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

Wed Aug 14 12:51:14 CDT 2019

Thank you for this. I have only skimmed it so far, but it looks very 
well written.

As I was reading the zoochauvinism, etc., I got to thinking we need a 
plant equivalent to the Naked Mole Rat, as well as the charismatic 
endangered species like the bald eagle.  Maybe Slime Molds.  But I have 
to admit that the expression "shave me down and call me a slime mold" 
just does not carry the same emotional impact, but would get a chuckle 
from folks catching the reference ;-)

Thanks again,

   EBo --

On Aug 14 2019 10:35 AM, Randall, Johnny wrote:
> 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
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>>>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
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>>>Plant Conservation
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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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