[PCA] ARTICLE: We do not wa nt to “cure plant blindness” we want to grow plant love
Randall, Johnny
jrandall at email.unc.edu
Wed Aug 14 11:35:10 CDT 2019
I'm uncertain if the reference from Plant Science Bulletin 47:1 (attached) has come up, but it's an excellent review of Plant Blindness issues and worth a read.
Johnny
Johnny Randall, PhD
Director of Conservation
North Carolina Botanical Garden
CB 3375
University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill NC 27599
W – 919.962.2380
C – 919.923.0100
ncbg.unc.edu
-----Original Message-----
From: native-plants <native-plants-bounces at lists.plantconservation.org> On Behalf Of kathyschlosser at triad.rr.com
Sent: Wednesday, August 14, 2019 10:43 AM
To: native-plants at lists.plantconservation.org
Subject: Re: [PCA] ARTICLE: We do not wa nt to “cure plant blindness” we want to grow plant love
Ditto to what EBo and Steve said.
-----Original Message-----
From: native-plants <native-plants-bounces at lists.plantconservation.org> On Behalf Of EBo
Sent: Wednesday, August 14, 2019 8:45 AM
To: native-plants at lists.plantconservation.org
Subject: Re: [PCA] ARTICLE: We do not wa nt to “cure plant blindness” we want to grow plant love
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/14319842837
>>14112> 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%7Ced5b36e701ee4ebc867ee03c
>>fa0d4697%7C0%7C0%
>>7C637013236668019764&sdata=pf0tk7wE%2F8pDLsdUgYvkvkz7j3DzA8iIj9O7rLjp8
>>gM%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%2
>>F%2Fwww.blm.gov%
>>2Fprograms%2Fnatural-resources%2Fnative-plant-communities%2Fnative-pla
>>nt-and-seed-material-
>>development%2Fcollection&data=02%7C01%7C%7C92e7b72bba584bd704b108d7202
>>9e807%
>>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-s
>>eed-strategy&data=02%7C01
>>%7C%7C92e7b72bba584bd704b108d72029e807%7Ced5b36e701ee4ebc867ee03cfa0d4
>>697%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%7C92e7b72bba584bd704b
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>>
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