| Abstract Detail
Colloquium: Speaking of Food: connecting basic and applied science Novy, Ari [1]. Using food and agriculture to start the conversation about plant science. Botanical gardens are the primary source of informal plant education for many people. But the reality is that most visitors are not coming to botanical gardens expressly for the purpose of learning about plants. Botanical gardens primarily attract the public with seasonal displays, performances, family activities, art and aesthetic pleasure. Once visitors are in, gardens try to impart botanical knowledge using a variety of techniques, but without turning visitors off with overly technical or scientific information. Food and agriculture represent existing areas of public interest with a deep and obvious nexus to the main strengths of botanical gardens: plant diversity and plant science expertise. With the proper strategies, botanical gardens may be able to co-opt the public's interest in food and agriculture to bring in primed visitors hungry for botanical knowledge. In this talk, I will briefly outline some strategies being taken at the United States Botanic Garden in Washington D.C. to capitalize on the public's interest and familiarity with food and agriculture to create meaningful conversations about plant science. Broader Impacts:
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1 - United States Botanic Garden, 245 First St., SW, Washington, DC, 20024, USA
Keywords:
Science Education
agriculture
food
botanical garden.
Presentation Type: Symposium or Colloquium Presentation
Session: C7
Location: Grand Ballroom A/Riverside Hilton
Date: Tuesday, July 30th, 2013
Time: 2:00 PM
Number: C7001
Abstract ID:136
Candidate for Awards:None |
