Botanic Gardens Conservation International
How many plants would you recognise in their natural habitat? If you are a botanist or a keen gardener, you’re answer would probably be “well, quite a few actually,” but research from the USA suggests that you’d be in a minority, especially if, like most of us, you live in a town or city.
In a paper to be presented at Botanic Garden Conservation International’s (BGCI) 6th International Congress on Education in Botanic Gardens, hosted by the University of Oxford Botanic Garden in the period of September 10 – September 14, 2007, US academics James Wandersee and Renee Clary outlined their theory of ‘plant blindness’, which they described as a failure to see or take any notice of the plants that occur in our everyday lives.
According to Professor Wandersee, this phenomenon is particularly noticeable in industrialised nations, where the drift to the cities means that much of the population has lost touch with any meaningful understanding of agriculture and nature. The implications of such behaviour to those attempting to arrest habitat loss, protect plant diversity and engender a sustainable way for humankind to live on this planet is obvious.
However, Professor Wandersee is optimistic that steps can be taken to reverse this process and argues that botanic gardens have a vital role to play.
Can’t See the Trees for the Wood?
