When you speed plants up, they suddenly seem much more alive and animate. Plant blindness, (the human tendency to overlook plants in favor of animals) lessens when we see them move, and when we begin to observe and appreciate them more regularly.
If only everyone could see plants as animate, moving life forms. Sadly, much of society gives little thought to plants, even though they are integral to our survival as a species.
The impacts of plant blindness are vast. Most importantly:
1) plant conservation is massively underfunded
2) not enough people are becoming botanists
3) botany gets little focus in education, even in higher education.
In 2022 the University of Leeds published a study entitled “The botanical education extinction and the fall of plant awareness.” Their research found that from 2007-2019, only 565 out of 104,895 UK biology graduates focused on botany. That’s less than .05% of students. “It is often that plants are seen as background characters in the stories of an ecosystem, they are simply passive set dressing of the lives of animals which live out their dynamic lives.”
What does it mean for us to not be prioritizing botany in education? It means less plant awareness, less plant knowledge…creating incomplete understandings of ecosystems and biodiversity.
How can we help regenerate ecosystems without understanding the full picture? Without assessing ecosystems as a whole, we risk creating irreparable ecological and climate breakdowns.
If you love caring for plants in your homes, you’ve already broken down the first barrier: plant blindness. If you’re interested in how to apply this love to plants in the wild, we’d love to share resources with you. First- follow the Center for Plant Conservation. If you can, consider a career in botany. Our plants and our ecosystems need you! If a career change isn’t feasible, you can also support plant conservation by volunteering, sharing information, or donating