The research poster and presentation from my 2020-2021 undergraduate research assistants. Jen and Jenna, thank you for your work and energy this year —I could not have gotten this far without you.
All tagged botanyinaction
O Christmas Tree
Now, during the twelve days of Christmas, when we have brought all kinds of greenery into our homes, it’s a perfect opportunity to take a closer look at evergreen plants.
Visual communication in science (is terrible)
When I first started graduate school, I could not believe the low-quality presentations and visuals that pretty much everyone was using. We would look more professional and be able to reach a wider audience if our visuals were more compelling. There are a lot of people working to improve this, and I have a few projects myself that are working toward better visual communication. #scicomm #sciart
What is a fruit?
Flowers are the mother of fruit. How does a flower become a fruit? What is a fruit?
Self-Study Lab
This is a self-study lab on exploring wetlands that you and your family or students can do on your own. It requires a smartphone and curiosity. Go explore!
What is a flower?
One of the best parts of spring is the flowers. Flowers bring color and structure to our yards and joy to our hearts, but what is a flower? Like everything else, flowers have cultural and aesthetic significance, but I want to look at flowers under a botanical lens.
What is a plant?
What is a plant? There are many deeply strange forms of life on earth that do not conform to our three kingdoms model of the world. What counts as a plant, and what doesn’t? This is the first of a new series of posts that will look under the hood of some everyday plant concepts. We’ll start at the very beginning, asking “what is a plant?” Send me any of your plant quandries and I’ll try to answer them. (Cover image of diatoms--are diatoms plants? Photo by Zeiss Microscopy CC license)
Cran Blog
Cran blog about cran bogs. Cranberries are a delicious superfruit that is native to the amazing New Jersey Pine Barrens. Botany, Ecology, cuisine, oh my!
Thanks for all the help!
Scientific research is a broad enterprise, and takes a lot of work. Here’s to all the field and lab assistants who have helped me along the way in the past few years!
Acarodomatia
A house for ants!
Flood prevention and butterflies and The role and potential of stormwater detention basins: Part 2
There are over 16,000 stormwater basins in all of New Jersey (https://hydro.rutgers.edu/). Locally, there are over 1500 detention basins in the Lower Raritan Watershed. Enhancing the functions of these basins represents a large-scale opportunity to restore environmental quality. When detention basins are lined with native plants, the thicker vegetation can trap contaminants and prevent them from running into streams and drinking water sources.
Transmissions from Hawaii: A Fruitful Adventure
I love fruit, and my mission in Hawaii is to eat as much of it as I can. Botanically, a fruit is the fleshy, seed-container of a plant. While fruits all share the same basic parts, the variation is fascinating and delicious.