Native Plant Conservation Campaign News: Botanist Shortage Addressed By New AZ Graduate Program Partnership, Part of New National Trend! 

February 6, 2017

 

“Quick — without thinking about it, name an endangered animal. Name two, three or even four. Easy? Now, name an endangered plant. Two? Three? For many people, that’s not as easy.” -  from article on new plant science program in ASU Now

 

“Plant Blindness”, which this apt quote illustrates, is a phenomenon unfortunately all too familiar to plant science and conservation advocates. Among its many troubling symptoms is the loss of training opportunities for plant scientists to meet the expanding need for botanical expertise.

 

To address the shortage of plant experts, last year Arizona State University and the Desert Botanical Garden launched a new master’s degree program in plant biology and conservation. The program is part of a national trend, where a leading botanical garden partners with a university’s biology department to offer unique teaching and hands-on research experiences.

 

ASU is on the cutting edge of that trend, joining forces with the Desert Botanical Garden to offer the new degree. Now, they hope, plant conservation may find some revitalized support.

 

For more information, see the ASU Plant Biology and Conservation Degree Program website and the article in ASU Now