Ep. 47 - Pollinators and Parentage

I have always thought of pollination as rather straight forward - a pollinator visits a plant, picks up pollen, and deposits that pollen on its next visit. As it turns out, it's not that simple. To find out more about the complexities of pollination, I called up Dr. Randy Mitchell from the University of Akron in Ohio. His research is going to blow your mind. What to us seems like the perfect mutualism turns out to be more like a dark alley transaction in which each party is trying to get as much from the other without giving too much in return. This episode was produced in part by Allan Pisula of Kinosha, Wisconsin. 

Click here to find out more about Dr. Mitchell's research.

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Ep. 46 - Flora of the Ozarks

The Ozark Mountains have long been a mystery to me. This ancient mountain range is home to a bewildering diversity of plant life, some of which is found nowhere else in the world. From glades to woodlands and everything in between, the Ozarks have it all. Join me for a discussion with Justin Thomas, director of the Institute of Botanical Training. Justin and his wife have devoted their lives to studying and protecting the plants of this region. I learned a lot from talking with Justin and I know you will too. 

Click here to learn more about the Institute of Botanical Training

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Ep. 45 - Cycads

Who doesn't love cycads? I know I do and can you really blame me? The cycads are an incredible group of plants. They are also quite ancient. Arising long before flowering plants, this lineage has survived munching dinosaurs, continental drift, and mass extinctions and has undergone incredible adaptive radiations. Today cycads are in trouble. Habitat destruction and poaching now threaten many of the world's species. To get to know cycads a bit better I reached out to one of the world experts on this group of plants, Dr. Dennis Stevenson of the New York Botanical Garden. Dr. Stevenson has traveled the world to study and describe new species of cycad. He has been on every major continent and has encountered nearly every species in the wild. His work has helped us better understand the enigmatic and ancient group. Join us for a fascinating discussion about the cycads.

Click here to learn more about Dr. Stevenson's work

Click here to watch another great interview with Dr. Stevenson

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Ep. 44 - Litter Trappers

These plants don't worry about soil, they make their own! Because so many species in the tropics grow either epiphytically or in nutrient poor soil, some of them have turned to alternative solutions. Their anatomy is such that they collect everything from dead leaves to bird droppings. A diverse community of soil microbes and invertebrates can then go to work to create nutrient rich humus. What's more, litter trapping abilities can be found in plants as distantly related as ferns and orchids! Join me for an interesting discussion with Dr. Scott Zona, the curator of Florida International University's Werthheim Conservatory to talk about his work finding and describing litter trapping plants. This is one discussion you don't want to miss. 

Click here to learn more about Dr. Zona's work. 

Click here to learn more about the Wertheim Conservatory

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Ep. 43 - Orchid Conservation

Many people are surprised to learn that North America is home to over 200 species of orchid. What's more, an embarrassing amount of North America's orchids are threatened with extinction. The plight of this intriguing plant family is an indication of how we are doing as a species. Orchids act as the proverbial canary in a coal mine. That is why Dr. Dennis Whigham, senior botanist for the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, created the North America Orchid Conservation Center. Join me for a discussion with Dr. Whigham in which we cover everything from the mutualisms that orchids need to survive to what it is going to take to ensure their survival on this continent. 

Click here to learn more about the NAOCC

Click here to visit their Go Orchids website

Click here to learn more about Dr. Whigham

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Ep. 42 - Botanizing Illinois

When you think of the Midwest, it is often in the context of the agricultural hotspot that it is. This was my first impression when I considered moving to Illinois. Though much of its natural heritage has been plowed under, there still remains plenty of natural beauty. That is why I am very excited for this week's guest. Chris Benda is the Illinois Botanizer and current president of the Illinois Native Plant Society. He has fallen in love with the flora of this state and through tours, talks, and even some books, he is trying to share his love with you. Join us for a fun and interesting conversation on just how awesome Illinois' natural heritage really is. 

Follow the Illinois Botanizer on Facebook

Find an Illinois Native Plant Society chapter near you

Ep. 41 - Orchid Sex

The orchid family is the most diverse plant family on the planet. Much of this diversity is driven by intricate and often highly specific relationships with their pollinators. My friend and fellow orchid fanatic Tierney Rosenstock joins us this week to talk to us about how a deep fascination with orchids turned into some pretty awesome research. Her work on the reproductive ecology of the pink lady slipper orchid reveals interesting evolutionary relationships and a need to understand the ecosystem beyond just your study organisms. 

Like Orchidology on Facebook!
 

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Ep. 40 - Herbaria!

With herbaria closing around the world, I wanted to sit down and talk with someone who truly understands what they stand for. This week I talk with Jamie Minnaert-Grote, the collections manager at the Illinois Natural History Survey Herbarium. Despite having worked in and around herbariums over the last few years, I really didn't grasp their full potential. This conversation was a real eye-opener! 

Click here to learn more about the Illinois Natural History Survey Herbarium

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Ep. 39 - Emily Graslie of The Brain Scoop

Science denial is a real and present danger in our society. From climate change to evolution, it would seem that an embarrassingly large sector of the human population likes what science gives them but hates the questions it asks. Science needs a narrative and it also needs people to tell its stories. Today I sit down for a conversation with one of my favorite science communicators, Emily Graslie of The Brain Scoop. I wanted to get to know the person behind this awesome science channel. What follows is a fun conversation about pursuing your curiosities and celebrating the wonders of the natural world.  

The Brain Scoop on Tumblr

The Brain Scoop on Facebook

Visit The Field Museum

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Ep. 38 - A Tour of The Field Museum With Robbie Q. Telfer

You may remember Robbie from Episode 11 of the In Defense of Plants Podcast. He is the poet who is pushing to change the Illinois state flower from a nondescript violet to the Illinois endemic Kankakee mallow. I caught up with Robbie at his day job at The Field Museum in Chicago. He gives us a tour and updates us on his work with the Kankakee mallow as well as another endangered species. It is wonderful to see a museum taking such an active role in research and conservation. 

Visit The Field Museum

Click here to learn more about Habitat 2030

Click here to visit The Jackass Gardener blog

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Ep. 36 - Lawn Psyche

Lawns are big business. With lawn care raking in over $30 billion annually in the United States alone, the pressure to have and maintain a lawn is ever-present. To understand some of the psyche around lawns in America, I turned to Betsy Breyer, a PhD student at the University of Illinois. Betsy is a social scientist who's research is currently focusing on the sociocultural aspects of our obsession with lawns. This is a complex issue that I have been stewing over for some time. I wanted to give the lawn the right kind of coverage and speaking with Betsy was a wonderful way to do just that. I hope you find this conversation as interesting as I do. 

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Ep. 35 - Soils

Soil is the black box of terrestrial ecology. Despite its importance, we know very little about it. That is where people like Dr. Elizabeth Bach come in. Her work on soil ecology is shedding light on some of what makes soil so special. Join us for an enlightening discussion about this wonderful substance. 

Dr. Bach's website - www.soilorganicmatters.org

Twitter - @soilorgmatters

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Ep. 34 - Cloud Forest Rescue Mission

A trip up into a Costa Rican cloud forest quickly turned into a rescue mission when we discovered a large chunk of it had been logged for cattle pasture. The ground was littered with plants that would have simply died had nothing been done. What you are about to hear is plant guru, Dave Janas, walking us through the process of rehabilitating the plants we were able to save. In propagating these plants, Dave is preserving at least some of the genetic diversity of these rapidly shrinking habitats. 

If you would like to help Dave in his mission to conserve and propagate Costa Rica's unique flora, consider donating coarse vermiculite to the Wilson Botanical Garden

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Ep. 33 - An Impressive Plant Collection

My friend and horticultural mentor, Dave Janas returns to the podcast. This time In Defense of Plants went to him. You will remember Dave from Episode 15. He lives and works as the Senior Horticulturist for the Wilson Botanical Gardens in San Vito, Costa Rica. This episode was recorded during a behind the scenes tour we got of the garden's plant collection. Along the way we learn a lot about what Dave is working on in regards to propagating native Costa Rican flora. This is a relaxing episode full of the sounds of the jungle. 

Click here to learn more about the Wilson Botanical Garden

Click here to learn more about the Organization for Tropical Studies

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Ep. 32 - Conservation Genetics

There are many ways to conserve plants but there are certainly many obstacles as well. One of those obstacles lies in how many plants remain. Defining an individual in the plant world can be tricky. Genetics offers some ways of getting around this. Join me for a conversation on how genetic tools are being used to conserve an endangered Florida endemic called Polygala lewtonii.

Click here to learn more about Joel

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Ep. 31 - Exploring Plant Diversity

What is a species? Why does it matter and what can we do with that information? What drives the patterns of plant diversity we see around the world? These are just some of the questions Dr. Iván Jiménez likes to investigate. Join me for an interesting conversation exploring plant richness. 

Click here to learn more about Dr. Iván Jiménez

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Ep. 30 - Kudzu

Kudzu (Pueraria lobata) is a plant that most people will readily recognize. This invasive vine is a relative of the pea and has the ability to carpet everything on the landscape including houses. Introduced to the North America from Asia, this species offers researchers a chance to understand not only plant invasion but also evolution. Join me for a conversation with Steven Callen regarding his research into this interesting legume. 

Click here to learn more about Steven Callen

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Ep. 29 - Grand Prairie Friends

Remnant prairies are few and far between but this week's podcast is going to take you to one. The Grand Prairie Friends invited people out to their Loda Prairie site this weekend to help them with seed collection. I was happy to oblige and the resulting adventure was quite fun. Tune in this week to enjoy a tour of an original prairie. 
 

Click here to find out more about the Grand Prairie Friends

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Ep. 28 - The Friends of Langham Island

I spent the day volunteering with the Friends of Langham Island. They are a group of concerned citizens working to restore Langham Island's unique flora, which includes the endangered endemic Kankakee Mallow. It was a fun day and I met a lot of great people along the way. 

 

Click here to learn more about the Friends of Langham Island

Strategies for Stewards: from woods to prairies

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