PhD student Stephen Via wins 1st place!

Stephen Via won 1st place for best student presentation at the International Phytotechnologies Conference! He presented his work titled "Physiological and morphological responses to explosives contamination across plant functional groups”.  Additionally, Stephen was awarded travel grants through...

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The fatal flowers of Tall Thistle (Cirsium altissimum)

Tall Thistle (Cirsium altissimum); Durham Co, NC (9/14/15)I find Tall Thistle (Cirsium altissimum) to be one of our most interesting natives.  Perhaps this is because I often root for the underdog, and so many gardeners, farmers, and even "conservationists" despise thistles. Hopefully their aversion...

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Mountain Bog Recovery & Expansion

Bog edge, before thinning (June 2015)Bog edge, after thinning (July 2015)The above images were taken near the perimeter of a so-called "mountain bog" in western North Carolina.  The first image shows the conditions before active restoration, the second image shows the same locale after clearing...

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Ornithology for the people - Florence Merriam Bailey

By Jessie Reese           Florence Merriam Bailey was a pioneering naturalist best known as a celebrated field guide author and for her extensive observational field studies of birds. She was born in 1863 and developed an early interest in natural history...

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Pioneering herpetologist - Doris Mable Cochran

By Logan McDonaldDoris Mable Cochran was an American herpetologist born in 1898.  Before she formally began her collegiate education she was already working at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.  She published over 90 taxonomic publications and devoted over 20 years of studies in...

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My New Star Wars Science Fiction Channel: Please Help Me Spread the Word

My New Star Wars Science Fiction Channel: Please Help Me Spread the WordGardening isnt my only hobby. I enjoy science fiction and the world of collectables. I just started a new channel and really need help getting people to check it out. I plan to do a lot of unboxing of all the new Stars Wars collectables. Lots of Legos and all the new stuff. The videos will be short and to the point like my...

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Glaze-on studio sunday

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Bluehearts

American Bluehearts (Buchnera americana) @ Taberville Prairie, Missouri (8-19-15)I came across a few individuals of American Bluehearts (Buchnera americana) during recent explorations of the tallgrass prairie. According to Bruce Sorrie and Alan Weakley I was in the "heart of the range" for the...

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Pioneering woman ecologist - Edith Schwartz Clements

Post by Julie CharbonnierIf you’re an ecologist, you likely have heard of Dr. Frederic Clements, the botanist who forged the theory of plant succession, paving the way for the field of plant ecology. But did you know his wife, Edith Schwartz Clements was a major contributor to his success?   Edith...

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Women in Ecology

This is the topic of my graduate seminar course this semester.  We started the course by reading Jean Langenheim's "Address of the Past President: Davis, California August 1988: The Path and Progress of American Women Ecologists".  It is a great introduction to the history of women in ecology (even if plant biased) and provides great examples of the non-traditional paths women have...

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Tallgrass Vignettes

Standing amidst this sward of tallgrass prairie in Southern Kansas one evening (08-22-15) brought this line from Willa Cather to mind: ".......I felt the grass was the country, as the water was the sea."Sweet Coneflowers (Rudbeckia subtomentosa) @ Osage Prairie, Missouri (8-19-15)Profusion...

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Special focus…

Special focus… I have been in my new studio for 3 weeks now and been productive for 2 weeks with a few throwing sessions. Getting into a new groove has not been without it's challenges. This space is quite intimidating and a challenge to make an impact on.I thought about creating work flow spaces and...

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