education authorities and a team of researchers at the National Foundation for Educational Research supported them and this book is the result. It presents 'postcards' from the journeys made by the teachers in these schools, and offers practical guidance to others. Schools chose their own research topics and approached their research in different ways. Primary schools focused on: improving reading, writing, speaking and listening; the impact of early learning strategies; using whiteboards to help develop children's writing; and helping 'newly arrived' pupils and improving parental involvement. Secondary schools focused on: the impact of teachers' questions; students' learning styles; accelerated learning; behaviour management; and students' progress in mathematics and the use of e-learning in geography. Becoming a research-engaged school is a venture into new territory, but it also provides exciting opportunities for new insights, experiences and relationships.
This book is essential reading for all schools who are interested in using research to inform their practice, as well as those who are already using research in this way.
This book is essential reading for all schools who are interested in using research to inform their practice, as well as those who are already using research in this way.
Research Interests:
This book aims to encourage Key Stage 1 teachers to investigate plants as living things with a wide range of environmental demands. This book looks at plant parts, seeds, environmental influences and plant growth. It includes ideas for... more
This book aims to encourage Key Stage 1 teachers to investigate plants as living things with a wide range of environmental demands. This book looks at plant parts, seeds, environmental influences and plant growth. It includes ideas for structuring investigations and introducing young children to scientific equipment and methods, such as measuring. The poster shows a view through a window, trees outside and seeds on the window ledge. In the picture there are a number of children growing or studying plants. This is intended as a discussion starter from which to encourage children to make their own hypotheses and investigations about their world around them. The lesson plans for the activities and photocopiable pages focus on and develop from the poster content, taking the NC, NUIC, Scottish Guidelines and QCA Science scheme into account.
Research Interests:
Through a series of practice-based narratives, drawn from specific experiences in a higher-education context in Sweden, the affordances of multimodal objects are reflected upon. In this work, multimodal objects are considered as boundary... more
Through a series of practice-based narratives, drawn from specific experiences in a higher-education context in Sweden, the affordances of multimodal objects are reflected upon. In this work, multimodal objects are considered as boundary objects that can facilitate learning conversations, both cognitive and affective. Current work in science education research has highlighted the role that boundary-crossings between knowledge and values offer teaching and learning. The author believes such boundary-crossings to be essential in the current context of prolific species extinction, on a planet in which human-made materials now outweigh the living biomass; a planet in which life, death, self and other are 'braided vulnerabilities' across a complex socio-biological landscape. Thus, in these iterative, practice-based reflections on specific teaching moments, this paper offers small steps towards reimagining biology didactics in the 'post-normal' conditions of the 21 st century. In so doing, possibilities for multimodal objects in contemporary biology didactics are reflected upon and suggested.
Research Interests:
Through two examples of artworks, both historical and contemporary, water-colour and installa- tion, this article considers possibilities for art-based research to ground new narratives of ‘plantness’ in botanic garden design. In so doing... more
Through two examples of artworks, both historical and contemporary, water-colour and installa- tion, this article considers possibilities for art-based research to ground new narratives of ‘plantness’ in botanic garden design. In so doing the author suggests that art can open windows on a little-k- nown world; and confront the human viewer with narratives that provoke them to re-calibrate their ideas about, and feelings towards, plants. Thus, questions are also asked of landscape architectu- re and the ways in which it might respond to such art-based research works and considers emergent questions for design practices wishing to make ‘Life as Plant’ more public and specific.
Attraverso due esempi di opere d’arte, sia storiche che contemporanee, acquerelli e installazioni, questo articolo considera le possibilità della ricerca basata sull’arte per fondare nuove narrazioni sulla ‘pianta’ nella progettazione dei giardini botanici. Così facendo l’autore suggerisce che l’arte può aprire finestre su un mondo poco conosciuto; e confrontare lo spettatore umano con narrazio- ni che lo spingono a ricalibrare le proprie idee e sentimenti nei confronti delle piante. Pertanto, ci si interroga anche sull’architettura del paesaggio e sui modi in cui potrebbe rispondere a tali lavori di ricerca basati sull’arte e si considerano le questioni emergenti per le pratiche di progettazione che desiderano rendere ‘La vita come pianta’ più pubblica e specifica.
Attraverso due esempi di opere d’arte, sia storiche che contemporanee, acquerelli e installazioni, questo articolo considera le possibilità della ricerca basata sull’arte per fondare nuove narrazioni sulla ‘pianta’ nella progettazione dei giardini botanici. Così facendo l’autore suggerisce che l’arte può aprire finestre su un mondo poco conosciuto; e confrontare lo spettatore umano con narrazio- ni che lo spingono a ricalibrare le proprie idee e sentimenti nei confronti delle piante. Pertanto, ci si interroga anche sull’architettura del paesaggio e sui modi in cui potrebbe rispondere a tali lavori di ricerca basati sull’arte e si considerano le questioni emergenti per le pratiche di progettazione che desiderano rendere ‘La vita come pianta’ più pubblica e specifica.
There is little room left for doubt or even debate at the severity of the ecological, indeed planetary crises that we find ourselves in during this period coined the Anthropocene. As educators working in the face of these crises, we have... more
There is little room left for doubt or even debate at the severity of the ecological, indeed planetary crises that we find ourselves in during this period coined the Anthropocene. As educators working in the face of these crises, we have asked ourselves the ‘how do we carry on?’ We reflect on a set of sensory, multimodal, meditative and arts-based pedagogical activities that bridge the geographical, biological, sociological and environmental dimensions of learning using the concepts from Hannah Arendt and John Dewey, in a higher-education context in Sweden. The first-cycle (undergraduate level) course in which these activities are conducted—Teaching sustainability from a global perspective - engages students in a range of pedagogical activities designed to encourage greater awareness of sustainability issues in diverse educational settings. In this paper we reflect on pedagogical practices as praxis in a sustainability focused course, and use the theory of practice architectures to question what people do in a particular and place. We explore how educating for the future using multimodal and arts-based pedagogies could be a strategy to support new ways for reconfiguring environmental sustainability education in the Anthropocene.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Overcoming‘plant blindness’ is a critical goal for society and especially for education.In this article, we suggest variation theory can be a useful approach to plant identification training and evaluation in higher education contexts. We... more
Overcoming‘plant blindness’ is a critical goal for society and especially for education.In this article, we suggest variation theory can be a useful approach to plant identification training and evaluation in higher education contexts. We discuss an example from Swedish higher education in which we reflect on our teaching. We propose that the conscious use of variation theory may be useful in developing pedagogical tools and processes in the teaching of plant identification.
Ett viktigt mål för samhället, särskilt för utbildningssystemen, är att vi människor blirbättre på att få syn på växter och på deras betydelse i ekosystemen. Vi behöver över-vinna vad som benämns‘växtblindhet’. I denna artikel föreslår vi att variationsteori ären bra utgångspunkt i utbildning och utvärdering av växtidentifiering inom högreutbildning. Vi redovisar exempel från svensk universitetsutbildning där vi reflekteraröver vår egen undervisning på ett systematiskt sätt. Vi föreslår att en avsiktlig utgångspunkt i variationsteorin för lärande är användbar för att vidareutvecklapedagogiska verktyg och processer i undervisning om växtidentifiering.
Ett viktigt mål för samhället, särskilt för utbildningssystemen, är att vi människor blirbättre på att få syn på växter och på deras betydelse i ekosystemen. Vi behöver över-vinna vad som benämns‘växtblindhet’. I denna artikel föreslår vi att variationsteori ären bra utgångspunkt i utbildning och utvärdering av växtidentifiering inom högreutbildning. Vi redovisar exempel från svensk universitetsutbildning där vi reflekteraröver vår egen undervisning på ett systematiskt sätt. Vi föreslår att en avsiktlig utgångspunkt i variationsteorin för lärande är användbar för att vidareutvecklapedagogiska verktyg och processer i undervisning om växtidentifiering.
Research Interests:
This article uses vignettes and photographs taken from ethnographic research to reframe the methodological assumptions within school garden research. New theoretical perspectives are applied to previous empirical school garden research... more
This article uses vignettes and photographs taken from ethnographic research to reframe the methodological assumptions within school garden research. New theoretical perspectives are applied to previous empirical school garden research that provides deeper understandings of both the teaching and the learning of ecoliteracy in such material contexts. Actor Network Theory and Social Semiotics further highlight the affordance of school garden spaces. We make public the conversations of a small research group about a perceived ethnographic turn towards materiality, aesthetics and agency.
KEYWORDS: School garden pedagogy, Actor Network Theory, social semiotics, education for sustainable development, eco-literacy, agency, materiality
KEYWORDS: School garden pedagogy, Actor Network Theory, social semiotics, education for sustainable development, eco-literacy, agency, materiality
Research Interests:
In the twenty years since the first theory of ‘plant blindness’ was published much discussion has ensued concerning this phenomenon. More recent research, not only demonstrates that humans appear to favour animals over plants but also... more
In the twenty years since the first theory of ‘plant blindness’ was published
much discussion has ensued concerning this phenomenon. More
recent research, not only demonstrates that humans appear to favour
animals over plants but also indicates a preference for mammals with
forward-facing eyes. For this paper, we analysed answers to an online
survey conducted with 202 student primary teachers in Sweden collected
over a period of two years. We focus on two open-ended questions
concerning favourite plant and animal choices and motivations for
these choices. Our intention in this study was not to contrast animal vs.
plant, but rather to further explore differential appreciation of plants and
animals. Our findings suggest that there are large variations regarding
relationships with plants and that affective connections with plant-life
are translated through expressions of beauty, symbolic meaning, emotions
(life-long) memories, colour, smell and size, and that similar characteristics
seem to attract humans to animals. Our results – in line with
arguments presented in recent studies – strongly suggest that in biological
education and conservation contexts we should rely more intentionally
on cultural and personal factors, utilise pre-existing experience based
human-plant bonds, and in so doing reinforce human recognition
and appreciation of plants.
much discussion has ensued concerning this phenomenon. More
recent research, not only demonstrates that humans appear to favour
animals over plants but also indicates a preference for mammals with
forward-facing eyes. For this paper, we analysed answers to an online
survey conducted with 202 student primary teachers in Sweden collected
over a period of two years. We focus on two open-ended questions
concerning favourite plant and animal choices and motivations for
these choices. Our intention in this study was not to contrast animal vs.
plant, but rather to further explore differential appreciation of plants and
animals. Our findings suggest that there are large variations regarding
relationships with plants and that affective connections with plant-life
are translated through expressions of beauty, symbolic meaning, emotions
(life-long) memories, colour, smell and size, and that similar characteristics
seem to attract humans to animals. Our results – in line with
arguments presented in recent studies – strongly suggest that in biological
education and conservation contexts we should rely more intentionally
on cultural and personal factors, utilise pre-existing experience based
human-plant bonds, and in so doing reinforce human recognition
and appreciation of plants.
Research Interests:
This special issue of Plants, People, Planet brings together a wide range of perspectives on the topic of “plant blindness”—the widest to date in one issue—with contributions from scholars working across a diverse range of disciplines,... more
This special issue of Plants, People, Planet brings together a wide range of perspectives on the topic of “plant blindness”—the widest to date in one issue—with contributions from scholars working across a diverse range of disciplines, from the humanities and social sciences to plant science, conservation, and ecology. We also take this opportunity to showcase the work of visual artists working at the interface of art and plant science, and educators who use plants as a key subject in their education practice. The geographical reach of the contributions is also extensive with contributions from around the globe and the Twittersphere.
Research Interests:
Educational experiences where the ecological and social significance of plants is the main focus are crucial tools to help us to overcome "plant blindness" and challenge "zoocentric" views. By examining how student teachers respond to two... more
Educational experiences where the ecological and social significance of plants is the main focus are crucial tools to help us to overcome "plant blindness" and challenge "zoocentric" views. By examining how student teachers respond to two different educational environments; one where animals are in the foreground, and another where plants take center stage, we conclude that for plants to be noticed in animal-rich environments, they need to be prominent in the design of spaces with information about them displayed clearly. This work will help inform the design and creation of tools that will enhance and develop plant science education. Summary • Plants are not only essential for human health and well-being, but are fundamental to life on Earth. Despite their central importance in sustaining life on this planet, many humans do not notice plants to the same extent as they do animals, a phenomenon described as "plant blindness". Research indicates that multimodal and sensoric experiences might be significant tools for bringing about a shift away from plant blindness toward recognizing plants and their importance for life on Earth. • This study seeks to explore the affordances of sensory-rich indoor environments in two different settings; one where living animals are in the foreground (a science center), and one where living plants are in the fore (a greenhouse in a botanical garden). The participants in this study were elementary school student teachers. Data were collected through individual questionnaires that examined the student teachers' experiences visiting the two sites. • The student teachers' answers are rich in aesthetic expressions, both regarding the animals and plants mentioned and regarding the environments studied. There is a dominance of animal references at the science center and a dominance of plant references from the botanical garden. • In order for plants to be noticed in animal-rich environments, they need to be foregrounded in the design of spaces and information about them clearly exposed to human view. K E Y W O R D S aesthetics, affordances, botanic garden, experiences, plant blindness, science education, sensory-rich environments
Research Interests:
In modern urban existence, the complex lives of plants are often reduced to simple categories, which resonate with human utility. These categories speak little of the central role plants play in the ecological fabric of life on Earth.... more
In modern urban existence, the complex lives of plants are often reduced to simple categories, which resonate with human utility. These categories speak little of the central role plants play in the ecological fabric of life on Earth. Plants have the ability to sense and respond to stimuli across various timescales and the time zones they inhabit are multi‐faceted. This complexity presents difficulties when the unfamiliar characteristics of "plantness" are revealed to everyday observers who may perceive plants as operating in a slow lane outside of their perception. This editorial draws attention to the rich time assemblages in which plants exist, and highlights the need for diverse representations with which to engage human attention to the botanical world.
Research Interests:
Increasingly, humans are an urban species prone to ‘plant blindness’. This demographic shift and situation has implications for both individual and collective perceptions of nature, as well as for addressing ‘ecophobia’ and encouraging... more
Increasingly, humans are an urban species prone to ‘plant blindness’. This demographic shift and situation has implications for both individual and collective perceptions of nature, as well as for addressing ‘ecophobia’ and encouraging ‘biophilia’ through education. Contemporary humanity occupies a world in which extensive physical change, both in the landscape and its related organisms, is occurring . Education-related debates on these issues links to the noted phenomenon of a ‘bubble wrap generation’ growing up within ‘nature-deficit’ childhoods in ‘megalopolitan cities’. Indeed, some commentators consider that 'nature has already disappeared' and exists only in protected spaces. Such perceptions have consequences for education in ‘presented world’ settings such as zoos, botanic gardens and natural history museums. This editorial, and its associated collection of papers, considers the critical relationships between nature, culture and education in contemporary botanic gardens and the ways in which visitors navigate their journeys, as demonstrated by research.
Research Interests:
This paper draws attention to the work of the natural history educator Jacqueline Palmer from the years 1948 to 1960. Palmer considered the whole aim of museum collections to be the encouragement of people " to go out and see things for... more
This paper draws attention to the work of the natural history educator Jacqueline Palmer from the years 1948 to 1960. Palmer considered the whole aim of museum collections to be the encouragement of people " to go out and see things for themselves, " thus connecting dead specimens with living organisms. The overall intention of this article is to relate elements of her professional story to those of modern natural history educators.
Research Interests:
The notion of plant-blindness, the inability of humans to notice plants in their environment, has been much examined. Similarly, plant scientists have criticised the seemingly zoocentric focus of a biological education, which appears to... more
The notion of plant-blindness, the inability of humans to notice plants in their environment, has been much examined. Similarly, plant scientists have criticised the seemingly zoocentric focus of a biological education, which appears to neglect plants. Furthermore, there are stark contrasts between the active plant behaviours evidenced in current research journals and their seemingly lacklustre counterparts in school curricula. By utilising a body of relevant literature and drawing on empirical data sets, the authors consider the ways in which affective experiences, through personal encounters, observations and guided explorations, can enhance students’ attention to the ‘green side of life’.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Biodiversity means the variety of life, in all its forms. It includes the variety of species and ecosystems in the world, and genetic variation. Invertebrates are one of the largest, and most accessible groups of animals for primary... more
Biodiversity means the variety of life, in all its forms. It includes the variety of species and ecosystems in the world, and genetic variation. Invertebrates are one of the largest, and most accessible groups of animals for primary children to study. Darwin tells us that the action of earthworms in his garden at Down House caused his worm stone to sink at a rate of 2.2mm a year. He estimated that earthworm activities on every acre of his land brought some 18 tons of soil to the surface annually. Therefore the study of invertebrates, such as earthworms and ants, offers an important window on biodiversity in a significant habitat-soil. As one of the most well-known ant scientists in the world today recently wrote, ‘Immediately close at hand, around and beneath our feet, lies the least explored part of the planet’s surface. It is also the most vital place on Earth for human existence’ (Wilson, 2010). Invertebrates provide food for many animal groups, pollinate flowers, aid the formation of soil, distribute seeds and are key actors in the decomposition cycle.
Revealing the biological diversity of these animals and their myriad roles in the web of life engages children with a concept that is crucial to life on Earth. Invertebrates are numerous and diverse communities of species widely distributed throughout our planet. They also live on a scale that offers a secret world in the undergrowth for curious children.
Revealing the biological diversity of these animals and their myriad roles in the web of life engages children with a concept that is crucial to life on Earth. Invertebrates are numerous and diverse communities of species widely distributed throughout our planet. They also live on a scale that offers a secret world in the undergrowth for curious children.
Research Interests:
Professor Stephen Hopper has suggested that ‘possibly the most significant future challenge facing plant conservation is the achievement of a global shift in value systems towards acceptance of the old cultural wisdom that humans are part... more
Professor Stephen Hopper has suggested that ‘possibly the most significant future challenge facing plant conservation is the achievement of a global shift in value systems towards acceptance of the old cultural wisdom that humans are part of, not separate from, nature’. Here I examine this challenge for contemporary humanity experiencing increasingly divergent ‘lifeworlds’ and ask if it is possible to be ‘all netted together’, and achieve cultural consilience in the face of increasing plant extinction. The first part of the article explores a hybrid approach to botanical education, where ‘border crossings’ between ‘Pokémon’ and plant-based inquiry might facilitate 21st century urban children to engage more intimately with the living world. The second part highlights how botanic gardens can facilitate expressions of lost botanical knowledge carried through human migration from rural to urban contexts. The article ends with a discussion intended to provoke interdisciplinary discourse between botanical science and botanical education, contextualised within the wider literature that examines the role of botanic gardens.
Key Words Carnivorous plants – education – plant conservation – Pokémon – rural – urban
Key Words Carnivorous plants – education – plant conservation – Pokémon – rural – urban
Research Interests:
Much of the focus of Darwin’s bicentenary has been on the origin of species by natural selection, emerging evolutionary thought and the key scientists with whom he corresponded. His botanical contributions to science have occupied a... more
Much of the focus of Darwin’s bicentenary has been on the origin of species by natural selection, emerging evolutionary thought and the key scientists with whom he corresponded. His botanical contributions to science have occupied a lesser role in the celebrations, and female correspondents an even more ephemeral position in the so-called ‘Darwin enterprise’. It has been suggested that there is a need to draw the curtains behind which these women stand and give them a ‘present voice’. This paper considers the work of two American women botanists who contributed, through correspondence networks, to the insectivorous plant studies of Darwin, his botanical contemporaries and subsequent plant studies.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Darwin's interest in carnivorous plants was in keeping with the Victorian fascination with Gothic horrors, and his experiments on them were many and varied, ranging from what appears to be idle curiosity (e.g. what will happen if I place... more
Darwin's interest in carnivorous plants was in keeping with the Victorian fascination with Gothic horrors, and his experiments on them were many and varied, ranging from what appears to be idle curiosity (e.g. what will happen if I place a human hair on a Drosera leaf?) to detailed investigations of mechanisms. Mechanisms for capture and digestion of prey vary greatly among the six (or more) lineages of flowering plants that have well-developed carnivory, and some are much more active than others. Passive carnivory is common in some groups, and one, Roridula (Roridulaceae) from southern Africa, is so passively carnivorous that it requires the presence of an insect intermediate to derive any benefit from prey trapped on its leaves. Other groups not generally considered to be carnivores, such as Stylidium (Stylidiaceae), some species of Potentilla (Rosaceae), Proboscidea (Martyniaceae) and Geranium (Geraniaceae), that have been demonstrated to both produce digestive enzymes on their epidermal surfaces and be capable of absorbing the products, are putatively just as ‘carnivorous’ as Roridula. There is no clear way to discriminate between cases of passive and active carnivory and between non-carnivorous and carnivorous plants – all intermediates exist. Here, we document the various angiosperm clades in which carnivory has evolved and the degree to which these plants have become ‘complete carnivores’. We also discuss the problems with definition of the terms used to describe carnivorous plants. © 2009 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2009, 161, 329–356.
Research Interests:
Although the generic subject of botanical education is increasingly well documented, botanical gardens lack a reflective historical commentary on the educational work of their institutions. Apart from individual garden monographs and the... more
Although the generic subject of botanical education is increasingly well documented, botanical gardens lack a reflective historical commentary on the educational work of their institutions. Apart from individual garden monographs and the work of Stafleu, Prest and Spary, few authors have examined the socio-educational history of botanical gardens. Exceptions to this are Gilberthorpe's doctoral thesis, which critiqued changes in British botanical gardens in the 1980's and Kleinman's doctoral study, The Museum in the Garden, which considered research, display and education at The Missouri Botanical Garden from 1859.Gilberthorpe's research highlighted the silence created by the lack of socio-historical documentation on British botanical gardens and Kleinman's study considered the struggle 'to balance and integrate' the diverse needs of multiple audiences. These silences and struggles are still salient issues for botanical gardens today. This paper considers the interplay between professionals within botanical gardens and schools. It utilises documentary material from school and garden archives to consider evidence for both the exclusion and encouragement of children in botanical garden histories and the sometimes competing roles of institutional ideology and personal interest. It ends with an examination of how these cultural roles might inform current debates on the socio-educational roles of botanical gardens in the twenty-first century.
Research Interests:
Plants are essential to life on Earth and yet are often deemed invisible by the human populace. Botanic gardens are an under-researched educational context and, as such, have occupied a peripheral arena in biology education discussions.... more
Plants are essential to life on Earth and yet are often deemed invisible by the human populace. Botanic gardens are an under-researched educational context and, as such, have occupied a peripheral arena in biology education discussions. This article seeks to readdress this absence and present the case for a more sustained use of informal learning environments, such as botanic gardens and homes, to make public the private life of plants and their role in sustaining life on Earth. By drawing on empirical data from a doctoral thesis and reviewing relevant research literature, the author argues for a renewed focus on botanical education within science education in both formal and informal contexts.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Science education has a key role to play in helping people to develop their understanding of the local and global dimensions of food, farming and land management. Based on a review of the literature on what is known about young people's... more
Science education has a key role to play in helping people to develop their understanding of the local and global dimensions of food, farming and land management. Based on a review of the literature on what is known about young people's (3-19) views towards and learning about these topics, a research agenda is outlined for consideration by the science education research community.
Research Interests:
South London is rich with historical models of garden-based learning. This paper will focus on two outstanding examples; Lilian Clarke, a botany teacher at James Allen’s Girls’ School, Dulwich and author of ‘Botany as an Experimental... more
South London is rich with historical models of garden-based learning. This paper will focus on two outstanding examples; Lilian Clarke, a botany teacher at James Allen’s Girls’ School, Dulwich and author of ‘Botany as an Experimental Science in Laboratory and Garden’ and C.T. Prime, a Croydon biology teacher and author of ‘The Young Botanist’. Both were involved in the South London Botanical institute. Both leave a legacy, for contemporary teachers and learners, rich with pedagogical models for the urban context. As humans shift towards cities, and away from rural landscapes, such historical models can both inspire contemporary learning and provide evidence for sustaining studies in the history of natural history education
Research Interests:
London’s populace first witnessed a living specimen of Dionaea muscipula ‘the catch sensitive plant’ in 1768- it was an event that ‘caused a sensation throughout Europe’ (McGee, 2007 p. 49). Previously, the American botanist John Bartram... more
London’s populace first witnessed a living specimen of Dionaea muscipula ‘the catch sensitive plant’ in 1768- it was an event that ‘caused a sensation throughout Europe’ (McGee, 2007 p. 49). Previously, the American botanist John Bartram had sent Patrick Collinson, a London-based collector, several plant parts (McGee, 2007), after the specimen sent by Governor Dobbs of North Carolina had failed to arrive. Bartram had a popular name for the Dionaea Muscipula, ‘Tipitiwitchet’ a rather ribald Elizabethan term for the female vulva (McKinley postscript to Nelson, 1990), which he shared in correspondence with Collinson. This 18th century connection between female sexuality and carnivorous plants continued well into 19th century England and crossed boundaries between science and the literary imagination. Indeed, Dionaea muscipula was still considered ‘the vagina dentata of the vegetable world’ by some twentieth century commentators (Schechter, 2001). As Darwin reminds us, ‘analogy may be a deceitful guide’ (Darwin,1859.)
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Do botanic gardens ‘nurture a love of nature at an early age?’ . Are they ‘a distinctive open laboratory of plants and every member of staff a teacher’ or are they ‘walled, stranded arks’ with few key holders?
Research Interests:
The presentation will outline the value of the cultural botany project to both the Moroccan community in London and the botanic garden community in stressing the current polemic of gardens speaking as much of capitol and control as of... more
The presentation will outline the value of the cultural botany project to both the Moroccan community in London and the botanic garden community in stressing the current polemic of gardens speaking as much of capitol and control as of plants and nature (Hestor and Fancis 93), and characterising the ideas and values of our time . This will lead to a final discursive comment re the cultural botany project as: Re evaluating interpretation in the botanic garden: a question of authorship.
Research Interests:
This module, inspired by the work of Charles Darwin and his American correspondent Mary Treat, considers adaptation and competition in the context of carnivorous plants. Charles Darwin was fascinated by plant nutrition in relation to... more
This module, inspired by the work of Charles Darwin and his American correspondent Mary Treat, considers adaptation and competition in the context of carnivorous plants.
Charles Darwin was fascinated by plant nutrition in relation to carnivorous plants. Both he and Treat conducted investigations through observation in the field and experimentation in their homes and gardens. Darwin published his study on Insectivorous Plants in 1875. He was particularly interested in a plant exhibiting animal-like behaviours, and at one point was said to exclaim: ‘By Jove I sometimes think Drosera is a disguised animal’. He was so passionate about this plant he called it 'My beloved Drosera'.
This module also uses carnivorous plants and their habitats as a stepping-stone for exploring broader ecological concepts, in particular the structure of an ecosystem and predator-prey relationships. Students will engage in Darwin inspired activities with living specimens through inquiry-based learning.
Contemporary scientists, such as Aaron Ellison at Harvard University, continue to research these enigmatic plants and their extraordinary forms and behaviours. Students will engage with late Victorian botanical science in relation to how modern science works and consider the continuing role of evidence, theorising and peer-review.
Charles Darwin was fascinated by plant nutrition in relation to carnivorous plants. Both he and Treat conducted investigations through observation in the field and experimentation in their homes and gardens. Darwin published his study on Insectivorous Plants in 1875. He was particularly interested in a plant exhibiting animal-like behaviours, and at one point was said to exclaim: ‘By Jove I sometimes think Drosera is a disguised animal’. He was so passionate about this plant he called it 'My beloved Drosera'.
This module also uses carnivorous plants and their habitats as a stepping-stone for exploring broader ecological concepts, in particular the structure of an ecosystem and predator-prey relationships. Students will engage in Darwin inspired activities with living specimens through inquiry-based learning.
Contemporary scientists, such as Aaron Ellison at Harvard University, continue to research these enigmatic plants and their extraordinary forms and behaviours. Students will engage with late Victorian botanical science in relation to how modern science works and consider the continuing role of evidence, theorising and peer-review.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Humans are becoming an urban species. Living in megalopolitan cities reduces intimate contact with the natural world thus placing greater emphasis on 'presented nature' settings, such as zoos, botanic gardens and natural history museums.... more
Humans are becoming an urban species. Living in megalopolitan cities reduces intimate contact with the natural world thus placing greater emphasis on 'presented nature' settings, such as zoos, botanic gardens and natural history museums. Botanic gardens provide opportunities for aesthetic interactions with the plant world. However, previous research has demonstrated that 'plant blindness' inhibits human perceptions of plants. Increased extinction levels (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment 2005) mean the world can no longer afford our citizens to see 'nothing' when they look at plants, the basis of most life on earth. Despite a key educational role identified in the global plant conservation strategy 2011- 2020 botanic gardens, and allied settings, have received limited research attention. In the Swedish context the education system should provide students with knowledge about nature, the environment and sustainable development (Swedish National Agency for Education, 2011). Given the critical role of plants in ecosystem resilience it is imperative to motivate teaching and learning that can move beyond ‘plant blindness’ towards experiences in which teachers and learners see the importance of plants for a sustainable world. A recent survey by Wilson and Mant (2011) concludes that exemplary science teachers used a broad repertoire of stories, metaphors, analogies and models to translate their scientific knowledge and make it comprehensible to their students. Similarly, multimodal approaches to teaching and learning science have been shown to be effective in engaging students (Ainsworth et al, 2011). Furthermore, Bell (1997) has framed natural history as the possibility of a ‘fully-embodied participation in the non-human world’ (p.132). These findings suggest that multimodal and sensoric experiences in ‘presented nature’ settings might create shifts away from plant-blindness towards reading the importance of plants.
Research Interests:
“Plant blindness” is the phrase introduced in an influential 1999 publication by James Wandersee and Elisabeth Schussler in connection with zoocentrism, initially in the context of biological education in the United States, but later... more
“Plant blindness” is the phrase introduced in an influential 1999 publication by James Wandersee and Elisabeth Schussler in connection with zoocentrism, initially in the context of biological education in the United States, but later addressed by researchers in a diversity of cultures. Wandersee and Schussler were much influenced by the psychology of perception and how it appeared to account for a general insensitivity to plants in the environment and dwindling understanding of the fundamental importance of plants for human survival and global ecology. The roots of plant blindness have been intensively analysed. Some studies conclude that it is an intrinsic trait, hardwired into human physiology and psychology. Others point to the consequences of historic trends in industrialization and urbanization and the progressive disconnection of people from the natural environment and primary sources of food, feed, fiber, and fuel. Much of the plant blindness literature confronts the need to remedy what it terms a specific condition, particularly at a time of climate and biodiversity crisis. Perhaps one of the challenges in this work is that those seeking to counteract plant blindness through education are often scientists or science educators who frequently perceive plant blindness as an ontological condition, which can be overcome by scientifically structured representations of plants using controlled vocabularies. But for those outside these communities plants are part of a worldview that is far more epistemological and thus the way plants enter, or fail to enter, an individual’s consciousness is constructed as a sociological event related to culture, experience, and environment. Understanding this is crucial if communicators and educators are to engage with the complexity of plant blindness effectively.
Research Interests:
Purpose The present paper aims to examine the concept of “plant blindness” in the context of current sustainability debates. “Plant blindness” was the term introduced in 1999 by the botanists and educators James H Wandersee and Elisabeth... more
Purpose The present paper aims to examine the concept of “plant blindness” in the context of current sustainability debates. “Plant blindness” was the term introduced in 1999 by the botanists and educators James H Wandersee and Elisabeth E Schussler to describe what they saw as a pervasive insensitivity to the green environment and a general neglect of plants on the part of biology education. Design/methodology/approach The fundamental importance of plants for life on Earth and the socio-educational challenges of redacted awareness of this importance are considered. Also, the diverse physiological, psychological, philosophical, cultural and geopolitical origins and consequences of indifference to plants in relation to aspects of sustainability agendas are examined with special reference to education. Findings An examination of the outcomes of a range of research and practical initiatives reveals how multidisciplinary approaches to education and public engagement have the potential t...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
There is little room left for doubt or even debate at the severity of the ecological, indeed planetary crises that we find ourselves in during this period coined the Anthropocene. As educators working in the face of these crises, we have... more
There is little room left for doubt or even debate at the severity of the ecological, indeed planetary crises that we find ourselves in during this period coined the Anthropocene. As educators working in the face of these crises, we have asked ourselves the ‘how do we carry on?’ We reflect on a set of sensory, multimodal, meditative and arts-based pedagogical activities that bridge the geographical, biological, sociological and environmental dimensions of learning using the concepts from Hannah Arendt and John Dewey, in a higher-education context in Sweden. The first-cycle (undergraduate level) course in which these activities are conducted—Teaching sustainability from a global perspective - engages students in a range of pedagogical activities designed to encourage greater awareness of sustainability issues in diverse educational settings. In this paper we reflect on pedagogical practices as praxis in a sustainability focused course, and use the theory of practice architectures to question what people do in a particular and place. We explore how educating for the future using multimodal and arts-based pedagogies could be a strategy to support new ways for reconfiguring environmental sustainability education in the Anthropocene.
Research Interests:
Through a series of practice-based narratives, drawn from specific experiences in a higher-education context in Sweden, the affordances of multimodal objects are reflected upon. In this work, multimodal objects are considered as boundary... more
Through a series of practice-based narratives, drawn from specific experiences in a higher-education context in Sweden, the affordances of multimodal objects are reflected upon. In this work, multimodal objects are considered as boundary objects that can facilitate learning conversations, both cognitive and affective. Current work in science education research has highlighted the role that boundary-crossings between knowledge and values offer teaching and learning. The author believes such boundary-crossings to be essential in the current context of prolific species extinction, on a planet in which human-made materials now outweigh the living biomass; a planet in which life, death, self and other are 'braided vulnerabilities' across a complex socio-biological landscape. Thus, in these iterative, practice-based reflections on specific teaching moments, this paper offers small steps towards reimagining biology didactics in the 'post-normal' conditions of the 21 st century. In so doing, possibilities for multimodal objects in contemporary biology didactics are reflected upon and suggested.
Research Interests:
Through a series of practice-based narratives, drawn from specific experiences in a higher-education context in Sweden, the affordances of multimodal objects are reflected upon. In this work, multimodal objects are considered as boundary... more
Through a series of practice-based narratives, drawn from specific experiences in a higher-education context in Sweden, the affordances of multimodal objects are reflected upon. In this work, multimodal objects are considered as boundary objects that can facilitate learning conversations, both cognitive and affective. Current work in science education research has highlighted the role that boundary-crossings between knowledge and values offer teaching and learning. The author believes such boundary-crossings to be essential in the current context of prolific species extinction, on a planet in which human-made materials now outweigh the living biomass; a planet in which life, death, self and other are ‘braided vulnerabilities’ across a complex socio-biological landscape. Thus, in these iterative, practice-based reflections on specific teaching moments, this paper offers small steps towards reimagining biology didactics in the ‘post-normal’ conditions of the 21st century. In so doing,...
Research Interests: Narrative and Affordance
This chapter is an exploration of the opportunities afforded children’s imaginations by three books. It constitutes a teacher’s situated reflection on how the heterotopic “nowhere and here” of children’s literature can be a metaphorical... more
This chapter is an exploration of the opportunities afforded children’s imaginations by three books. It constitutes a teacher’s situated reflection on how the heterotopic “nowhere and here” of children’s literature can be a metaphorical window onto “something or somewhere else” in the context of environmental sustainability. Children’s stories are reflected on as points of departure from which to consider an “aesth/ethical” trope between humans, more-than-humans and material matter in order to engage with “sympathetic imagination”.
Research Interests:
Overcoming‘plant blindness’ is a critical goal for society and especially for education.In this article, we suggest variation theory can be a useful approach to plant identification training and evaluation in higher education contexts. We... more
Overcoming‘plant blindness’ is a critical goal for society and especially for education.In this article, we suggest variation theory can be a useful approach to plant identification training and evaluation in higher education contexts. We discuss an example from Swedish higher education in which we reflect on our teaching. We propose that the conscious use of variation theory may be useful in developing pedagogical tools and processes in the teaching of plant identification. Ett viktigt mål för samhället, särskilt för utbildningssystemen, är att vi människor blirbättre på att få syn på växter och på deras betydelse i ekosystemen. Vi behöver över-vinna vad som benämns‘växtblindhet’. I denna artikel föreslår vi att variationsteori ären bra utgångspunkt i utbildning och utvärdering av växtidentifiering inom högreutbildning. Vi redovisar exempel från svensk universitetsutbildning där vi reflekteraröver vår egen undervisning på ett systematiskt sätt. Vi föreslår att en avsiktlig utgångspunkt i variationsteorin för lärande är användbar för att vidareutvecklapedagogiska verktyg och processer i undervisning om växtidentifiering.
Research Interests:
Humans are becoming an urban species. Living in megalopolitan cities reduces intimate contact with the natural world thus placing greater emphasis on 'presented nature' settings, such as zoos, botanic gardens and natural... more
Humans are becoming an urban species. Living in megalopolitan cities reduces intimate contact with the natural world thus placing greater emphasis on 'presented nature' settings, such as zoos, botanic gardens and natural history museums. Botanic gardens provide opportunities for aesthetic interactions with the plant world. However, previous research has demonstrated that 'plant blindness' inhibits human perceptions of plants. Increased extinction levels (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment 2005) mean the world can no longer afford our citizens to see 'nothing' when they look at plants, the basis of most life on earth. Despite a key educational role identified in the global plant conservation strategy 2011- 2020 botanic gardens, and allied settings, have received limited research attention. In the Swedish context the education system should provide students with knowledge about nature, the environment and sustainable development (Swedish National Agency for Education, 2011). Given the critical role of plants in ecosystem resilience it is imperative to motivate teaching and learning that can move beyond ‘plant blindness’ towards experiences in which teachers and learners see the importance of plants for a sustainable world. A recent survey by Wilson and Mant (2011) concludes that exemplary science teachers used a broad repertoire of stories, metaphors, analogies and models to translate their scientific knowledge and make it comprehensible to their students. Similarly, multimodal approaches to teaching and learning science have been shown to be effective in engaging students (Ainsworth et al, 2011). Furthermore, Bell (1997) has framed natural history as the possibility of a ‘fully-embodied participation in the non-human world’ (p.132). These findings suggest that multimodal and sensoric experiences in ‘presented nature’ settings might create shifts away from plant-blindness towards reading the importance of plants.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
This special issue of Plants, People, Planet brings together a wide range of perspectives on the topic of “plant blindness”—the widest to date in one issue—with contributions from scholars working across a diverse range of disciplines,... more
This special issue of Plants, People, Planet brings together a wide range of perspectives on the topic of “plant blindness”—the widest to date in one issue—with contributions from scholars working across a diverse range of disciplines, from the humanities and social sciences to plant science, conservation, and ecology. We also take this opportunity to showcase the work of visual artists working at the interface of art and plant science, and educators who use plants as a key subject in their education practice. The geographical reach of the contributions is also extensive with contributions from around the globe and the Twittersphere.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Much of the focus of Darwin’s bicentenary has been on the origin of species by natural selection, emerging evolutionary thought and the key scientists with whom he corre- sponded. His botanical contributions to science have occupied a... more
Much of the focus of Darwin’s bicentenary has been on the origin of species by natural selection, emerging evolutionary thought and the key scientists with whom he corre- sponded. His botanical contributions to science have occupied a lesser role in the celebra- tions, and female correspondents an even more ephemeral position in the so-called ‘Darwin enterprise’. It has been suggested that there is a need to draw the curtains behind which these women stand and give them a ‘present voice’. This paper considers the work of two American women botanists who contributed, through correspondence networks, to the insectivorous plant studies of Darwin, his botanical contemporaries and subsequent plant studies.
South London is rich with historical models of garden-based learning. This paper will focus on two outstanding examples; Lilian Clarke, a botany teacher at James Allen’s Girls’ School, Dulwich and author of ‘Botany as an Experimental... more
South London is rich with historical models of garden-based learning. This paper will focus on two outstanding examples; Lilian Clarke, a botany teacher at James Allen’s Girls’ School, Dulwich and author of ‘Botany as an Experimental Science in Laboratory and Garden’ and C.T. Prime, a Croydon biology teacher and author of ‘The Young Botanist’. Both were involved in the South London Botanical institute. Both leave a legacy, for contemporary teachers and learners, rich with pedagogical models for the urban context. As humans shift towards cities, and away from rural landscapes, such historical models can both inspire contemporary learning and provide evidence for sustaining studies in the history of natural history education
Research Interests:
Taxidermic collections have become perceived as extraneous in modern museums, and as such have become vulnerable to disassembly during periods of economic austerity and/or shifts in curatorial perceptions. In this paper we argue that rich... more
Taxidermic collections have become perceived as extraneous in modern museums, and as such have become vulnerable to disassembly during periods of economic austerity and/or shifts in curatorial perceptions. In this paper we argue that rich educational opportunities could be lost through such actions. We highlight the ways that taxidermy provides a useful context for learning about, and understanding, the relationships between life and death in the animal kingdom. We draw attention to research on the ways taxidermic display is currently used, the ways children learn through family conversation, and the types of understandings children are known to have about life and death. We believe these collections represent potential research spaces for understanding the impact of parental communication on children's understandings of life and death. Our preliminary research plans, and conversations with curatorial partners, suggest that recording and analyzing family conversations at these sites has much to offer. Furthermore, we propose such studies might facilitate new interdisciplinary relationships between museum curators and researchers, thus contributing to wider debate on the place of natural history collections in society.
Research Interests:
Darwin has been the subject of many published biographies (e.g. Desmond & Moore, 1991; Browne, 1995, 2003) and, as a prolific correspondent (see Chapter 3), offers extensive personal material with which to build a biographical reading... more
Darwin has been the subject of many published biographies (e.g. Desmond & Moore, 1991; Browne, 1995, 2003) and, as a prolific correspondent (see Chapter 3), offers extensive personal material with which to build a biographical reading of his life, his science and the landscapes in which he developed his ideas.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
ABSTRACT The notion of plant-blindness, the inability to notice plants in their environment, has been much examined. Similarly, plant scientists have criticised the seemingly zoo-centric focus of a biological education, which appears to... more
ABSTRACT The notion of plant-blindness, the inability to notice plants in their environment, has been much examined. Similarly, plant scientists have criticised the seemingly zoo-centric focus of a biological education, which appears to neglect plants. Furthermore, there are stark contrasts between the active plant behaviours evidenced in current research journals and their seemingly lacklustre counterparts in school curricula. By utilising a body of relevant literature and drawing on empirical data sets, the authors consider the ways in which affective experiences, through personal encounters, observations and guided explorations, can enhance student attention to ‘the green side of life’.
Research Interests:
In an increasingly urbanised-world Dawn Sanders, Jessica Duemler and Elizabeth Hartman look at the benefits of working with nature and natural objects for children and teachers in a special needs school.
Research Interests:
The historical journeys that botanic gardens are undertaking are not an isolated story. Zoos, to some extent, have mirrored that journey, but with an interesting twist. In nineteenth century Europe it was zoos that looked to botanic... more
The historical journeys that botanic gardens are undertaking are not an isolated story. Zoos, to some extent, have mirrored that journey, but with an interesting twist. In nineteenth century Europe it was zoos that looked to botanic gardens for their scientific role models, for botanic gardens had been celebrated environments for the development of classification theories such as systematics and phylogeny (Baratay and Hardouin-Fugier, 2002), these classification theories were promulgated by scientists such as John Ray and Carolus Linneaus in the eighteenth century, and Alexander Braun, director of Berlin Botanic Garden in the nineteenth century. European botanic gardens had also invested in experimentation on the acclimatisation of numerous samples of flora from around the world, often with the assistance of horticultural societies. Both these activities had been successful in the context of the botanic gardens: zoos were keen to duplicate these methodologies, but with an animal pop...
How do we make public the private lives of plants in our science communication? Does the sound of storm petrels nesting under the cliff make a bigger impact on our audiences than words describing those sounds? How might taking a different... more
How do we make public the private lives of plants in our science communication? Does the sound of storm petrels nesting under the cliff make a bigger impact on our audiences than words describing those sounds? How might taking a different view through art-based methods improve human understanding and sensitivity to the lives of other organisms? In this keynote presentation I will draw on inter-disciplinary research and teaching experiences to reflect on ecology across the borders between science and art in the 21st century.
Research Interests:
Beyond Plant Blindness Symposium 'out of time' conference (SLSA) Phoenix Arizona USA0 Dawn Sanders (Gothenburg University; dawn.sanders@gu.se) Plants live in a different time zone to mammalian life. Consequently, they can appear still,... more
Beyond Plant Blindness Symposium 'out of time' conference (SLSA) Phoenix Arizona USA0
Dawn Sanders (Gothenburg University; dawn.sanders@gu.se)
Plants live in a different time zone to mammalian life. Consequently, they can appear still, silent and passive to human perception. This is dependent on the cultural environment in which plants live and their associated narratives. In contemporary city life the complex morphologies and behaviours plants possess are often reduced to simple contextualised categories such as “house-plant”,“street-tree,” and “food”. These categories speak nothing of the contributions
plants make to the ecological fabric of life on Earth; neither do they acknowledge the complex and socio-biological systems within which they exist. In this presentation we consider these perceptual blank spots in relation to an interdisciplinary research project in which artistic, scientific and didactic narratives coalesce in order to represent plants through new ways. In particular, scale-jumping biographies are used to visually foreground the structures of seeds over their adult form with their human collectors stories placed as a footnote. In the same room the growing form of the seed is present; the viewer makes the connection through the plant labels, thus actively enacting textual connections between represented and living forms of the seeds they meet on the wall of the gallery. In another installation, one specific seed- Stipa pennata- is made large only to vanish in a richly coloured meadow in the next installation. Thus,reproductive structure and adaption are made public, and specific, in one context whilst the plant’s competitive struggle amongst many, sometimes blurred, plant forms is in focus in another..
Dawn Sanders (Gothenburg University; dawn.sanders@gu.se)
Plants live in a different time zone to mammalian life. Consequently, they can appear still, silent and passive to human perception. This is dependent on the cultural environment in which plants live and their associated narratives. In contemporary city life the complex morphologies and behaviours plants possess are often reduced to simple contextualised categories such as “house-plant”,“street-tree,” and “food”. These categories speak nothing of the contributions
plants make to the ecological fabric of life on Earth; neither do they acknowledge the complex and socio-biological systems within which they exist. In this presentation we consider these perceptual blank spots in relation to an interdisciplinary research project in which artistic, scientific and didactic narratives coalesce in order to represent plants through new ways. In particular, scale-jumping biographies are used to visually foreground the structures of seeds over their adult form with their human collectors stories placed as a footnote. In the same room the growing form of the seed is present; the viewer makes the connection through the plant labels, thus actively enacting textual connections between represented and living forms of the seeds they meet on the wall of the gallery. In another installation, one specific seed- Stipa pennata- is made large only to vanish in a richly coloured meadow in the next installation. Thus,reproductive structure and adaption are made public, and specific, in one context whilst the plant’s competitive struggle amongst many, sometimes blurred, plant forms is in focus in another..
Research Interests:
Download free at www.antennae.org.uk The contributions gathered in the third volume of 'Vegetal Entanglements'—a tryptic entirely dedicated to plants in art and culture—focus on the inextricable, actual, and metaphorical links that bind... more
Download free at www.antennae.org.uk
The contributions gathered in the third volume of 'Vegetal Entanglements'—a tryptic entirely dedicated to plants in art and culture—focus on the inextricable, actual, and metaphorical links that bind plants, ecosystems, and humans. In this issue, the interconnectedness that characterizes plant lives is explored through a variety of media and approaches designed to foreground vegetal alterity.
Including contributions by Martin Bartelmus | Jean Marie Carey | Bruno Côrte | Cyprian Gaillard | Carsten Holler | Manuela Infante | Noura Al Khasawneh | Shaun Matthews | Stefano Mancuso | Mike Maunder | Junko Mikuriya | Alexander Moore | Egle Oddo | Raksha Patel | Katrin Petroschkat | Anna Ridler | Dawn Sanders | Vivien Sansour | Basak Senova | Bahia Shehab | Niki Sperou | Cole Swanson | Franziska Weinberger | Lois Weinberger
This issue of Antennae is dedicated to Lois Weinberger (1947-2020).
The contributions gathered in the third volume of 'Vegetal Entanglements'—a tryptic entirely dedicated to plants in art and culture—focus on the inextricable, actual, and metaphorical links that bind plants, ecosystems, and humans. In this issue, the interconnectedness that characterizes plant lives is explored through a variety of media and approaches designed to foreground vegetal alterity.
Including contributions by Martin Bartelmus | Jean Marie Carey | Bruno Côrte | Cyprian Gaillard | Carsten Holler | Manuela Infante | Noura Al Khasawneh | Shaun Matthews | Stefano Mancuso | Mike Maunder | Junko Mikuriya | Alexander Moore | Egle Oddo | Raksha Patel | Katrin Petroschkat | Anna Ridler | Dawn Sanders | Vivien Sansour | Basak Senova | Bahia Shehab | Niki Sperou | Cole Swanson | Franziska Weinberger | Lois Weinberger
This issue of Antennae is dedicated to Lois Weinberger (1947-2020).
Research Interests:
The contributions gathered in the second volume of Vegetal Entanglements—a tryptic entirely dedicated to plants in art and culture—focus on the notion of plant-encounters as an opportunity to overcome plant-blindness and see plants beyond... more
The contributions gathered in the second volume of Vegetal Entanglements—a tryptic entirely dedicated to plants in art and culture—focus on the notion of plant-encounters as an opportunity to overcome plant-blindness and see plants beyond the strictures of epistemic objectification. It is in this context that the artists, scholars, curators, and plant lovers featured on these pages stage and analyse original encounters with the vegetal world; they make visible, problematize, deconstruct and recontextualize to show how encounters with plants define our lives in multiple and often unpredictable ways.