Our lives are bound to the success of plants and our understanding of their biology.
Plants are everywhere! We eat them, wear them, burn them for warmth, and give them as gifts. They power our vehicles and buildings, are symbols of beauty, inspire mathematicians and artists alike, represent gifts from the gods, provide medicinal and therapeutic uses, and drive all forms of scientific discovery.
Understanding plant diversity and their accompanying metabolic systems will expand our sources of food, medicines, and other resources necessary to survive and thrive. As Friesner et al. (2021) state, we need “a talented, passionate, and diverse community of plant scientists" to find innovative solutions to feed our growing population and safeguard ecosystems in the face of climate change. |
The Problem: People do not invest in plantsAlthough we interact directly or indirectly with plants on a regular basis, most of us fail to notice, leaving us unable to recognize the uniqueness, complexity, and importance of plants and concluding that they are inferior to animals. This is otherwise known as plant awareness disparity.
This has contributed to the number of PhD degrees in biomedical sciences and animal research funding increasing overtime while PhD degrees in plant science and plant research funding have remained low and stagnant (Figures from Friesner et al., 2021 and Havens et al., 2014). |
Citations: Friesner, J., Colón‐Carmona, A., Schnoes, A. M., Stepanova, A., Mason, G. A., Macintosh, G. C., Ullah, H., Baxter, I., Callis, J., Sierra‐Cajas, K., Elliott, K., Haswell, E. S., Zavala, M. E., Wildermuth, M., Williams, M., Ayalew, M., Henkhaus, N., Prunet, N., Lemaux, P. G., … Dinneny, J. R. (2021). Broadening the impact of plant science through innovative, integrative, and inclusive outreach. Plant Direct, 5(4), e00316. https://doi.org/10.1002/pld3.316 Havens, K., Kramer, A. T., Guerrant, E. O., & Herendeen, E. P. S. (2014). Getting Plant Conservation Right (or Not): The Case of the United States. International Journal of Plant Sciences, 175(1), 3–10. https://doi.org/10.1086/674103 |
The goal of this research garden is to provide a permanent, accessible space for students, professors, staff, and community members to increase their botanical literacy and appreciation of plants.
Individual gardens can also play a large role in pollinator conservation. Very little is known about the abundance of floral resources (nectar and pollen) for insect pollinators in urban landscapes. Tew et al. (2021) found that residential gardens contribute the most nectar sugar per square unit and 85% of all nectar on a city scale, allowing urban areas to become hotspots for floral resource diversity (Figure from Tew et al., 2021).
Tew, N. E., Memmott, J., Vaughan, I. P., Bird, S., Stone, G. N., Potts, S. G., & Baldock, K. C. R. (2021). Quantifying nectar production by flowering plants in urban and rural landscapes. Journal of Ecology, 109(4), 1747–1757. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.13598
Want to know more?
Explore the garden with our four main pages.
- Why Study Plants?: awesome plant teachings
- What Are We Researching?: our team and potential research
- What's Growing?: information on the plants we are growing
- Visit the garden and use the Scavenger Hunt to learn basic plant identification skills and explore the garden
Davidson students, you are welcomed (and encouraged!) to reach out to Dr. Susana Wadgymar about conducting research or to ask current and past members about their experiences!
Contact Information
Dr. Susana Wadgymar
Biology Department, Davidson College
Box 7118
Davidson, NC 28035 USA
Office: Wall 119
Lab: Wall 121
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Phone: 704-894-2033
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Email: suwadgymar (at) davidson.edu
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Research Website
Biology Department, Davidson College
Box 7118
Davidson, NC 28035 USA
Office: Wall 119
Lab: Wall 121
_______
Phone: 704-894-2033
_______
Email: suwadgymar (at) davidson.edu
_______
Research Website
Where is the Garden Located?
You are welcome to visit and explore, just stay on the stepping stones!
Our garden is located next to the terrace outside the E. Craig Wall Academic Center facing Faculty Drive.
To keep up with the growth of our garden, please continue to revisit this website and watch out for forthcoming social media accounts!