[PCA] ARTICLE: We do not wa nt to “cure plant blindness” we want to grow plant love

Wed Aug 14 07:44:36 CDT 2019

When I read some of the discussion I have to admit that I was left 
scratching my head.  I know of no "physiologically limited condition" 
named "plant blindness".  I am painfully aware of specific types of 
blindness such as the macular degeneration, mentioned below, which is a 
general physiologically limiting condition, but it is not specific to 
plants.  So I have to ask myself is if the problems with the phrase is 
with the use of the world blindness...  To be frank, I have only had 
time so far to skim the articles mention, and not read them in their 
fullness to give the authors a chance to change my opinions of the 
phrase, but up to this moment I have always heard it in the context of 
people not appreciating the role of plants in their environment.  I have 
found the later more of a case of never having found a connection to he 
living land.  I tell people that "ignorance has a cure.  It is called 
education.  Meanness also has a cure, but it often entails the use of a 
metaphorical 2-x-4".  I bet if you ask around, everyone here has their 
"connection story".  This is a memorable moment that captured their 
attention, and helped them fall in love with a plant, a space, and the 
living world around you.  How do you help make that connection to the 
55% of people living in urban centers, and it is expected that this will 
increase to 70% in the coming decades?

When my wife taught environmental science for non majors, almost none 
of her students passed the sections on crop endangerment, biodiversity, 
and the like until she hit on a way to emotionally "hook" them -- she 
did this by simply by offering to give them an A if they could grow a 
Cherokee Trail of Tears Bean from seed to seed.  If they could not then 
they could write a paper on any one of the topics.  Then she would go in 
to explain that this bean got its name from Cherokee Elders choosing to 
starve to death on the Trail of Tears so that their grandchildren would 
have the seed stock to carry on...  Since every student understands the 
value of an 'A', it hooked them and got them emotionally engaged in the 
project (as one after the other their plants got sick and died).  
Students started calling their grandparents who grew up on farms to ask 
them for help, started talking to the Master Gardner's at the school...  
All in all only about 3 out of roughly 1,000 students ever grew the a 
bean to bean, but BOY HOWDY did they connect to the project and all of a 
sudden ace those sections of the material...  Like I said, getting 
people more interested in plants than they are in the Kardatians (or 
however you spell their names) is a challenge for all of us.

But back to the discussion.  Until I perceive the phrase "plant 
blindness" as demeaning and/or exclusionary, I will continue to use it 
-- as it has always meant to me a disconnect from the natural plant 
world.  I will of course take some time and give the authors a chance to 
change my mind, but I have no time otherwise to spend on a tempest in a 
teapot.

On Aug 13 2019 4:23 PM, Steve Erickson wrote:
> I just read the article.
>
> My life-partner has macular degeneration and she most definitely does
> see her condition as a deficit and something “to be cured.” I can’t
> quote her response due to the included obscenities, but she certainly
> doesn’t feel “excluded” by the use of the term “plant bindness.” She
> just told me she thinks its “a very apt term.”
>
> But one anecdotal response does not establish high confidence. Since
> the article was published in a scientific journal, perhaps the 
> authors
> could actually back up their hypothesis - that the term is
> exclusionary - with some data? Have they surveyed people who are 
> blind
> or whose sight is impaired? What are their opinions? Do the opinions
> differ depending on education and area of knowledge? Degree of sight
> impairment? Cultural background?
>
> The author’s concede that this two word label is catchy, has spread
> rapidly, and describes the condition. Having been involved in 
> numerous
> advocacy campaigns, that is exactly what is needed. Somehow, I just
> don’t believe that “failure to fully understand the importance of
> plants to human existence and biospheric function” is going to cut 
> it.
> Do you think that “extinction rebellion” would have spread as rapidly
> as it has if instead it was phrased as “very very serious 
> disagreement
> to diminution of biological diversity brought about by socio-economic
> world views strongly associated with modern industrial civilization?”
>
> ~Steve
> Frosty Hollow Ecological
> Whidbey Environmental Action
>
> =====================================================
>
> On 8/13/19 at 1:22 PM, kathryn.kennedy at usda.gov (Kennedy, Kathryn L 
> -FS) wrote:
>
>>The general message “plants for people and people for plants” works 
>> for outreach...as I noted to folks earlier plants touch our lives so 
>> many ways, that is what folks need to appreciate.  I think the thing 
>> to refine here is the right message in the right audience.  We haven’t 
>> been good at that generally as botanists and are paying the price.
>>
>>Still, remember  “plant blindness” is a physiologically limited 
>> condition of humans, as Jim Wandersee demonstrated.  We don’t need to 
>> revile this described condition, we need to work to expand our powers 
>> of observation and appreciation to counteract and correct for it.
>>
>>
>>[Forest Service Shield]
>>Kathryn Kennedy, PhD
>>Regional Botanist
>>Forest Service
>>Southwestern Region
>>p: 505-842-3263
>>c: 314-302-3760
>>kathrynlkennedy at fs.fed.us<mailto:kathrynlkennedy at fs.fed.us>
>>333 Broadway Blvd SE
>>Albuquerque, NM 87102
>>www.fs.fed.us<http://www.fs.fed.us/>
>>[USDA Logo]<http://usda.gov/>[Forest Service 
>> Twitter]<https://twitter.com/forestservice>[USDA 
>> Facebook]<https://www.facebook.com/pages/US-Forest-Service/1431984283714112>
>>Caring for the land and serving people
>>
>>
>>From: native-plants 
>> [mailto:native-plants-bounces at lists.plantconservation.org] On Behalf 
>> Of Grund, Steve
>>Sent: Tuesday, August 13, 2019 2:06 PM
>>To: Prescott, Leah <lprescott at blm.gov>; 
>> native-plants at lists.plantconservation.org
>>Subject: Re: [PCA] ARTICLE: We do not want to “cure plant blindness” 
>> we want to grow plant love
>>
>>Sure. The “Plant Blindness” thing seems OK within the botanical 
>> community, and humorously catchy, but when it gets out to the general 
>> public, it will appear (or perhaps already appears) as if we are 
>> looking down at the people not in our clique. Not a good way to reach 
>> out to people. “Growing plant love” (not sure that is actually 
>> proposed) might also be a put-off to some, being rather romantic, and 
>> would be labeled “touchy-feely” by some. Awareness and appreciation 
>> might perhaps be more effective positive messages, but I am not coming 
>> up with a pithy slogan.
>>
>>From: native-plants 
>> [mailto:native-plants-bounces at lists.plantconservation.org] On Behalf 
>> Of Prescott, Leah
>>Sent: 13 August 2019 11:35
>>To: listserv
>>Subject: [PCA] ARTICLE: We do not want to “cure plant blindness” we 
>> want to grow plant love
>>
>>From: Plants, People, Planet New Phytologist Trust
>>By: Caitlin McDonough MacKenzie, Sara Kuebbing, Rebecca S. Barak, 
>> Molly Bletz, Joan Dudney, Bonnie M. McGill, Mallika A. Nocco, Talia 
>> Young, Rebecca K. Tonietto
>>July 18, 2019
>>
>>"We have a duty to conserve plants for the health of current and 
>> future generations. To do that, we, as a community of scientists, need 
>> to move plants from the background and into the foreground of people's 
>> hearts and minds. Effective movements need a clear, unifying rallying 
>> cry. We have made a decision not to use “curing plant blindness” as 
>> ours. Instead, we would like to encourage an honest and inclusive 
>> discussion about the disenfranchising and exclusionary term 'plant 
>> blindness.'"
>>
>>Read more: 
>> https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ppp3.10062<https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.
>>outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fnph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com%2Fdoi%2F10.1002%2Fppp3.10062&data=02
>>%7C01%7C%7C92e7b72bba584bd704b108d72029e807%7Ced5b36e701ee4ebc867ee03cfa0d4697%7C0%7C0%
>>7C637013236668019764&sdata=pf0tk7wE%2F8pDLsdUgYvkvkz7j3DzA8iIj9O7rLjp8gM%3D&reserved=0>
>>--
>>Leah Prescott
>>Seeds of Success
>>National Collection Curator (Contractor)
>>202-912-7232
>>
>>Seeds of 
>> Success<https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blm.gov%
>>2Fprograms%2Fnatural-resources%2Fnative-plant-communities%2Fnative-plant-and-seed-material-
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>>7Ced5b36e701ee4ebc867ee03cfa0d4697%7C0%7C0%7C637013236668019764&sdata=
>>RqNnzcr3T6zT3ReZYwbWoa6tIKHW1TXJzx86y76IOKA%3D&reserved=0>
>>National Seed Strategy for Rehabilitation and 
>> Restoration<https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blm.gov%
>>2Fprograms%2Fnatural-resources%2Fnative-plant-communities%2Fnational-seed-strategy&data=02%7C01
>>%7C%7C92e7b72bba584bd704b108d72029e807%7Ced5b36e701ee4ebc867ee03cfa0d4697%7C0%7C0%
>>7C637013236668029757&sdata=MABtb52R6WE5jMqo0Wsu4jkJoFuYzKQpEGrK6osmWsU%3D&reserved=0>
>>Plant Conservation 
>> Alliance<https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.
>>plantconservationalliance.org%2F&data=02%7C01%7C%7C92e7b72bba584bd704b108d72029e807%
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>>
>>
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> ---------------------------------------------
> Frosty Hollow Ecological Restoration
> Helping Nature Heal
> Box 53
> Langley, WA  98260
> (360) 579-2332   FH at Whidbey.com
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