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2018 Autumn | Education & Outreach

Evoking Plant Cognizance through Outdoor Education: Exposing the Species Hierarchy

Student(s):

Jordan Mae Fleming

Program or Department(s):

  • Program on the Environment
  • University of Washington

Site supervisor(s):

Alex Guest

Partner(s):

  • Islandwood

Faculty advisor(s):

Tim Billo, Program on the Environment, University of Washington

Plant blindness is an issue interconnected to human’s animal-centric view of the world. Plants terraformed the earth for early life, they create oxygen, store carbon, add nutrients to soils, and turn light into energy and food. My research entails me working with children as a field instructor at an outdoor school called IslandWood. This is an environmental education organization that provides a platform for influencing a sense of wonder and stewardship. I wanted to see if an immersive outdoor program could combat plant blindness. I conducted short assessments with student at the beginning and end of a five-day program.