tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28503285251359016092024-03-05T15:00:10.059-05:00The Diary of The Botanic Gardens at Kona KaiThe Botanic Gardens at Kona Kai Resorthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16067989939562688620noreply@blogger.comBlogger91125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850328525135901609.post-60381169839772904592015-12-23T16:42:00.004-05:002015-12-23T16:43:59.928-05:00Pollinator Friendly GardeningNearly everyone is familiar with butterfly and pollinator-friendly gardening nowadays with all the news about declines in honeybee and monarch butterfly populations. In my “Spring Planting in the Gardens” blog from June 2015, I mentioned one of our garden beds had been converted into a pollinator-friendly bed. Recently, I found evidence of pollinators and insect visitors making it their temporary home.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidNx9xiikubSE4KWHZmPAI-gp8HoPEQaGzogRhtBUtTrwsB6JHHAMeWhSrUpYG0loT21PMI20x5K7-WiJ9c6ZZwNGeIBhKN1lJI1DUL5rInyCi8YIDGARYKYkYs0akBLSsLPg3KCa8LcQ/s1600/unknown+coccoon_02.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidNx9xiikubSE4KWHZmPAI-gp8HoPEQaGzogRhtBUtTrwsB6JHHAMeWhSrUpYG0loT21PMI20x5K7-WiJ9c6ZZwNGeIBhKN1lJI1DUL5rInyCi8YIDGARYKYkYs0akBLSsLPg3KCa8LcQ/s320/unknown+coccoon_02.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the folded over brown leaf is the pupa of <br />
an unknown insect undergoing metamorphosis</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPJPz6uI65azlNgUm-FiNtbU0gsumZFcS8DtVf8o4dVs8aCnJimDTvXVoixtdeWiXWnLjV2cvYeSob0sb_I3m1Tw2COOJVNgwlDC7vHM27jRtIjUKWkYygHn3KSybW0_SqKGG9lH17ONI/s1600/unknown+coccoon_01.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPJPz6uI65azlNgUm-FiNtbU0gsumZFcS8DtVf8o4dVs8aCnJimDTvXVoixtdeWiXWnLjV2cvYeSob0sb_I3m1Tw2COOJVNgwlDC7vHM27jRtIjUKWkYygHn3KSybW0_SqKGG9lH17ONI/s320/unknown+coccoon_01.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The pupa inside this nest has elaborately<br />
wrapped <span style="font-size: 12.8px;">the leaves around each other</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg62xvno8H9_TtbXCPyV2vnNYjvk4hMhwXH8SRdtCICYCChdufBC-MGkvjlFGGlc2cmGk8MvCKV5Eh1t42JdNMtkH7hOpzbJ44uIKUAKUzuOEr5GVyFwBPaqUDtrgGhh_NZFVaD5X-wxJw/s1600/swallowtail+larva_02.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg62xvno8H9_TtbXCPyV2vnNYjvk4hMhwXH8SRdtCICYCChdufBC-MGkvjlFGGlc2cmGk8MvCKV5Eh1t42JdNMtkH7hOpzbJ44uIKUAKUzuOEr5GVyFwBPaqUDtrgGhh_NZFVaD5X-wxJw/s320/swallowtail+larva_02.JPG" width="188" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Note the silk floss holding the <br />
leaves together</td></tr>
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I’m not sure exactly which adult insect is going to emerge from the cocoon-like nests featured in the photos above, but it is exciting that they have shown up in our pollinator-friendly bed to complete part of their life cycle. The plant in the first photo is a Jamaican endemic, <i>Portlandia proctori</i> and the Florida native Bahama coffee, <i>Psychotria ligustrifolia,</i> is featured in the second and third photos. Hopefully, we will have more flowers open up to provide nectar for the adults once they emerge.<br />
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Meanwhile, in another part of the garden...<br />
While inspecting our key lime tree for presence of Asian citrus psyllid, the vector for citrus greening disease, I noticed three large bird droppings that were moving around! These were not bird droppings at all but the larval stage (caterpillars) of the Giant swallowtail butterfly. As I watched them happily munching away at the key lime leaves an adult swallowtail butterfly flew overhead and began laying more eggs on various other leaves.<br />
During my first observation there were three 2nd instar caterpillars but today, two weeks later, there is only one remaining after several exhaustive searches. Apparently, Giant swallowtail caterpillars are cannibalistic and will eat each other during encounters! I'm not sure if that happened or if a bird found itself a meal but the remaining caterpillar looks to be about a 4th instar and must be close to pupating. Our key lime is fine as the caterpillars did not eat very many leaves but citrus farmers find them a pest and call them "Orange dogs".<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Giant swallowtail caterpillar - 2nd or 3rd instar</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adult Giant swallowtail butterfly checking out the key lime tree</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">4th instar of the Giant swallowtail larva</td></tr>
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It is amazing how much is going on around us in the natural world that we tune out and miss by being engrossed in our human routines. Here in the Keys, it is pretty hard to avoid nature as it surrounds us in the hardwood hammock, mangrove forest and marine environments. After a week of late-season rain this month, the increase in fresh water caused a chain reaction: plants flushed out new leaves while insect eggs hatched so the young larvae could eat the fresh leaves and those larvae then turned into butterflies and began laying eggs again until the next cycle.<br />
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By gardening for pollinators with nectar plants for adults and host plants for caterpillars, you can bring the natural world right into your yard or patio. Butterfly watching is delightful for people of all ages but especially children. It is also beneficial to your local butterfly species as you will provide them with food. If you plant it, they will come!<br />
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Emily B. Magnaghi<br />
Associate Director<br />
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The Botanic Gardens at Kona Kai Resorthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16067989939562688620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850328525135901609.post-33204715790943272362015-11-29T10:28:00.002-05:002015-11-29T10:30:53.565-05:00Effects on Plant Collections due to High Tides and Flooding<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
During the month of September we experienced one our annual
highest tides, sometimes called the King Tide. These are normally occurring
tides throughout the months of September, October, and November during the full
moon phase. This year, it was coupled with low-pressure systems bringing strong
northeast winds that impacted the flow of the Gulf Stream, causing it to
back-up water in the Keys and Florida Straits. There have been numerous flood
warnings this fall and there has been plenty of footage in the news of the
flooding in Ft. Lauderdale and Miami Beach.</div>
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Due to the unique, porous geology of the limestone in south
Florida, and especially in the Keys, which have formed on an ancient coral
reef, we cannot shore up our waterfronts with sea walls and levees; the water
will eventually come up from below. We also have very flat topography so once
the sea rises, it will not matter how far inland you are. What do botanic
gardens do in this situation? How do we effectively preserve our collections in
the face of sea level rise?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Currently, we have many native and exotic salt-tolerant
plants on our Florida Bay waterfront. Aside from sea level rise and extreme
high tides, this environment is tough for plants in general with salt spray
during winter storms that blow in from the north and full, hot sun throughout
the summer. Salt-tolerant plants, however, are just that, ‘tolerant’, and some
of our plants may soon reach their thresholds. One potential casualty from last
month’s high water is our <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Argusia
gnaphalodes</i>, sea-lavender or beach heliotrope. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9RQi9lhybOupBRGunZgS0UygG5oYhL-OBOO1-akhbipf5YHFK8OP3ze3QqzBC2sLGPLUeOkiCrCc4mFIM67kGp8RY4kdW-oWYRhYeo8nXlqYCKxgzrtA08lmKUXz-4AKYHeNIR0FIiLA/s1600/Tournefortia_gnaphalodes_%2528UNKN-024*A%2529_2015-11-06_01.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9RQi9lhybOupBRGunZgS0UygG5oYhL-OBOO1-akhbipf5YHFK8OP3ze3QqzBC2sLGPLUeOkiCrCc4mFIM67kGp8RY4kdW-oWYRhYeo8nXlqYCKxgzrtA08lmKUXz-4AKYHeNIR0FIiLA/s320/Tournefortia_gnaphalodes_%2528UNKN-024*A%2529_2015-11-06_01.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our sea-lavender after this summer's high tides</td></tr>
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This evergreen shrub is highly salt-tolerant and extremely drought-tolerant once established. Our specimen is over 13 years old and has a 5-foot, gnarled trunk with branches sweeping down to the ground. Apparently, beach heliotrope is difficult to establish so I feel lucky to have such a mature specimen in our collection. Unfortunately, all the leaves fell off after the high water and we are waiting to see if it will regenerate. A similar situation occurred in 2011 and our BG-Base records indicate that it “came back well after storm damage” so my fingers are crossed.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sea-lavender regrowth after 2011 storm damage</td></tr>
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<o:p> </o:p>Other salt-tolerant species we have along our shoreline are <i>Coccoloba uvifera</i>, sea-grape; <i>Hyophorbe verschaffeltii</i>, spindle palm; <i>Jacquinia keyensis</i>, joewood; <i>Pandanus utilis</i>, screw-pine; <i>Serenoa repens</i>, saw palmetto; <i>Sesuvium portulacastrum</i>, sea purslane; <i>Uniola paniculata</i>, sea oats; and all
four native mangrove species: <i>Avicennia</i>
<i>germinans</i>, black mangrove; <i>Conocarpus</i> <i>erectus</i>, buttonwood;<i> Rhizophora
mangle</i>, red mangrove; <i>Laguncularia
racemosa</i>, white mangrove.</div>
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Not only are we concerned with protecting our botanical
collections, but more importantly, we need to protect the rare plant
populations in the wild that are being affected by sea level rise. The
inhospitable conditions produced by salt-water make it impossible for many
species to survive in their present locations. Even common plants are unable to
deal with excess salt, their seeds unable to germinate, they will eventually be
displaced by mangroves or other salt-tolerant species. In this case, botanic
gardens and nurseries are their only hope for continued propagation.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In the Florida Keys, we have many rare species that have
been propagated for years by local conservation institutions such as Fairchild
Tropical Botanic Garden and a handful of local nurseries. Regional watchdogs
like the Institute for Regional Conservation have performed baseline
inventories for monitoring rare plant populations so we know how they are doing
over time. Without human intervention, these plants and their habitats will
disappear and we do not fully understand the implications of this on a local
level, and much less on a global scale.<br />
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After each storm and high tide, as I notice the multitude of mangrove
propagules deposited along the shoreline, I wonder how long it would take for
the trees to return our developed shoreline back into mangrove forest. I guess
we’ll see over the next 30 years! Hopefully, we will be able to change the way
we live and use our resources more sustainably so life in coastal areas may
continue and we will not have to relocate our garden to the Lake Wales ridge –
the previous shoreline of Florida.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Emily B. Magnaghi</div>
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Associate Director</div>
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The Botanic Gardens at Kona Kai Resorthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16067989939562688620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850328525135901609.post-87607162183888898932015-10-17T11:30:00.004-04:002015-10-22T13:17:45.092-04:00Public Gardens Across The Country and Beyond<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The APGA, or <a href="https://youtu.be/qSx3J4Z2Krk">American
Public Gardens Association</a>, is an organization whose vision is “a world
where public gardens are indispensable.” The Botanic Gardens at Kona Kai is a
member of APGA since they are “committed to increasing the knowledge of public
garden professionals throughout North America and internationally through
information sharing, professional development, networking, public awareness,
and research so they have the tools to effectively serve visitors and members.”
In essence, they are here to help us better serve you!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">After attending my first APGA conference in Minneapolis, MN,
I was delighted by how friendly and welcoming everyone was. People who work with
plants run the gamut of sociability and this group was very gregarious. I was
also surprised to see speakers from many gardens I had already been to or
recognized. Public gardens range in size from thousands of acres to barely two acres;
from large, research institutions like the New York Botanic Garden to small
gardens such as ours; from having conservation
collections of rare plants from around the world to native plants particular to
that region and everything in between. There are botanic gardens literally
everywhere! I have been fortunate enough to have visited many gardens
throughout my years of travel (see lists below) but have so many more to visit
that it will take me years. I had better stay away from a BGCI (Botanic Garden
Conservation International) meeting or I will be flying around the world for
the rest of my life; there are 144 gardens in Australia alone!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Next year’s APGA conference will be in Miami and we are
hoping to promote our idea of a "Transforming Your Understanding of Plants" (TYUP™) garden tour to other garden
administrators. Every garden should have a tour focusing on the current and
historic uses of plants and on modern plant science and technology as public
gardens are charged with educating the public about Why Plants Matter™. Our lives on this planet are fundamentally linked to plants: the oxygen they produce, the ecosystems they have created which provide us food, shelter, and clean water, the medicines they provide, and the new perspectives on evolution and technology they provide. Points like this are not usually offered on a standard botanic garden tour as we take them for granted. At our garden, we combine these stories of the importance of plants with their beauty and histories for a more comprehensive understanding of their richness and our dependence on them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Gardens are easy to visit, near many metro areas or tourist
destinations, and usually require only about a 2-hour stroll for a quick
survey or guided tour. For those who enjoy excitement and crowds, festival weekends at large
gardens provide a glimpse into the local culture and are a fun way to see a
garden come alive. And of course, booking a guided tour is a great way to learn
about the plants and the history of a garden.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Below are lists of gardens I have visited with photos I've taken at a few of my favorite gardens, and a wish
list of gardens to visit in the future. Of course, if my travels take me
anywhere near an interesting botanic garden, I make sure to visit. Any
additional suggestions are welcome!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>NATIONAL GARDENS</u> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Desert Botanical</b> Garden in Phoenix, <b>Balboa Park</b> Botanical
Building in San Diego, <b>Huntington</b> Botanical Gardens, <b>Santa Barbara</b> Botanic
Garden, University of California at <b>Santa Cruz Arboretum</b>, <b>San Francisco</b>
Botanical Garden, <b>Japanese Tea Garden</b> & <b>Conservatory of Flowers</b> in Golden
Gate Park, <b>UC</b> Botanical Garden at <b>Berkeley</b>, <b>Tilden</b>
Regional Parks Botanic Garden, <b>Ruth Bancroft</b> Garden, <b>Luther Burbank</b> Home and
Gardens, <b>Portland</b> <b>Japanese</b> Garden, <b>Maui Nui</b> Botanical Gardens, University of <b>Minnesota Landscape Arboretum</b>,
<b>Como Park</b> Zoo & Conservatory, <b>Chicago</b> Botanic Garden, <b>University of
Michigan Matthaei</b> Botanical Gardens & <b>Nichols Arboretum </b>(my old stomping grounds during college), <b>Montreal</b> Botanical
Garden, <b>New York</b> Botanical Garden, <b>The High Line</b>, <b>Atlanta</b> Botanical Garden,
<b>Vizcaya</b> Museum & Gardens, John C. <b>Gifford Arboretum</b>, <b>The Kampong</b> National
Tropical Botanical Garden, <b>Fairchild</b> Tropical Botanic Garden, <b>Montgomery</b>
Botanical Center, <b>Pinecrest</b> Gardens, <b>Block</b> Botanic Garden, <b>Naples</b> Botanical
Garden, <b>USF</b> Botanical Gardens, B<b>ok Tower</b> Gardens, and
<b>Birmingham</b> Botanical Gardens</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.ruthbancroftgarden.org/" target="_blank">Ruth Bancroft Garden</a></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Walnut Creek, California</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://arboretum.ucsc.edu/" target="_blank">UC Santa Cruz Arboretum</a></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Santa Cruz, California</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><u>INTERNATIONAL GARDENS</u> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Leon Levy Native Plant Preserve – Bahamas<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden – South Africa*<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Harold Porter National Botanical Garden – South Africa*<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Parc Botanique et Zoologique Tsimbazaza – Madagascar<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">* South Africa has an amazing
commitment to botany with their network of nine unique National Botanical
Gardens scattered throughout the country.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.sanbi.org/gardens/harold-porter/overview" target="_blank">Harold Porter National Botanical Garden</a></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Betty's Bay, South Africa</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.sanbi.org/gardens/kirstenbosch/overview" target="_blank">Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden</a></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Cape Town, South Africa</span></b></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>WISH LIST</u><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Missouri Botanical Garden<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew & Edinburgh<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Quarryhill Botanical Garden<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--StartFragment-->
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Jardín
Etnobotánico de Oaxaca</span><!--EndFragment-->
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Marie Selby Botanical Gardens</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens at the Historic Bamboo Farm</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The Polly Hill Arboretum - recommended by my tour guests</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Harry P. Leu Gardens </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">- recommended by my tour guests</span><br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Emily B. Magnaghi</b></span></o:p></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Associate Director</b></span></o:p></div>
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The Botanic Gardens at Kona Kai Resorthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16067989939562688620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850328525135901609.post-20315968296761269752015-08-27T16:48:00.002-04:002015-09-09T10:49:26.493-04:00Inspiring Students to Discover Why Plants Matter<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs7zVxhl1y6ycrWdSkW1yHsD3Iqm5mXAJHV87ZSrD5NPEg3kpQcatmHzABUT13lpsVSW_G4EOkMhVft8CSCVOv57e7FwsMt8HCyJDZAvTrPlzBg5GlpsDqIeDRUiGElu0wTKjfH60TTeI/s1600/Teachers+Info+Mtg_2015-08-22_12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs7zVxhl1y6ycrWdSkW1yHsD3Iqm5mXAJHV87ZSrD5NPEg3kpQcatmHzABUT13lpsVSW_G4EOkMhVft8CSCVOv57e7FwsMt8HCyJDZAvTrPlzBg5GlpsDqIeDRUiGElu0wTKjfH60TTeI/s320/Teachers+Info+Mtg_2015-08-22_12.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2015-2016 Teacher's Information Meeting Kick-off</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We kicked off the Upper Keys Fairchild Challenge (UKFC) last
Saturday with our annual Teacher’s Information Meeting. We are excited for this
year’s Challenges as the themes of <i>The
Everglades</i> for elementary school and <i>The
Voyages of Plants</i> for middle & high school are interesting and relevant
not only to the environment and ecology of South Florida and the Keys, but on a
global scale, as well. A first for this year will be a teacher’s workshop and
professional development points for teachers participating in a Challenge.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLxd1XVUyRdqB3EHcSTDATC4BIruidP69oebqz2SwODEVDbsnQkdhX4tlXuOkL_jeW3LwPNVMhOUlP8g0QaOryAUyAGR5IHA1lJ4kjOmzWmdMhtf15knHXvdqp8jmUUqoarHOU56rOXak/s1600/Awards+Ceremony_2015-05-06_04.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLxd1XVUyRdqB3EHcSTDATC4BIruidP69oebqz2SwODEVDbsnQkdhX4tlXuOkL_jeW3LwPNVMhOUlP8g0QaOryAUyAGR5IHA1lJ4kjOmzWmdMhtf15knHXvdqp8jmUUqoarHOU56rOXak/s320/Awards+Ceremony_2015-05-06_04.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2014-2015 Award Ceremony</td></tr>
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Last year we had over 1100 students and 62 teachers
participate in our program, the highest number to date, and we expect to grow
even more this year with additional participation. Last year also marked our
first offering for high school Challenges, of which four were submitted by the
winning high school. Hopefully we will have another high school jump on board
this year for more competition. Competition or not, the students learn many
important ecological principles while doing their Challenges. These include
plant-animal interactions, plant life cycles, how to take environmental action
to the community and state levels, critical thinking skills involving
conservation techniques, and using art as a tool to convey environmental
awareness, just to mention a few. Speaking of art, last year we provided a
student art workshop for elementary school which we have expanded this year to
accommodate middle and high school students.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Fv_4RiNjzz5skF7m4WGLpm4_sbej0EdcjO-B0gdbal-ZD_MKITVzY3k2sDf0IT6LCdm6GFzONhGW893enyGhdyULTkvtsFHyhixWXXqVVN6-tRR6B7DFjK8vHo8wRzfrVjRP4BvGuMc/s1600/Green+Cuisine+Challenge+8_MS%253AHS_2015-04-08_20.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Fv_4RiNjzz5skF7m4WGLpm4_sbej0EdcjO-B0gdbal-ZD_MKITVzY3k2sDf0IT6LCdm6GFzONhGW893enyGhdyULTkvtsFHyhixWXXqVVN6-tRR6B7DFjK8vHo8wRzfrVjRP4BvGuMc/s320/Green+Cuisine+Challenge+8_MS%253AHS_2015-04-08_20.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yummy Sugar Citrus Squares were submitted by Coral Shores High School for the Green Cuisine Challenge</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx7OUzlQFwurn-_QXa9MxXO9BQ31VwwG5FhrAO6CPL65Y8fXr5BTCfCUi_r4u1GRZp8-2h1UVCmqUJMXZhEbOx-v6YB-6E9Xwv3gaqHoqanRGMvLPLx7qPT_P9GL4gsx6y14sLj9-m97o/s1600/KLS+School+Garden_01.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx7OUzlQFwurn-_QXa9MxXO9BQ31VwwG5FhrAO6CPL65Y8fXr5BTCfCUi_r4u1GRZp8-2h1UVCmqUJMXZhEbOx-v6YB-6E9Xwv3gaqHoqanRGMvLPLx7qPT_P9GL4gsx6y14sLj9-m97o/s320/KLS+School+Garden_01.png" width="277" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Key Largo School students working hard on their school garden!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIvP3mQFWLImUQqCknjaThYkS28Z4Pve032RdNXNX3dPKj2dHE0t-TsTu0l3vbvhyTYVnQUlbyZo0kjX64xs71lbsJPuoiE7AMHiA2AO2mDrc5AxlMeVRLeLTlz9Q8NkN3exTumKGjEoM/s1600/TVMS+School+Garden_03.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIvP3mQFWLImUQqCknjaThYkS28Z4Pve032RdNXNX3dPKj2dHE0t-TsTu0l3vbvhyTYVnQUlbyZo0kjX64xs71lbsJPuoiE7AMHiA2AO2mDrc5AxlMeVRLeLTlz9Q8NkN3exTumKGjEoM/s320/TVMS+School+Garden_03.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Follow the handmade mosaic stepping stones to Treasure Village Montessori School's garden</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiosHn8wPe5r-WKwj0rPz_FBJHjxA-0nJfO0RdKGeRHgMVqOzWeVsfoWVQIBTd5OnY1HK9LQy8mHPpQErIVG5ayvYExQbiQ28RZAGYbVNcdIG4fyr31gTzCcCkJpfN3ZFL2n8ZMqpUuNAw/s1600/OSCS_Enviro+action_01.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiosHn8wPe5r-WKwj0rPz_FBJHjxA-0nJfO0RdKGeRHgMVqOzWeVsfoWVQIBTd5OnY1HK9LQy8mHPpQErIVG5ayvYExQbiQ28RZAGYbVNcdIG4fyr31gTzCcCkJpfN3ZFL2n8ZMqpUuNAw/s320/OSCS_Enviro+action_01.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Environmental Action by Ocean Studies Charter School.<br />
Where else can students participate in coral restoration?!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The Fairchild Challenge program is developed by Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden and as a satellite partner we use their framework but tailor it to the needs of our schools and the environment of the Florida Keys. We are able to compete with other satellite partners from around the world with a Global Challenge where students’ submissions are entered into an online forum to be judged against each other. This year’s Global Challenge is related to environmental change and how species are adapting to climate change through a comic strip storyline.<br />
All is all, it’s shaping up to be another great school year in the Upper Keys!</div>
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The UKFC is supported by Kona Kai Resort and donations from private individuals, organizations and corporations. If you are interested in supporting our program, please click here: <a href="http://www.kkbg.org/uber-home/support-us">www.kkbg.org</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Emily B. Magnaghi</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Associate Director</span></div>
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The Botanic Gardens at Kona Kai Resorthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16067989939562688620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850328525135901609.post-55748990133619269062015-06-19T18:20:00.001-04:002015-06-20T08:38:41.645-04:00Summer Beauties<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Summer in the subtropics can be very hot and humid for
humans but for most plants acclimated to this climate, it is very comfortable. Along with longer, warmer days, we
have been getting consistent rainfall, both of which have helped
many of our plants put on new growth and become reproductively active. The
Gardens are full of life, colors, textures and interesting structures.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAW4rgOJknbPxY1PTGDufRpHmXYYDMYxvDfuNuyAuBdj5mnF2o6BTl8yhSZ2ytluOdvlKHt3WCBWWXez_o50JgCDUdTnkg6bxmukMvLAQmFZ8A6-Qg8HpsAuuVFTvxpB1m-QUqzdIqvcw/s1600/IMG_0199.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAW4rgOJknbPxY1PTGDufRpHmXYYDMYxvDfuNuyAuBdj5mnF2o6BTl8yhSZ2ytluOdvlKHt3WCBWWXez_o50JgCDUdTnkg6bxmukMvLAQmFZ8A6-Qg8HpsAuuVFTvxpB1m-QUqzdIqvcw/s640/IMG_0199.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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One of the highlights of our collection right now is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cycas micronesica</i> with its first flush
of female strobili (cone-like structures). If you have taken my TYUP™ tour, you
know all about cycads and their <a href="http://waynesword.palomar.edu/ww0803b.htm" target="_blank">prehistoric past</a>. Now we need a male plant so
the pollen from the male strobili can fertilize the ovules in the female
strobili and we can get seeds. Despite our lack of a male plant, we may be able
to obtain pollen from Montgomery Botanical Center (MBC) in Coral Gables and
fertilize the ovules by hand. MBC has a collection of stored pollen from some
of their cycads and since our plant came from them, we may well find a match.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBBX8wao9rQyHZ3jxaNtVR1w8eXF-10lHWSkebTM2NRl7iJXCCfSgfPx9xrlwDShmbMHT5uRZyBjgdPMpMqR9HXTYyZ6roELp7cuswY9Y7I-5yDdB4pnzcjXn-vc1a4YXoBqGfq6fxwyc/s1600/Cycas_micronesica_%25282010-023*A%2529_2015-06-12_01.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBBX8wao9rQyHZ3jxaNtVR1w8eXF-10lHWSkebTM2NRl7iJXCCfSgfPx9xrlwDShmbMHT5uRZyBjgdPMpMqR9HXTYyZ6roELp7cuswY9Y7I-5yDdB4pnzcjXn-vc1a4YXoBqGfq6fxwyc/s640/Cycas_micronesica_%25282010-023*A%2529_2015-06-12_01.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Cycas micronesica</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGK1uboc2eEdIob4_YHHOIVKhxAbgoi-kBWJCKjIQUjjrH417XZK9_Nivjrt2ZSC-gnznHXOWiRPfuDO3J_RgkHtHDsQYCDxImoNw7b0lhasL7Gfmg0m3zqTKfdPkUW7RX_PdklzRhSls/s1600/Cycas_micronesica_%25282010-023*A%2529_2015-06-12_02.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGK1uboc2eEdIob4_YHHOIVKhxAbgoi-kBWJCKjIQUjjrH417XZK9_Nivjrt2ZSC-gnznHXOWiRPfuDO3J_RgkHtHDsQYCDxImoNw7b0lhasL7Gfmg0m3zqTKfdPkUW7RX_PdklzRhSls/s640/Cycas_micronesica_%25282010-023*A%2529_2015-06-12_02.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A female strobilus similar to a (pine)cone</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOyf62Siayxwd_-VMbZSDExL7jvmJsNXE0Ph3w_uSBKoM-Xb9q7jIj5tg6I1iFwJMCf4nkx1uD9CZopLzUA9dSpaxuAeQgOUT0l8rybn2ZATyQQV9WScDfzlRhK1JE9CfX4navKElPAmE/s1600/Cycas_micronesica_%25282010-023*A%2529_2015-06-12_03.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOyf62Siayxwd_-VMbZSDExL7jvmJsNXE0Ph3w_uSBKoM-Xb9q7jIj5tg6I1iFwJMCf4nkx1uD9CZopLzUA9dSpaxuAeQgOUT0l8rybn2ZATyQQV9WScDfzlRhK1JE9CfX4navKElPAmE/s640/Cycas_micronesica_%25282010-023*A%2529_2015-06-12_03.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Note the small green ovules inside the 'cone' scales.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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After at least one month of waiting for the flower buds to
open, we have finally been rewarded with the fragrant blossoms of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jacquinia keyensis</i> or Joewood (primrose
family, Primulaceae). This is one of my favorite plants since the flowers are
slightly unusual; the outer whorl of stamens are actually well-developed
staminodes that resemble petals (see photo below). The fragrance from these
blossoms is exquisite and smells like gardenia with a hint of ylang-ylang. The
flowers are already fading but will hopefully produce copious amounts of fruit
since I want to grow them from seed. Native to the Florida Keys and south Florida,
it grows in habitats between the low-lying mangrove forest and the more upland
hardwood hammock so it’s right at home along our bayfront.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU0Mz3kltKfSZckMOWrJqB5bhXam-yAUAssYpOrkFWzGlDdxUbQywqG0vAdb3JK-sXFDq-JMH2jSrrpF2By21MgnvyXgOAxF7a75LsJ73oEizIabDUC7_iItZedvJyfL2bgtPNgZzYxew/s1600/Jacquinia_keyensis_%25282011-001*A%2529_2015-06-12_02.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU0Mz3kltKfSZckMOWrJqB5bhXam-yAUAssYpOrkFWzGlDdxUbQywqG0vAdb3JK-sXFDq-JMH2jSrrpF2By21MgnvyXgOAxF7a75LsJ73oEizIabDUC7_iItZedvJyfL2bgtPNgZzYxew/s640/Jacquinia_keyensis_%25282011-001*A%2529_2015-06-12_02.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Jacquinia keyensis</i> in full bloom (close your eyes and inhale the perfume from the flowers!)</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVYMM7vi9jntv9ZiQMN_vWqTPWPmWSgORb_g3qfnJJIofbd7tNBCZNNdOA7Pxn37OovHteaXOJNU4fSrHB4uxAvYQyrYEiqwfh0lSr4Lx74fxH_CksvtoOsW9rjYl23f02oIp3SUsq1M0/s1600/Jacquinia_keyensis_anatomy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVYMM7vi9jntv9ZiQMN_vWqTPWPmWSgORb_g3qfnJJIofbd7tNBCZNNdOA7Pxn37OovHteaXOJNU4fSrHB4uxAvYQyrYEiqwfh0lSr4Lx74fxH_CksvtoOsW9rjYl23f02oIp3SUsq1M0/s640/Jacquinia_keyensis_anatomy.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Floral anatomy of <i>Jacquinia keyensis</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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We have a closely related cousin to joewood that is a new
arrival to the Gardens: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Clavija domingensis</i>,
otherwise known as Langue de boeuf or beef tongue plant due to the leaves’
resemblance to a long bovine tongue. This plant is native to the Dominican
Republic and will eventually be a very interesting specimen once it <a href="http://s114.photobucket.com/user/Palmerum/media/IPS_2005-10-02_10-19-46.jpg.html" target="_blank">grows up a bit</a>. After one week of being in the ground it already flushed out a
new set of leaves. Two of its Dominican associates are planted nearby, the
zombie palm, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Zombia antillarum</i> and 2
new Dominican cherry palms, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pseudophoenix
ekmanii</i>, which are critically endangered <a href="http://www.arkive.org/dominican-cherry-palm/pseudophoenix-ekmanii/image-G104561.html">in
the wild</a>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBYi5e_qL9YhyphenhyphenFzPFv7srhZSK8HGZMvEMwWtFVNxlhazt-LgvnjyIMB2fOLhsuJKXzD_-w2r9I-pcxHkhVjO4N9uuFqGX1jx92MyQmjRBh-UxFzJspZCe4kJ-qrpMIUjH8mPifkRvIkCo/s1600/Clavija_dominguensis_%25282014-095*A%2529_2015-06-12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBYi5e_qL9YhyphenhyphenFzPFv7srhZSK8HGZMvEMwWtFVNxlhazt-LgvnjyIMB2fOLhsuJKXzD_-w2r9I-pcxHkhVjO4N9uuFqGX1jx92MyQmjRBh-UxFzJspZCe4kJ-qrpMIUjH8mPifkRvIkCo/s640/Clavija_dominguensis_%25282014-095*A%2529_2015-06-12.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Clavija domingensis</i> or beef tongue plant from the Dominican Republic with its new flush of leaves.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhINZDpYiF3In42WWU0b4R1xDrti3LzUwg1znt1MwYPFYWwAGMxvodM-YC7o9aLNFUYf1sTdTy3_oUjdcKUVU3Tv9esyY6DAd0TflrKNctEgK7B_q_q-hRdL-xtgrlVVqtnXRbUKvIlrbQ/s1600/IMG_0211.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhINZDpYiF3In42WWU0b4R1xDrti3LzUwg1znt1MwYPFYWwAGMxvodM-YC7o9aLNFUYf1sTdTy3_oUjdcKUVU3Tv9esyY6DAd0TflrKNctEgK7B_q_q-hRdL-xtgrlVVqtnXRbUKvIlrbQ/s640/IMG_0211.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Pseudophoenix ekmanii</i>, Dominican cherry palms, in the wild they are over-harvested for their sap which is used to make palm wine.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Another fragrant favorite is <i>Plumeria</i> sp. or frangipani and
all of our trees are in full bloom. Guests recently strung their own lei! You can see the photos on our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KonaKaiResortGalleryandBotanicGarden/timeline" target="_blank">Facebook timeline</a>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjJwyJVM00cpEcF7PbRd97FJZZ6DgFWd0B2YOOMHeSoHVQDiKpDrEaA4NU5T-QYRZsBrbxwzyprfWkUECzlPWgVjTInTGZhm3EtTKXxNSf5IbCC9DusijC5LaOn7N2tlr9RO-2ZrRcJkk/s1600/Plumeria_alba_%2528EXIS-019*A%2529_2015-06-12_01.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjJwyJVM00cpEcF7PbRd97FJZZ6DgFWd0B2YOOMHeSoHVQDiKpDrEaA4NU5T-QYRZsBrbxwzyprfWkUECzlPWgVjTInTGZhm3EtTKXxNSf5IbCC9DusijC5LaOn7N2tlr9RO-2ZrRcJkk/s640/Plumeria_alba_%2528EXIS-019*A%2529_2015-06-12_01.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSyf1wImjo1uj4XrA0h8wTbm_-inXPL-CGOqTOTsomnBnPmja325JZFQAzIjxrmiRWC3ZrOe9FCg5YFwL4uxlPZhWeSWRC6AD-c2OlxD8OFe-UnclhNDLb_ti5nFBgRIKicAXezKGDurs/s1600/Plumeria_alba+with+fledgling+doves_%2528EXIS-019*A%2529_2015-06-12_02.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSyf1wImjo1uj4XrA0h8wTbm_-inXPL-CGOqTOTsomnBnPmja325JZFQAzIjxrmiRWC3ZrOe9FCg5YFwL4uxlPZhWeSWRC6AD-c2OlxD8OFe-UnclhNDLb_ti5nFBgRIKicAXezKGDurs/s640/Plumeria_alba+with+fledgling+doves_%2528EXIS-019*A%2529_2015-06-12_02.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The little fledgling doves appreciate the canopy of our white <i>Plumeria alba.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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At Robert Is Here tropical fruit stand in Florida City, they sell mangrove honey and you may think, "What? I've never seen a mangrove flower." Well, here they are in all their loveliness...<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqb_gM_OiX6px-7H-DdQ_s1o3stiHAB6B2OFw-J-FTUtAC6dSIgEdre2dClGIaCM3Ob558XXkUmzpzEQFIjTjG-pjSK84qSjUsL9BDNZkqppWLOa3d9Vs7hk3gHwngO1n4kpo2UMACGaM/s1600/Rhizophora_mangle_%2528EXIS-029*A%2529_2015-06-12_01.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqb_gM_OiX6px-7H-DdQ_s1o3stiHAB6B2OFw-J-FTUtAC6dSIgEdre2dClGIaCM3Ob558XXkUmzpzEQFIjTjG-pjSK84qSjUsL9BDNZkqppWLOa3d9Vs7hk3gHwngO1n4kpo2UMACGaM/s640/Rhizophora_mangle_%2528EXIS-029*A%2529_2015-06-12_01.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flowers of the red mangrove, <i>Rhizophora mangle</i>, are often overlooked but they are quite elaborate on close inspection.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRD3_WNkjrGvxgEUFRoQAV58yiD3IWmtLm1r6bnGGeg5COiRi4w44yjRPORHnMQfGvHSriKZyuNi9_Lhp7sH7Ce6ZWh_LScYmFvrmj-7eFYMiA30H-FS-WKStbmL8rZVUc4GeXfjIm9HE/s1600/Avicennia_germinans_%25282011-002*A%2529_2015-06-12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRD3_WNkjrGvxgEUFRoQAV58yiD3IWmtLm1r6bnGGeg5COiRi4w44yjRPORHnMQfGvHSriKZyuNi9_Lhp7sH7Ce6ZWh_LScYmFvrmj-7eFYMiA30H-FS-WKStbmL8rZVUc4GeXfjIm9HE/s640/Avicennia_germinans_%25282011-002*A%2529_2015-06-12.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here are the flowers of the black mangrove, <i>Avicennia germinans</i>, which, although small, are very fragrant.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12pt;">For more photos on what is blooming at the
Gardens right now, see our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KonaKaiResortGalleryandBotanicGarden/photos_stream" target="_blank">Facebook page for photo album</a>s.</span><!--EndFragment-->
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Emily B. Magnaghi</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Associate Director</span>The Botanic Gardens at Kona Kai Resorthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16067989939562688620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850328525135901609.post-26340922185552871412015-06-03T18:39:00.001-04:002015-06-03T18:39:24.254-04:00Spring Planting in the Gardens<span style="color: #444444;">With the arrival of the rainy season, we have been busy
planting and refreshing our garden beds. Last fall and early this year, I
obtained several new plants for the collection from Fairchild Tropical Botanic
Garden, Montgomery Botanical Center, and Silent Native Nursery/Pro Native
Consulting. Many of them have been in our nursery holding area patiently
waiting to be outplanted into the gardens. We carefully plan where we want to
plant each different species based on the amount of sunlight the plant will
receive, how much water it needs, whether it fits into the theme of the zone,
and other considerations depending on the species. We must have space for the
adult plant’s roots and branches so we take into consideration what is growing
nearby that may compete with the new plant. In certain zones, we may remove a
plant that is old and tired to make space for a new one, or we may rearrange a
zone to accommodate new specimens.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444;">Our gardens are divided into over 40 zones, each of which
has a theme: fragrance, color, tropical-wet (large-leaved exotics),
tropical-dry (succulents), native plants, palms, bamboos, etc. Almost all of
our plants have a human use so our ethnobotanic theme is woven into each zone.
As we find new plants we want to display and add to our collection, we must
first make sure we have room for it. For now, we are focusing on small trees,
shrubs and groundcovers since we are out of space for large trees at the
moment. This is challenging since we have several beautiful palms we would like
to incorporate into the collection: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Copernicia
berteroana</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pseudophoenix</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">sargentii</i> var. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">saone</i>, and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sabal domingensis</i>.
Luckily, they are only seedlings and will take several years before they are
large enough to plant in the ground so we have time to plan.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">I walk the grounds regularly, often with our director, Joe
Harris, to review changes and ideas and to check on the health of recently
planted specimens. Once we decide on an idea, I talk to our grounds director,
Veronika Milar, about the changes to be made and she makes it happen. When I
have time or need a break from the office, I work in the gardens planting
and pruning specimens. Everything we plant or relocate is recorded and added to
our database to keep our records up to date. Once new plants are accessioned in
our database, I can print and order accession tags and our lovely display
labels directly from our records. Thank goodness for our previous Associate
Director, Rick Hederstrom, who set our system up with all this in mind.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">As an example of our prep work, our newest bed in Zone 20
has been in flux for several months. We removed a mature sea-grape (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Coccoloba uvifera</i>) tree in December of
last year, which provided shade to the gallery and office entrance. Our
practice of displaying orchids nearby has been on hold due to the increase in
sunlight and plants being sunburned (plants can get a sunburn or bleach-out
like anything else with too much sun exposure). We thought there might be
enough shade cast on the new bed from nearby mahogany trees so we planted a few
ferns hoping to establish a primitive plant display with ferns, whisk-fern, and horsetails. We installed a short rock
wall to protect plants in the bed from the nearby dryer vent and to train small
ferns to climb along. I researched ferns from dry climates by contacting colleagues in California who grow and exhibit xerophytic ferns, we shopped for native ferns (without much success), and finally settled on a sampling of plants to see how they
would fare: gnetum tree (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Gnetum gnemon</i>),
native Boston fern (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Nephrolepis exaltata</i>),
silver polypody fern (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Phlebodium aureum</i>),
and a crocodile fern (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Microsorum
musifolium</i>). Two months and several unhappy ferns later, we decided to
change course and plant sun-loving, pollinator-friendly, native plants. We have
focused on butterfly and bee nectar plants with only a couple of butterfly host
plants, as there are others in nearby zones. The plants are settling in nicely
and the bed is now almost complete. This will be a great talking point on our
TYUP tour to draw attention to gardening with native and pollinator-friendly
plants. The ferns were transplanted into another zone in the shade and are
doing much better. There are many different species of ferns in south Florida,
several of which are endangered due to habitat loss. Once our shady fern grotto is
complete we should have another welcome addition to the TYUP.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">You can find a map of our garden zones and our complete
inventory of everything that has ever been planted in the gardens on our
website <a href="https://sites.google.com/a/kkbg.org/mobile-home/uber-home/director-s-corner/progress-report" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz-klkVFNu7G-Wbt85GD_gud4RBNL659gI_yFITOl_jD661TOPUBNxI5P8HUfRMGkmrF7bcKlYCEWRiqVnh4UhDBCRphuC43M9KXv_A6Gq-on_2OnVygsMSc5WLIynBPTSl_aqv1t0TSQ/s1600/IMG_2992.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz-klkVFNu7G-Wbt85GD_gud4RBNL659gI_yFITOl_jD661TOPUBNxI5P8HUfRMGkmrF7bcKlYCEWRiqVnh4UhDBCRphuC43M9KXv_A6Gq-on_2OnVygsMSc5WLIynBPTSl_aqv1t0TSQ/s320/IMG_2992.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This photo and below are two shots of our newest, pollinator-friendly bed</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGcy2Wls_jWcpNjT89-kWXhZtF461-u3d0RaWp8BaUFv1GB3jgZgk5HbEtztHlEZfLRBOwg2qexAFs1sgZmF5HTLXZc-UNzSApGiaH5WKaJR6KQpOEoZ9wT_wzDm58yBdcVyKZxqMbsIY/s1600/IMG_2990.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGcy2Wls_jWcpNjT89-kWXhZtF461-u3d0RaWp8BaUFv1GB3jgZgk5HbEtztHlEZfLRBOwg2qexAFs1sgZmF5HTLXZc-UNzSApGiaH5WKaJR6KQpOEoZ9wT_wzDm58yBdcVyKZxqMbsIY/s320/IMG_2990.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Note the rock wall to block hot air from the dryer vent</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTE05hwbEsVz-JvuEI1_DGrJmHV7qrtTt8tkaDF2IJ07U4WhYmHWFvHYnU2IUdfUCm8zdMSGKz8u20MdAj-4aVnWoRdn5pFplqals1lWLiR0X8fXhfhHXCOQoS1s11LIRn9bEDBw1ftFg/s1600/IMG_2993.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTE05hwbEsVz-JvuEI1_DGrJmHV7qrtTt8tkaDF2IJ07U4WhYmHWFvHYnU2IUdfUCm8zdMSGKz8u20MdAj-4aVnWoRdn5pFplqals1lWLiR0X8fXhfhHXCOQoS1s11LIRn9bEDBw1ftFg/s320/IMG_2993.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Several happy ferns in the grotto</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ4fS-Bsa1wepdmShH4I5P1jbWLGr3RpKWkth3ntK5mKYV0Lgk9QU_ix-Z0VZGxr2CcF2fyZAjwbhPRSCx5ZT7zkILC_neBW1uANOdF_DnCLbB940BtUW-at8cJCDWhhdjwIgaKcK1sLQ/s1600/Zone+10_Fishtail+palm+%2528Caryota+mitis%2529_2015-05-27_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ4fS-Bsa1wepdmShH4I5P1jbWLGr3RpKWkth3ntK5mKYV0Lgk9QU_ix-Z0VZGxr2CcF2fyZAjwbhPRSCx5ZT7zkILC_neBW1uANOdF_DnCLbB940BtUW-at8cJCDWhhdjwIgaKcK1sLQ/s320/Zone+10_Fishtail+palm+%2528Caryota+mitis%2529_2015-05-27_01.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We planted a <i>Caryota mitis</i> or clustered fishtail palm where the royal poinciana used to reside</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiAEtkoQef3w2V40IVzrR_Zpk3ZwLUIbatyIisvydMNxkS9CL_43MnN60QxlfF0CUnWW7iZ11aZFbDG0_E_UUdJMJgOmis1d3bP7aP1DikggFYMDzNYKGWQNzxYcyvJnaSiuPW_vqdE2I/s1600/Zone+41_Entry+Gator_2015-05-26.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiAEtkoQef3w2V40IVzrR_Zpk3ZwLUIbatyIisvydMNxkS9CL_43MnN60QxlfF0CUnWW7iZ11aZFbDG0_E_UUdJMJgOmis1d3bP7aP1DikggFYMDzNYKGWQNzxYcyvJnaSiuPW_vqdE2I/s320/Zone+41_Entry+Gator_2015-05-26.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our hidden-in-plain-site pet gator has new neighbors of dropseed grass (<i>Sporobolus virginicus</i>) and quailberry (<i>Crossopetalum ilicifolium</i>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="line-height: 22px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="line-height: 22px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Emily B. Magnaghi</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="line-height: 22px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Associate Director</span></span></div>
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The Botanic Gardens at Kona Kai Resorthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16067989939562688620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850328525135901609.post-86140819663635840362015-04-22T11:12:00.001-04:002015-04-22T11:12:16.166-04:00Earth Day!<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I recently attended an Earth Day event at the Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge on north Key Largo. A group of about 20 volunteers including members of </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.favorfloridakeys.org/" target="_blank">FAVOR</a> (Friends And Volunteers Of Refuges) and local state park and wildlife refuge staff and volunteers, came out</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> to plant native trees. We were at an overgrown, cold-war era Nike Missile Site that the tropical hardwood hammock is reclaiming. D</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">ue to the sensitive environment, t</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">his area is off-limits to the public unless there is a special project. The Wildlife Refuge was originally created to protect the federally endangered American crocodile but there are several other endangered species that fall under the protection of this "umbrella" species.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhshMS4eQdC7GKvxh91gASPzpkTg22TpYsS2E_BM6axNDPvEHHfEyZJh2l3un4S7kPp5YRQvmPQm4XV0DyULQ6ZfZNhC-BTr5gYUhqZdP__EdCaCJOGSw4ahK-LLZMz5lELL5jm9oOcHuk/s1600/Crocodile-Lake-NWR-Map.png.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhshMS4eQdC7GKvxh91gASPzpkTg22TpYsS2E_BM6axNDPvEHHfEyZJh2l3un4S7kPp5YRQvmPQm4XV0DyULQ6ZfZNhC-BTr5gYUhqZdP__EdCaCJOGSw4ahK-LLZMz5lELL5jm9oOcHuk/s1600/Crocodile-Lake-NWR-Map.png.jpeg" height="400" width="267" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We planted over 90 Torchwood (<i>Amyris elemifera; </i>Rutaceae) trees which are the host plant for the <a href="http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/bfly/schaus_swallowtail.htm" target="_blank">federally endangered Schaus swallowtail butterfly</a> (<i>Heraclides aristodemus ponceanus</i><i>)</i>. The Bahamian and Giant swallowtail butterflies also lay eggs on this plant. The caterpillars of all three species feed on the young leaves of torchwood. Besides being important for insects, this tree provides interesting and important uses for humans, as well. <a href="http://www.regionalconservation.org/beta/nfyn/plantdetail.asp?tx=amyrelem" target="_blank">Torchwood</a> is in the citrus family and has edible fruit and some medicinal oils. The common name comes from its use as a torch; the young green branches are full of volatile oils which are easy to ignite.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The native plant nursery for Dagny Johnson Botanical State Park grew the plants from seed and nurtured them along for several months. Apparently, torchwood is very difficult to grow from seed and many of the seedlings did not make it; we were lucky to have as many as we did. The soil in the planting area was coral limestone rock with little topsoil. Torchwood likes to grow on open edges so holes were dug </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">along the edge of a dirt access road, </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">out in the full sun.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> The native soil in the planting holes was mixed with a small amount of potting soil and a few fertilizer pellets to give the seedlings a fighting chance in this harsh environment. At least three inches of mulch in a three foot diameter was laid down </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">around the seedlings</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> and two gallons of water were given to each plant to help them establish. Refuge staff will continue watering the plants periodically.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><br />
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Many of our local butterfly experts who perform annual surveys for the Schaus swallowtail joined the group. Historically, the Schaus swallowtail butterfly was found throughout the southern tip of Florida in Dade and Monroe counties, extending south to lower Matecumbe Key. Now its range is restricted to several small islands in Biscayne National Park and north Key Largo, with less than 100 butterflies counted per year during annual surveys. Scientists were worried that the Key Largo population had blinked out, after not seeing any butterflies for several years in a row. Luckily, two Schaus swallowtails were observed flying on Key Largo last spring</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. One individual male butterfly was observed flitting around volunteers' heads for over 10 minutes! Even though he was observed "on the wing" they were able to take several hundred photos and got a clear shot for a positive ID. In June 2014, several hundred hand-reared Schaus swallowtail butterfly larvae and a few adults and pupae were </span><a href="http://www.nps.gov/bisc/learn/news/endangered-schaus-swallowtail-butterfly-release-in-biscayne-national-park.htm" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;" target="_blank">released</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> on nearby Elliott Key in Biscayne National Park, we are hoping that some will end up flying down here and re-populating the hammocks on Key Largo. Hopefully our torchwood trees will thrive and become a flaming beacon to the Schaus swallowtail butterflies.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small; text-align: start;">An old launching shelter being taken over by a strangler fig.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0oR6mE407XNdDWXnNveilOBxEdA1bsqd8pCf-zUDBflL8xTtkf1vSulfTg8MPNPFI4iaohhcZWcNMKfyD-D2BrPyNxIE1xzYUMSMQu_teFHotFokc4-id9UA45WxizsK7zp4j5GSPi8A/s1600/Emily-Volunteer_Croc+Lake+NWR_2015-04-18_04.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0oR6mE407XNdDWXnNveilOBxEdA1bsqd8pCf-zUDBflL8xTtkf1vSulfTg8MPNPFI4iaohhcZWcNMKfyD-D2BrPyNxIE1xzYUMSMQu_teFHotFokc4-id9UA45WxizsK7zp4j5GSPi8A/s1600/Emily-Volunteer_Croc+Lake+NWR_2015-04-18_04.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small; text-align: start;">Refuge superintendent, Jeremy Dixon, with his righthand man/son, Connor, describing the day’s activities (foreground) with </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Dagny Johnson Botanical State Park Nursery manager and torchwood grower, Jackie DeGaynor (back middle) looking on</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Pi_w7sK-UCkp4pd1ZSm_ZhFxXVvJtolfjxV7fU3kpvr4_Dhw4_TXm0ZdN0yqyegq9HTuwkuZtEQd5c11_sq11iWowA7fIAAhTruhHqKxN33yxZ1oSsOXEFy4VqYSSuhtrMgNrK3F_dM/s1600/Emily-Volunteer_Croc+Lake+NWR_2015-04-18_05.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Pi_w7sK-UCkp4pd1ZSm_ZhFxXVvJtolfjxV7fU3kpvr4_Dhw4_TXm0ZdN0yqyegq9HTuwkuZtEQd5c11_sq11iWowA7fIAAhTruhHqKxN33yxZ1oSsOXEFy4VqYSSuhtrMgNrK3F_dM/s1600/Emily-Volunteer_Croc+Lake+NWR_2015-04-18_05.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small; text-align: start;">A torchwood seedling awaits its new home (which doesn’t look too inviting with all that rock). We were lucky to have pre-dug planting holes waiting for us!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEFYRwB137WR3W9RNtvqoi1UHt9ro9TEom90cICWOI6WMtqlQwHmpwnlI3b35VI-ZOZ_3wr-a8-ZQgJAYR6P9t0MZdxF-8HwVn171HBZHxajWrmeUnO4naY4Tx1jl1blPb8xFiN6rvQ8Q/s1600/Emily-Volunteer_Croc+Lake+NWR_2015-04-18_06.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEFYRwB137WR3W9RNtvqoi1UHt9ro9TEom90cICWOI6WMtqlQwHmpwnlI3b35VI-ZOZ_3wr-a8-ZQgJAYR6P9t0MZdxF-8HwVn171HBZHxajWrmeUnO4naY4Tx1jl1blPb8xFiN6rvQ8Q/s1600/Emily-Volunteer_Croc+Lake+NWR_2015-04-18_06.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small; text-align: start;">The FAVOR (Friends And Volunteers Of Refuges) group listening to site details from Jeremy.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVmDGM6OFsoaZM75j4MvAEeQH2_BHpRNmmUdMGjIQ4drt2XZlSwO5rF3YsZGr2CkEcvS5xmG2gs48NaXt2OSYXthLFDa2YsGbV9nTPBi8vAS6ZyICtWFNHJx5qE60lS_caPMERKb-RowU/s1600/Emily-Volunteer_Croc+Lake+NWR_2015-04-18_07.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVmDGM6OFsoaZM75j4MvAEeQH2_BHpRNmmUdMGjIQ4drt2XZlSwO5rF3YsZGr2CkEcvS5xmG2gs48NaXt2OSYXthLFDa2YsGbV9nTPBi8vAS6ZyICtWFNHJx5qE60lS_caPMERKb-RowU/s1600/Emily-Volunteer_Croc+Lake+NWR_2015-04-18_07.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small; text-align: start;">Dagny Johnson Botanical State Park Nursery manager and torchwood grower, Jackie DeGaynor, provided a planting and mulching demonstration. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFLeZ9wjogcIUf54uoMWOw4wG8QbedXMoRE6CistvcbY-lroVperfi1AE75sUAYbgIg7TTwHcddjuPXQ6-J7OwlXUhWEh8SGzwz3OZuHevXgfvzxNsIgPBdYiI-30gzpBKN7wg7YlQUjQ/s1600/Emily-Volunteer_Croc+Lake+NWR_2015-04-18_08.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFLeZ9wjogcIUf54uoMWOw4wG8QbedXMoRE6CistvcbY-lroVperfi1AE75sUAYbgIg7TTwHcddjuPXQ6-J7OwlXUhWEh8SGzwz3OZuHevXgfvzxNsIgPBdYiI-30gzpBKN7wg7YlQUjQ/s1600/Emily-Volunteer_Croc+Lake+NWR_2015-04-18_08.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small; text-align: start;">Yours truly, Emily Magnaghi, helping to restore the habitat one plant at a time!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Emily B. Magnaghi</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Associate Director
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The Botanic Gardens at Kona Kai Resorthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16067989939562688620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850328525135901609.post-14652377899786144732015-03-27T18:46:00.003-04:002015-03-29T23:43:02.198-04:00A Perspective on Preservation<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Preservation versus Conservation versus Restoration, what do all these terms really mean and where did they come from? The history of these ecological terms in the United States has roots in Manifest Destiny, the European settlers’ westward expansion through the country. The early advocates of what is now considered the ‘conservation ethic’ were John Muir, Teddy Roosevelt, Gifford Pinchot, Aldo Leopold, Rosalie Edge, Henry David Thoreau, and Rachel Carson. Although they were all committed to the environment, several of these visionaries had clashing opinions on how to protect natural resources ranging from complete preservation with no more human interaction than hiking and camping to conservation of natural resources for managed use of timber, fisheries, mining, and other resource extraction. The most famous of these battles was between John Muir and Gifford Pinchot over the damming of the Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite National Park to make a reservoir for the growing city of San Francisco. John Muir died soon after he lost this battle and the bitter taste of losing Hetch Hetchy lingers in the memories of many Californian conservationists. But I digress... The short story is: preservation equals very limited human use, think <a href="http://www.nps.gov/index.htm" target="_blank">National Parks</a> and </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://wilderness.org/article/national-wilderness-preservation-system" target="_blank">Wilderness Areas</a></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">; conservation equals human resource use, think <a href="http://www.fs.fed.us/" target="_blank">National Forests</a> and certain <a href="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/" target="_blank">Marine Sanctuaries</a>; and restoration equals any degraded area that we want to bring back to a more natural system.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkNjDhImB35NxByfiEcMZew8_lWbeaXcwF7PQH557qz9JQ0Sq2xmyF8efkxYQ1HQAj3uSogN25BujRqDeyetsCC68pUXe8H-vZrJnXKqsfLJ9QcDdYURRA8pHDpEHExG-3EFVU1PEo3L4/s1600/Yellowstonebison_YellowstoneNPS_Flickr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkNjDhImB35NxByfiEcMZew8_lWbeaXcwF7PQH557qz9JQ0Sq2xmyF8efkxYQ1HQAj3uSogN25BujRqDeyetsCC68pUXe8H-vZrJnXKqsfLJ9QcDdYURRA8pHDpEHExG-3EFVU1PEo3L4/s1600/Yellowstonebison_YellowstoneNPS_Flickr.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Our first National Park was Yellowstone, created in 1872 to protect the unique geological features found there. It was also the first national park in the world, setting the precedent for environmental action for the world to follow. Photo by Yellowstone NPS, Flickr Creative Commons.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #444444; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Although we may be able to restore natural areas to a semblance of what they once were (see my last blog), there is no way to fully replicate what was lost. The only way we can be certain we are protecting the majority of species within an area is by protecting the entire area and limiting resource use to light recreational activities. (This is not always possible, especially in developing countries, but that is another blog.) Scientists agree that no place on earth is untouched by humans; either prehistoric humans or current changes in climate leave no stone unturned, so to speak. However, there remain many habitats all over the world with unique life that need to be protected before they are destroyed by our quest for resources. Ecosystems provide humans with valuable services like water production and filtration. Plants especially, provide us with CO2 sequestration, O2 production, and air filtration. By protecting and preserving natural areas, we only help protect and preserve our human health into the future.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hyphae. Photo by TheAlphaWolf, Wikimedia Commons<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In arid and semi-arid habitats there are cryptogamic crusts otherwise known as </span><a href="http://www.soilcrust.org/crust101.htm" style="line-height: 1.38;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">biological soil crusts</span></a><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> that cover areas of ground between vegetation and are composed of mosses, lichen, fungi, algae, and cyanobacteria. This “endangered soil” is highly susceptible to trampling disturbance by humans (that’s right hikers! watch where you walk), livestock, and off-road vehicles. Some of these crusts may recover from trampling in up to a mere 20 years, but others may take hundreds of years to reform. Biological soil crusts are important for retaining soil moisture, providing nutrients to the soil, and helping with seed germination. Desert plants need all the help they can get with such low rainfall (<10 inches/year) and these biological soil crusts play an important role in water retention in this ecosystem. I myself have inadvertently trampled delicate areas of soil crusts while out botanizing in the California deserts; I winced with each step as I heard the soft crunch underfoot. This gave me new meaning to the familiar quote by Chief Seattle, “Take only memories, leave only footprints” as I did not want to leave even a footprint. We think of deserts being full of loose sand, like Lawrence of Arabia crossing the dunes, but many arid regions have compact soils with little or no water-holding potential. Once we develop these areas for suburban sprawl, military activities, and even parks for hiking, there is very little we can do to restore the biological crusts and the limited plant life may not be able to reproduce due to unsuccessful seed germination.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxNkY999QQCtu4YE8dflRyofTx7BXNC4O4YSQLE3AHAUVwfsJRYxkjrQygW0Lt50J79EoKYhZumwLJIa9wXw5AWiOerZJoCKViTpmC35JInQpZGm7rjPjFcSxIk0E_34P8WSgcp2pBVWo/s1600/crypto7-9-12-thumb-600x400-32004.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxNkY999QQCtu4YE8dflRyofTx7BXNC4O4YSQLE3AHAUVwfsJRYxkjrQygW0Lt50J79EoKYhZumwLJIa9wXw5AWiOerZJoCKViTpmC35JInQpZGm7rjPjFcSxIk0E_34P8WSgcp2pBVWo/s1600/crypto7-9-12-thumb-600x400-32004.jpeg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Cryptogamic crust in Utah with trail. Photo by Jason Hollinger, Flickr Creative Commons.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;">On the flip side, consider the rainforests of the Northwest Pacific coast. The Pacific temperate rain forest ecoregion is characterized by high rainfall of up to 120 inches/year and moderate temperatures averaging between 50-70℉. In Oregon and Washington, less than 10% of the original old-growth Douglas-fir forest remains. These coniferous forests, including the coastal redwood forests of northern California and southern Oregon, are relicts from 5 million years ago when conifers covered much more of the Earth during a cooler ice age. What little we have left, only about 4% of which is old-growth redwood forest, requires serious protection. With climate change and global warming, these forests are already at risk of extinction and with added logging pressure, these magnificent old-growth stands are certainly doomed unless they are within park boundaries. Luckily, Redwood National and State Parks protects 45% of that remaining 4% of coastal redwood forest for us and the creatures that live there. How do we replace trees that may live up to 2000 years? Haven’t we cut enough down already or do we really need to hit the 100% mark? </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipqStQDOzhXtLc5Z0_8mt3du9Ylahk5TiIdRrOcQucA2u_nMBKtPplguDIFYU4Uavi_yKJPr2GLLH1h8TVe7zfj1iAkKh5kymK1t0y_g6GqVjuYgKvE4RwGHysdGb7VC9Tm_DpgZ_yuDo/s1600/Involved_Trip_large_RNPwalkerTrail_MichaelKlaas_FCC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipqStQDOzhXtLc5Z0_8mt3du9Ylahk5TiIdRrOcQucA2u_nMBKtPplguDIFYU4Uavi_yKJPr2GLLH1h8TVe7zfj1iAkKh5kymK1t0y_g6GqVjuYgKvE4RwGHysdGb7VC9Tm_DpgZ_yuDo/s1600/Involved_Trip_large_RNPwalkerTrail_MichaelKlaas_FCC.jpg" height="338" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Redwood National and State Parks. Photo by Michael Klaas, Flickr Creative Commons.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Humans have an innate affinity for nature. We are genetically programmed to feel comfortable in a savanna setting, the type of habitat where we evolved into modern humans. The first time I experienced a true savanna and prairie was on Walpole Island nestled between Michigan and Ontario at the mouth of the St. Clair River. The indigenous 1st People, a blend of Ojibway, Pottawatomi, and Ottawa tribes, have always lived on the island, never ceding it over to the Canadian government. Because of this, Walpole Island has the largest existing prairie and savanna ecosystem left in the Great Lakes. I never thought I would see these habitats despite my attempts to seek them out in little slivers along railroad lines and at the edges of graveyards. Most of the great prairies were turned into agricultural fields long ago and the remnants that remain are difficult to manage since they need to be burned periodically. The </span><a href="http://www-personal.umich.edu/~ksands/flora.html" style="line-height: 1.38;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Walpole Island prairies and savannas</span></a><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> have been actively managed with fire by tribal members for as long as their history exists, which is centuries before the introduction of the European settler. There are hundreds of species of plants that occur nowhere else and I could not believe my eyes as I stood in the middle of their majestic tallgrass prairie. A photo does not do it justice, one must experience the grassland, as is the case with most awe-inspiring events. Maybe it was my genetic programming that kicked in or simply the beauty of the grassland, but it certainly was a very moving moment that brought tears to my eyes. I wanted everyone to have an experience like that in nature as we all need it on a fundamental level.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="savannaandasters.JPG" height="480" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/tYd3ljLyW8DrGCmM-uQVypbWGlXTfX_EWNFcPm_CD_tsBcNxrCK3LKzc93czbAdhKcSg-tWyZkR2sZ0VIZFt1x_fT8PmBd6d_7HtZTc4iU3qnOxlqg70OLRdYftjRzH6x7oEvc8" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0rad); border: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walpole Island savanna. Photo by Dave Kanaga.</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;">Places like Walpole Island do not exist in our reality anymore. Unless they are protected and shared by governmental organizations or we are fortunate enough to live or work in a park, nature has been largely removed from our lives in the Western world. Having public parks with open access for non-impact recreational activities is important to keeping us human. And I don’t just mean large national parks or biosphere reserves, but on a smaller scale, state & county parks are effective ways to preserve habitats and afford direct access from nearby communities. Indeed, in Miami-Dade county there is a program called Connect-to-Protect which is tasked with connecting the remaining pine rockland habitats within the county through private landowners’ properties. By planting native pine rockland species, homeowners can facilitate gene flow between plant populations by encouraging insect pollinators and connecting the remnant pine rocklands on a regional level. This extremely threatened habitat was once found along the rock ridge from northern Miami Beach south and west into Everglades National Park. Just 2% of this habitat remains outside of the national park and numerous endangered species of plants and animals are hanging on by a thread. By preserving what remains and educating the public on its importance, there is hope that this endangered habitat and its inhabitants will grow and flourish once again.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq1hQoX18rwkSZL92uzO1-OCxN175JmoM3iHSEqXWEJbY0CL3uTCJgbFLWDyKV1S7BvRD3kGF7m0GL6gq5Sv95MzJVGL2U8X6XNxeTFRJQa4nmA5KHqD7ehX-mN9jZJTIq_xmmydLKJSo/s1600/800px-Biscayne_National_Park_H-ranger_hike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq1hQoX18rwkSZL92uzO1-OCxN175JmoM3iHSEqXWEJbY0CL3uTCJgbFLWDyKV1S7BvRD3kGF7m0GL6gq5Sv95MzJVGL2U8X6XNxeTFRJQa4nmA5KHqD7ehX-mN9jZJTIq_xmmydLKJSo/s1600/800px-Biscayne_National_Park_H-ranger_hike.jpg" height="432" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Local students on a ranger-led hike in Biscayne National Park, Homestead, Florida. Photo by Biscayne NPS, Wikimedia Commons.</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 1.38; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We need to preserve what is left not only for our sanity but for our children and future generations to enjoy and learn from. Most importantly, we are the voices for plants and animals who cannot save themselves from our civilization. We are all connected and as different parts of our ecosystems break down, they become more and more fragile, breaking our society down with them. When we are cooped up in cities with no outlet to natural spaces, we lose touch with the Earth and where we come from, we lose the desire to protect natural areas since we have lost our connection with the outdoors, and we become grumpier and less happy. </span><a href="http://richardlouv.com/news/" style="line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline;">Nature-deficit disorder</span></a><span style="line-height: 1.38; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> has been coined has the phrase to describe modern children (or people in general) who are growing up without unstructured play in the outdoors, and their propensity towards depression and obesity. Education is the key and the outdoor classroom is the best place to learn. No one is too old to learn how important and useful plants are, how fascinating insects can be, and how interesting birds are. We are </span><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/19/magazine/19wwln-lede-t.html?_r=0" style="line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline;">naturally happier</span></a><span style="line-height: 1.38; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> when outdoors, as long as predators are not lurking in the underbrush!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">Emily B. Magnaghi</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">Associate Director</span>The Botanic Gardens at Kona Kai Resorthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16067989939562688620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850328525135901609.post-35764087034308590272015-02-22T13:39:00.002-05:002015-02-24T14:08:42.943-05:00Reclaim and Restore<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #444444; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our human footprints are found all over the world, in every habitat on each and every continent. Areas that we consider truly wild have the faintest imprint of humans on them, but there is no where on this planet that is untouched and pristine. We are everywhere because we are part of nature and have successfully spread around the world colonizing every habitat. Now, in order to escape our built environment that seems so far removed from nature, it seems we must travel long distances to seek out solitude.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mt. Banner and Thousand Island Lake in the Ansel Adams Wilderness Area - Inyo National Forest, California</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.38; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Wilderness is an area that we crown with this title. According to </span><a href="http://wilderness.org/why" style="line-height: 1.38; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: 16px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Wilderness Society</span></a><span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.38; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, ‘Wilderness is a type of protection given to the most pristine wildlands - areas within national parks, forests, recreation areas and other wildlands where there are no roads or development”. Webster’s Dictionary defines wilderness as, “a wild and natural area in which few people live”; but there are still people, if even only a few. In order to obtain a sense of wilderness and peace in nature, to maintain habitat for other species to coexist with us, we must now restore areas we have degraded through human industrial activities. In order to protect our urban habitats from storms, which are becoming fiercer and more frequent, we must build our environment as close to a natural system as possible so that it will withstand the strong winds and waves that come with each passing storm and help protect our homes and businesses from damage. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Damage along the New Jersey shore from Superstorm Sandy in 2012. Without a natural buffer of barrier islands, these coastal habitations were flooded and many of them uninhabitable after the storm. (Photo by U.S. Air Force)</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.38; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Restoration is the act of returning something to its original condition by repairing it. This can happen naturally in areas that are adjacent to intact, undegraded habitat where there are plants nearby to supply seeds for regrowth. Over time, seeds will drift in or be carried in by animals allowing plants to regain a foothold, or rather, a roothold. Terrific examples of this abound: Pripyat, the town near Chernobyl, and areas of cities like Detroit where after decades of being abandoned, plants and trees have sprung up through the old buildings and factories to reclaim the land; and right here in North Key Largo, where the land was scraped and leveled for agriculture then cleared for housing developments that were never built and has now returned to hardwood hammock, complete with several endangered species that are under Federal and State protection.</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.38; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ghost town of Pripyat in Ukraine (Photo by Gerd Ludwig for National Geographic)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRgNoMiiXNIsQI8R65i6x7kZAQo_UbWAz3yirdI7lF931SuVSQ9_rX74aV0ePsEsjhF3U6SyHEBJ_eQ4CXpnE4-58hyphenhyphen5B_uVuO_-Zuoh5VgBLE0Jd48Cl7G_mqf_o6nbdxmZ1hZtF_z38/s1600/CrocLakeTour_04.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRgNoMiiXNIsQI8R65i6x7kZAQo_UbWAz3yirdI7lF931SuVSQ9_rX74aV0ePsEsjhF3U6SyHEBJ_eQ4CXpnE4-58hyphenhyphen5B_uVuO_-Zuoh5VgBLE0Jd48Cl7G_mqf_o6nbdxmZ1hZtF_z38/s1600/CrocLakeTour_04.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A cabin succumbing to the hardwood hammock in North Key Largo</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An endangered <a href="http://www.fws.gov/verobeach/MSRPPDFs/KeyLargoWoodrat.pdf" target="_blank">Key Largo Woodrat (<i>Neotoma floridana smalli</i>)</a> nest in the base of the trees' roots. This area was likely a key lime orchard in the 1940s and has naturally returned to hardwood hammock over the years. Due to the alteration of the topography, land managers must now create artificial nests for the woodrats. This nest was created by power washing the bases of the trees to create an underground living quarter.</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.38; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Plants are highly adaptable, especially here in a hurricane zone. Coastal plants around the world in subtropical to tropical latitudes have evolved with tropical cyclones (hurricanes are one type of cyclone) and all the chaos that comes with them: pounding rain, high winds and flooding from storm surges. Right here in our Gardens, a native Sea-grape tree (Coccoloba uvifera) at the beach was blown over and nearly uprooted by Hurricane Wilma in 2005 but has resprouted and is a stunning shrub. We also have a stubborn little fire bush (Hamelia patens) in our parking area that has made a coral rock its home for a quarter of a century! <a href="http://www.citylab.com/design/2013/10/new-kind-futurism-uncertain-future/7401/" target="_blank">Designing our future shorelines and barrier islands</a> for storm protection really hit home after Hurricanes Katrina in 2005 and most recently Sandy in 2012. Many municipalities are looking to innovative green building designs coupled with <a href="http://www.fws.gov/uploadedFiles/11-6--2013_Long%20Island%20Sandy_pressrelease%20(1).pdf" target="_blank">restoring marshes</a> and beaches with locally adapted native plants for their resilience and tenacity in the face of these storms. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqM1ATg7Pf74mGjPYaA9Z426FrI5gVi8TQCCn4E17FFzOu5_XIYMC3H8Ew4C0xJeDX-UvQXSJomnMwBzbj6LbVGtJaa_wrWplrwdrQFPnc0lrLio8ZYH0ufDO8xWcFQhqeUSJc8yAm0xU/s1600/Coccoloba_uvifera_(EXIS-024*B)_2011-12-06_02.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqM1ATg7Pf74mGjPYaA9Z426FrI5gVi8TQCCn4E17FFzOu5_XIYMC3H8Ew4C0xJeDX-UvQXSJomnMwBzbj6LbVGtJaa_wrWplrwdrQFPnc0lrLio8ZYH0ufDO8xWcFQhqeUSJc8yAm0xU/s1600/Coccoloba_uvifera_(EXIS-024*B)_2011-12-06_02.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Coccoloba uvifera</i> - Sea-grape tree that was nearly uprooted during Hurricane Wilma in 2005 is thriving once again</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Restoration can also be facilitated by us, think of gardening on a landscape level with bulldozers recontouring the land and native plants repopulating the landscape. Seeds are collected and either grown out in a nursery or directly seeded across the landscape to reintroduce the local native flora back onto the site. This type of restoration must be done when the degree of disturbance is high, such as with mining operations and other large-scale land disturbances like landslides and hurricanes. It may also be useful in brownfields and abandoned agricultural areas. </span></span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH024tR9YIkxEdWyj2nCe7Ex62bCxQ7wxYYV-ShkZ_c4vsRQ9eozsUnDrEhe0n3QdWtHrexQ9wUhV74d7Kxdu8odmp_ioG5-hhLHMc0GY29W0ZSr80ph67o8yUZ3o2gblL8oK-fTXsvps/s1600/Genesee+Mine+Site.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH024tR9YIkxEdWyj2nCe7Ex62bCxQ7wxYYV-ShkZ_c4vsRQ9eozsUnDrEhe0n3QdWtHrexQ9wUhV74d7Kxdu8odmp_ioG5-hhLHMc0GY29W0ZSr80ph67o8yUZ3o2gblL8oK-fTXsvps/s1600/Genesee+Mine+Site.jpg" height="452" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.sprucegroveexaminer.com/2013/09/13/coal-yields-way-to-crops-at-genesee-mine-site" target="_blank">Genesee Coal Mine & Power Plant</a> in Alberta, Canada- Reclamation projects have been in place since 1990, returning mined lands to agricultural use and wildlife habitat. </td></tr>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.38; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The largest restoration project east of the Mississippi River is in North Florida on the 51,000-acre </span><a href="http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/can-world-really-set-aside-half-planet-wildlife-180952379/?all" style="line-height: 1.38; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: 16px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nokuse Plantation</span></a><span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.38; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. This formerly neglected land is being turned back into longleaf pine forest (</span><span style="font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.38; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Pinus palustris</span><span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.38; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">), of which only 3% remains in the southeast United States. By repairing our damaged landscapes, we may bring a bit of wilderness back into our lives, right in our own backyards and cities. Wilderness does not need to be an out-of-the-way, untouchable resource that only a few hardy individuals can make the trek to experience.</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.38; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.38; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLSbqragSKNRIyDGzJH5IL3VzfICUxLhxQtk5YXmV_scBoVaST6CTOPQUrTPercxmxc2sQifKdzPYRPCnUehOO896GKTcEDM_Foi8xUb5-lPdxpICwRjYHEU7zWWuMbR6PmZ5TD44PZEg/s1600/Nokuse+Plantation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLSbqragSKNRIyDGzJH5IL3VzfICUxLhxQtk5YXmV_scBoVaST6CTOPQUrTPercxmxc2sQifKdzPYRPCnUehOO896GKTcEDM_Foi8xUb5-lPdxpICwRjYHEU7zWWuMbR6PmZ5TD44PZEg/s1600/Nokuse+Plantation.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A hiker along the Florida National Scenic Trail heading into Nokuse Plantation longleaf pine forest</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;">If we are fortunate enough to live near a national park or forest, a wild and scenic river, a state or county park, or even undeveloped land, we can experience that sense of wonder and place in nature. These parks may also provide an outlet for volunteering on restoration projects. For several years I worked in the Presidio of San Francisco where they have a community-supported restoration program. The Presidio is a former military post and over the last 2 decades it has been managed for restoration of its natural areas, to minimize landfills deposited by the U.S. Army and to help preserve its habitats for rare plants, insects, birds, and mammals. The convenience of the park being within the city limits of San Francisco encourages many citizens to come out and lend a hand in restoration activities. After heavy equipment hauls out the remains of landfills and recontours the slopes of the sand dunes and bluffs, crews of volunteers and school groups come out to assist with the restoration efforts. Needless to say, parts of the park have been transformed back into wilderness areas with coyote and gray fox prowling amongst the rare wildflowers on the dunes once again. If you plant it, they will come!</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="1601077_947092301970593_489434899420269090_n.jpg" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/gnskgqBKelrAnuw7zPqoT8aRzZ27CJd99YXp2cwHIP-uISStu4l9AX8AnS0tIMRCegujzLXY_QB_zDc3eCy-FWIMCF7QnPfzy_J0lbKOg08yB_m561Eyn2vTWsr0Ek9uT7Q" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0rad); border: none;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our wildlife ecologist managed to snap a picture of a rare sighting of a grey fox! The last record of a grey fox sighting in the Presidio was in 2004. The fox scrambled onto some branches along with a raven as a coyote prowled around a bush below. Thanks to Jon Young for the incredible picture! (Feb. 2015)</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 22px; white-space: pre-wrap;">No matter where you live, you can rewild your yard by planting native plants or becoming involved with an organization in your community that is restoring a local natural area. Being out in nature is beneficial to our spirit and mind and experiencing a restoration project adds an extra layer of care for the earth; we become personally invested in our natural areas. It is a great way to learn the local flora and fauna and connect with other community members. We can all contribute to creating wilderness a little closer to home. As David Byrne said in his 1988 hit <a href="https://play.google.com/music/preview/Trshj5473jtry2sllk3yerhryzi?lyrics=1&utm_source=google&utm_medium=search&utm_campaign=lyrics&pcampaignid=kp-songlyrics" target="_blank">(Nothing But) Flowers</a>, "Once there were parking lots, now it's a peaceful oasis".</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="line-height: 22px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="line-height: 22px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Emily B. Magnaghi</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="line-height: 22px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Associate Director</span></span></div>
The Botanic Gardens at Kona Kai Resorthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16067989939562688620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850328525135901609.post-63996648823932427512015-02-04T16:42:00.000-05:002015-02-06T15:04:28.790-05:00Spring-Cleaning in the Nursery<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
While we do not exactly have a spring season in south
Florida, I use the common phrase “spring-cleaning” to denote this particular
activity. I initiated an effort to clean out some of the weedy and invasive
species that we have growing in our nursery and shade house. We have very
limited nursery space to grow seedlings, cuttings and pups from some of our
collections, therefore space is at a premium. Last month we obtained new plant
specimens from nearby Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden and last week we
received several new arrivals from Montgomery Botanical Center. While we
finalize garden planning on where to place these specimens, they may wait in
the nursery area for several weeks before being out-planted. By cleaning out the
nursery and taking stock of what we have, we can make space for new arrivals,
focus on keeping plants healthy, and most importantly, remove invasive species.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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I realized
that we had several plants that are considered invasive species in south
Florida and the Keys, while doing an inventory of our nursery stock. This issue is important to me since I have worked on the land management side of botany and seen what havoc invasive species can wreck on the environment, not to mention the hours spent removing the pests and the amount of tax-payer dollars spent trying, in vain, to control these weeds. While oftentimes these plants are beautiful, if they make it out of
gardens and into our natural areas, they become invasive and threaten our
native, south Florida species, many of which are already rare. Our Gardens are
about 0.5 miles from the nearest natural area to which birds could potentially spread seeds. By having these plant
species in our Gardens, visitors may be inspired by their beauty and possibly
plant them at their homes, spreading the problem further afield. I would like
to inspire people to plant native plants and non-invasive exotic plants. By
eliminating the potentially invasive species from our Gardens, we can rest
assured.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Among the plants we have removed from our nursery so far are
wart fern (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Microsorum scolopendrium</i>)
and Asian sword fern (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Nephrolepis
brownii</i>), tropical almond tree (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Terminalia
catappa</i>), Mexican fan palm (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Washingtonia
robusta</i>), and cardboard palm (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Zamia
furfuracea</i> – a cycad). We have begun removing fountain and napier grasses (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pennisetum setaceum/ P. purpureum</i>) from
our landscape and are replacing them with native grasses. There are a few
specimens of other invasive exotics in the Gardens that we are grappling with: strawberry
tree in our fruit garden (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Muntingia
calabura</i>), arrowhead vine (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Syngonium angustatum</i>)
climbing up a palm trunk, Governor’s plum (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Flacourtia
indica</i>) & Brazilian pepper (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Schinus
terebinthifolius</i>) providing privacy along a property line and actually
rooted on the adjacent property, and foundation plantings of Queensland umbrella
tree (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Schefflera actinophylla</i>) that
provide shade and block road noise for guests and have been on the property for
over 20 years. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Removing plants from the nursery is one thing, but how do we
deal with these mature plants in the ground? To remove a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Schefflera</i> is a huge task with a high price tag, and with nothing
large enough to fill its place, would leave a gaping hole. When is having a
specimen that you can educate the public with more beneficial than removing it?
These are some of the tough decisions that botanic gardens must make when
potentially invasive species are part of our collections. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCPuNoPp9bHC3tQz137wSkHXy8TlYGvGZ5jOcplY1Yrr6XsJj4Fkg50O9X_wgNhY-zu7tTGxNEtC7FQPuhkDdhlneDnJ8ZM7C2E2CkNXMqDRK46f9LxbVZmydotpnm83d1URynxzFlInQ/s1600/Nursery_2014-12-26_0.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCPuNoPp9bHC3tQz137wSkHXy8TlYGvGZ5jOcplY1Yrr6XsJj4Fkg50O9X_wgNhY-zu7tTGxNEtC7FQPuhkDdhlneDnJ8ZM7C2E2CkNXMqDRK46f9LxbVZmydotpnm83d1URynxzFlInQ/s1600/Nursery_2014-12-26_0.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cardboard palm (<i>Zamia furfuracea</i>) ready to be composted. This species has been added to the Florida Keys list of invasive plants due to its tendency to spread from the landscape into natural areas by seed dispersal. It pops up all over our Gardens from existing plantings which we are working on replacing.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-SYw2Q-BIF79dvyNTF2vXaFAIHSukgPzZRish7q7wJcL-gcJhFlQQ0V76uvQJ1zPVO5k331cycJbA0KkqYJcZMoDWX4dKP9eDjFAF0Voh2m8b6XN6E5GRz51_rMNSxykyeLMt8MZ6DBw/s1600/Nursery_2014-12-26_03.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-SYw2Q-BIF79dvyNTF2vXaFAIHSukgPzZRish7q7wJcL-gcJhFlQQ0V76uvQJ1zPVO5k331cycJbA0KkqYJcZMoDWX4dKP9eDjFAF0Voh2m8b6XN6E5GRz51_rMNSxykyeLMt8MZ6DBw/s1600/Nursery_2014-12-26_03.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Tropical almond (<i>Terminalia catappa</i>) sapling on its way out. Seedlings of this species pop up throughout the Gardens even though the mature tree was cut down years ago. New seeds may arrive in mulch deliveries, as well.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd8w3DdfaOOmYKupmoJKKmPGHxB-0KufkOpZGuFr1Cl0YX5wSqbJrdH9igoLS7Xz3OsJPZxiq2Uju_Lpwdi7DrL9TN6i15_lSivUGqzIEfEyJiIqGvX_vFNhobgdK6JhRPyualJRzXzxU/s1600/Nursery_2014-12-26_05.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd8w3DdfaOOmYKupmoJKKmPGHxB-0KufkOpZGuFr1Cl0YX5wSqbJrdH9igoLS7Xz3OsJPZxiq2Uju_Lpwdi7DrL9TN6i15_lSivUGqzIEfEyJiIqGvX_vFNhobgdK6JhRPyualJRzXzxU/s1600/Nursery_2014-12-26_05.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wart fern (<i>Microsorum scolopendrium</i>) that has escaped its nursery pot and started to grow along the ground. Watchful botanists in Miami Dade county are adding this plant to the state invasive species list as it is showing up in natural areas. It is not yet invasive in the Keys, and in fact may not become invasive down here since we have a drier climate, but we have many visitors from the metro Miami area and do not want to encourage them to plant this fern.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn0Z-vtiTi7TEq2_VVvqGNfi9_CzAjKDlMRV4d0EBtBn5thrH_YIEKHmpVTS48tzQHUZfyZB_wajExJ0SxDXFm4Fh3_um0eklFCXExk_l6dwgoNyq_L_je-AM-8w0XSKol1Wz-ABF9GXg/s1600/Nursery_2014-12-26_06.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn0Z-vtiTi7TEq2_VVvqGNfi9_CzAjKDlMRV4d0EBtBn5thrH_YIEKHmpVTS48tzQHUZfyZB_wajExJ0SxDXFm4Fh3_um0eklFCXExk_l6dwgoNyq_L_je-AM-8w0XSKol1Wz-ABF9GXg/s1600/Nursery_2014-12-26_06.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Asian sword fern (<i>Nephrolepis brownii</i>) specimen. This species is listed as invasive for Central and South Florida and is invading hammocks in the FL Keys. It is also invading nearby pots in the orchid house (see photo below). Ferns can be particularly tricky due to the multitude of spores they release. The Old World climbing fern and Japanese climbing fern (<i>Lygodium microphyllum, L. japonicum</i>) are both major problems in Florida and in several other southeastern states. Since its introduction in the 1960s, Old World climbing fern now covers 50,000 acres of habitat in Florida, literally climbing over every other plant in its path. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7FE4iaFqcHcmjK0O3UhSEwMvv4h67CJ1PpUdoj1SRQ_t-LHGVdSVYIrri67dUOVTGZiUmaG5YNCrDYgeT4l1JF88zRfAbEhnwEscOu43dvP6uK6GewRANYH5mh4gJMm9C4jhTYQsGtcw/s1600/Nursery_2014-12-26_08.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7FE4iaFqcHcmjK0O3UhSEwMvv4h67CJ1PpUdoj1SRQ_t-LHGVdSVYIrri67dUOVTGZiUmaG5YNCrDYgeT4l1JF88zRfAbEhnwEscOu43dvP6uK6GewRANYH5mh4gJMm9C4jhTYQsGtcw/s1600/Nursery_2014-12-26_08.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small sporophyte of Asian sword fern growing in adjacent pots.</td></tr>
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On the flip side, botanic gardens may be some of the first
places that a new species’ invasive potential becomes known, or a new pest
becomes evident. It is then our obligation to spread the word and inform the
local extension service and regulatory committees of the threat. Having staff
members that are part of a local invasive plant watch group is helpful to stay
abreast of developing issues in your surrounding area. It is our duty as botanical
gardens to educate the public about these issues and promote the sale and use
of local native plants and non-invasive exotic plants. <o:p></o:p></div>
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In the Florida Keys, our local eradication network is called
the <a href="http://www.floridainvasives.org/Keys/">Florida Keys Invasive
Exotics Task Force</a>. This group includes local, state, and federal agencies
and non-profit and public utility personnel who are responsible for removing
invasive plants from local natural areas like state and county parks. By working
with this group and others like it in south Florida (<a href="http://www.evergladescisma.org/">Everglades Cooperative Invasive Species
Management Area</a> & <a href="http://www.fleppc.org/">Florida Exotic Pest
Plant Council</a>) I am able to stay informed and help prevent the spread of
invasive exotic species. Publications such as the <a href="http://www.floridainvasives.org/keys/AlterNatives%20Plant%20Guide.pdf">Alter<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Natives</i> Plant Guide</a> are a great way
to share local knowledge on landscaping and gardening with the public. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Emily B. Magnaghi</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Associate Director</div>
The Botanic Gardens at Kona Kai Resorthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16067989939562688620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850328525135901609.post-61673276692811277512015-01-01T16:41:00.000-05:002015-01-01T16:41:21.439-05:00Grateful Guests and TYUP Attendees to Finish 2014<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Small spaces are the rage these days. It seems that every gardening
and architecture magazine has featured innovative ways to design and be
comfortable in small spaces; from using raised beds and vertical gardening
techniques to repurposing items like shipping containers into homes. Stores like IKEA have made huge headway into American markets and while promoting our seemingly endless
desire for goods, have also shown us ways to <b>do more with less</b>, capitalizing on
this European tradition.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
And that is exactly what we do here at the Botanic Gardens
at Kona Kai Resort!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
When I first visited the Gardens last spring, I was very
curious how they were laid out on less than 2 acres of property. Coming from a
larger botanical garden (at the time I was fresh out of 83 acre Fairchild
Tropical Botanic Garden in Coral Gables) I was used to sprawling grounds and
long rambles between the collections looking for plants. There is even a tram
tour to give visitors an overview of the entire property! While that garden is
extensive and beautiful, our Gardens are also beautiful, packed with variety
and easy to navigate during our botanist-led TYUP* tour.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
During Christmas week, I had a family of 10 book my TYUP and
they were delighted at how many plants we have in our Gardens. The patriarch of
the family, a long-time volunteer at Fairchild, commented that our collections
were very easy to see during the tour and that some of our plants, our cycads in
particular, looked very healthy and happy. I was shining with pride! What a great compliment to end the year with.</div>
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<br /></div>
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We do our best to have a good diversity of plants with the limited space we have
to work with – remember we are part of a resort and the buildings take up real
estate. However, we have managed to collect over 360 plant species, cultivars
and hybrids including 25 edible tropical fruits, over 20 Florida Keys natives,
38 species of palms, and 15 bamboo specimens. Not bad for less than 2 acres! We
are busy adding more this year so come down to visit and see for yourself how
we maximize our space.</div>
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">*Transforming Your
Understanding of Plants tour – see this blog <a href="http://thebotanicgardensatkonakai.blogspot.com/2014/12/the-importance-of-our-transforming-your.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Dioon mejiae</i>, Honduran dioon, a cycad native to Honduras and Nicaragua [Zamiaceae]</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Annona squamosa</i>, sugar-apple, a fruit of the tropical Americas and West Indies [Annonaceae]</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Byrsonima lucida</i>, Locustberry, a south Florida native [Malpighiaceae]</td></tr>
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The Botanic Gardens at Kona Kai Resorthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16067989939562688620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850328525135901609.post-14762642316226402402014-12-09T16:57:00.000-05:002014-12-09T16:58:45.543-05:00The Importance of Our "Transforming Your Understanding of Plants™", or TYUP, TourHere at the Botanic Gardens at Kona Kai Resort, we provide a
garden tour to visitors as a way to experience the Gardens. This is not simply
a standard garden tour showing off our collections, but an educational tour
describing how important plants are to our lives from centuries past to the
present day and into the future.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Leading visitors through the Gardens on our tour provides a
way for me to share my knowledge and love of plants. Not only do I get to talk
to people about plants (one of my favorite topics!) but it also provides a
welcome break from the office and a chance to be rejuvenated outdoors, which is part of our mission: Education - Restoration - Transformation. Nearly everyone comes to the Gardens with some connection to plants, usually with experience growing houseplants or gardening, and I try to build on that existing appreciation. For those who join the tour with no previous experience with plants, I can really start to open their eyes. I stress the importance of plants to our lives, our environment, and the future of both. By sharing information on human uses of plants over the centuries (ethnobotany), current uses of plants in technological applications, and how plants are more like humans than we realize, I hope to transform our visitors’ understanding of plants. This is the essence of the visitor experience at the Botanic Gardens at Kona Kai Resort. Instead of seeing plants as simply a green backdrop or landscaping tool I hope they will be seen as our vital green lifeline. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I also hope to change the perception that we (humans) are masters of our domain and here to rule the world, taking whatever we want from the plentiful bounty of nature. We know that the reserves of nature are not limitless and we are running into shortages of many fundamental components for our survival: fresh water, fish, arable land, to name a few. We are part of the biosphere and all organisms are interdependent on each other for survival. Certain endangered species may disagree with me if they could talk. They may consider humans to be the biggest threat to their survival, the biggest weed on the planet, and I tend to agree with them. However, looking at it from a different point of view, I realize that many species rely on us. Domesticated animals, hybrid plants, heirloom variety vegetables and flowers are all organisms we have created through centuries of genetic engineering. Would these organisms persist if we were not here to tend them? Also, we have introduced so many biological "weeds" to different environments (think </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Brazilian pepper </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">trees and kudzu vine, sprawling urban development, Ambrosia beetles, etc. ), we must work to eliminate these threats and save the endangered species and habitats they threaten. Although it is self-serving to promote saving the environment for the sole benefit of our species and disregarding the rest of the species on the planet, it is a useful approach it it will teach people how important ecological health is.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: center;">Plants are essential to our existence and in order to preserve and protect them and the ecosystems they build and support, we need to see them for their true value and worth. Short of having a fully functioning farm to showcase our agricultural systems and the food we rely on for survival, or an entire watershed with oxygen (O</span><sub style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: center;">2</sub><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: center;">) production, carbon (CO</span><sub style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: center;">2</sub><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: center;">) sequestration, and water and nutrient cycling highlighted, or a trip into the atmosphere to see the full extent of the oceans and the large amount of O</span><sub style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: center;">2 </sub><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: center;">being produced by marine algae (estimated at over 70% of O</span><sub style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: center;">2 </sub><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: center;">production for the planet), I work with our 21</span><sup style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: center;">st</sup><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: center;"> century collection at the Gardens to educate on a more intimate scale.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Many times, the tour is too short to
convey all the information I want to share. Vistors have so many great questions, as well. There are many stories about the
plants in our Gardens that cannot be covered due to time constraints so I
suggest to visitors that they learn more about them from our website,
<a href="http://www.kkbg.org/">www.kkbg.org</a>. Our website is full of information, videos, photos of the plants
in bloom, and will keep you occupied, entertained, and engrossed for quite a while. It is a great way to experience part of the Gardens at home and a way we are able to reach a broader, global audience. We </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">frequently </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">update our featured videos and articles in the <a href="https://sites.google.com/a/kkbg.org/mobile-more/home/21st-century-ethnobotany" target="_blank">21st Century Botany</a> section and a new feature of a virtual garden tour is in the works for 2015, so stay tuned. Of course, there is nothing quite like our TYUP so the next time you are in Key Largo or planning a vacation to the Florida Keys, please come in for a tour and experience it for yourself.</span></div>
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Emily B. Magnaghi, M.S.</div>
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Associate Director</div>
The Botanic Gardens at Kona Kai Resorthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16067989939562688620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850328525135901609.post-60099894676768843892014-11-05T12:34:00.000-05:002014-11-12T17:59:59.532-05:00Plant Immigration and Naturalization<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOQOIB2un9lIVZZGCwcfF5qpajMSqKsGKyNjAd1P4uq9pj9JMb62gzsn6_BK3sqwrvCyUsYJH2SWI6BG9mwPTqR9YPyWoRBvU-pxhEgozYRaKnXGoPFEPh8z3uf9Fe-U67Dp2QNyxFPY0/s1600/Cocos_nucifera_(Zone_36)_2011-11-26_01.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOQOIB2un9lIVZZGCwcfF5qpajMSqKsGKyNjAd1P4uq9pj9JMb62gzsn6_BK3sqwrvCyUsYJH2SWI6BG9mwPTqR9YPyWoRBvU-pxhEgozYRaKnXGoPFEPh8z3uf9Fe-U67Dp2QNyxFPY0/s1600/Cocos_nucifera_(Zone_36)_2011-11-26_01.JPG" height="320" width="222" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coconut palm at Kona Kai</td></tr>
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Nothing exclaims "tropical paradise" more than the coconut palm. They are so common in our landscape in south Florida that they seem to be native to our region, but alas they are not. Where exactly does the coconut palm come from and how did it get here?</div>
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Historic records on the introduction of <i>Cocos nucifera,</i> the coconut palm, are difficult to trace since humans have been carrying this portable source of nutrition throughout the tropics for thousands of years. Coconut DNA analysis has shown that two varieties originated in Asia, one in the South Pacific and one in the Indian Ocean region. As far as when the coconut arrived in Florida, I located two articles. One recounted a tale of coconuts from a shipwreck floating up along the Palm Beach coast in the 1800s and another indicated the presence of coconuts in the Florida Keys in the mid-1800s. DNA analysis of <i>Cocos</i> <i>nucifera</i> which, combined with historic shipping records, show that the Indian Ocean variety of coconuts were brought to Africa by Portuguese sailors; this variety was then brought to the Caribbean. Either way, they have been here for over a hundred years and have made themselves right at home.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjparfH21iQ-fQ_Hx3rWltOrjFm3quM0zFw9idNWC167dmMm7LkG5is_KrUxjoY0POBjU1TNyNNJ_NyIHxyqn9OY59QR2WTzbOOeZJ866Zg00TqZBEtlmz7gqzoSU3-3MpPkd6zLbuaHPI/s1600/Coconut_Palm_Canopy_From_Below_2012-09-29_02.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjparfH21iQ-fQ_Hx3rWltOrjFm3quM0zFw9idNWC167dmMm7LkG5is_KrUxjoY0POBjU1TNyNNJ_NyIHxyqn9OY59QR2WTzbOOeZJ866Zg00TqZBEtlmz7gqzoSU3-3MpPkd6zLbuaHPI/s1600/Coconut_Palm_Canopy_From_Below_2012-09-29_02.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coconut palm at Kona Kai</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">The coconut is one of the most useful plants for humans, especially due to its portability for travel on sea voyages. They have nutritious water and fleshy meat which is also processed into milk and oil, the oil is used for cooking and in cosmetics and soaps; building materials are obtained from the husks, leaves and trunk; the coir on the outside of the fruit has many traditional and commercial uses, also coconut husks are used culturally for decoration, and on and on. Early farming records in the Florida Keys indicate there were plantations of coconut trees, pineapples, tomatoes and other hardier vegetables. It was, and is, a valuable crop. It is also a valuable botanical teaching tool as people readily recognize and enjoy coconuts and are interested in learning about their various attributes. However, the coconut is not a native plant to Florida and has naturalized in the Florida Keys to the extent that it is now on the Keys' invasive species watch list.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLl-sY1Cqsb-NUX1BUG7unPd7AnVDr0a1xS_FczXnj9YukTXemjkJv-KvxZyYcQY9A1yPWmhaEdvHk9U2MyJjg7QzfSfsZGn3Md9z6ESIeFpb16EPvHFZXrgUbbpDRSQEJGfDWyMUR17M/s1600/Coccothrinax+argentata_Lighthouse+Beach+Eleuthera.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLl-sY1Cqsb-NUX1BUG7unPd7AnVDr0a1xS_FczXnj9YukTXemjkJv-KvxZyYcQY9A1yPWmhaEdvHk9U2MyJjg7QzfSfsZGn3Md9z6ESIeFpb16EPvHFZXrgUbbpDRSQEJGfDWyMUR17M/s1600/Coccothrinax+argentata_Lighthouse+Beach+Eleuthera.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Coccothrinax argentata</i>, Silver palm, at Lighthouse Beach, <br />
Eleuthera Bahamas</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc34iAkW0Xp4bLK_SPIALzzlI6Oo3TZpyG1aZm3mNLJuzn-6E-Ahxcv1isAQaphCBFOjnF6bnd47U1QcghP1rd-OaUoN11trGV_PlfMT7NBwigWQZzU_ipZnO-fpxH-TuKrJF16AhAYZM/s1600/Coccothrinax+argentata_close-up_Lighthouse+Beach+Eleuthera.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc34iAkW0Xp4bLK_SPIALzzlI6Oo3TZpyG1aZm3mNLJuzn-6E-Ahxcv1isAQaphCBFOjnF6bnd47U1QcghP1rd-OaUoN11trGV_PlfMT7NBwigWQZzU_ipZnO-fpxH-TuKrJF16AhAYZM/s1600/Coccothrinax+argentata_close-up_Lighthouse+Beach+Eleuthera.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close-up of Silver palm's silvery leaf</td></tr>
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The coconut has become a problem locally at two popular tourist destinations, Bahia Honda State Beach and Lignumvitae Key Botanical State Park. Coconuts are washing up on the beach dunes at Bahia Honda and becoming established, potentially outcompeting the native Silver Palm, <i>Coccothrinax argentata</i>. Coconut palms persist in the tropical hardwood hammock at Lignumvitae Key, where they were planted early in the last century by private landowners, and their thatch and debris is inhibiting the germination of native plants. Left unchecked, coconut palms become established in the ecosystem and may alter the ecology for the remaining native plants and animals. In the photo from Lighthouse Beach on Eleuthera, Bahamas to the right, there are numerous coconut palms in the distance, their canopies popping up out of the native scrub. We are not sure what their long-term impacts will be, but state and county land managers in the Keys are not taking any chances. They are on the lookout for newly sprouting coconuts and actively removing trees, but they have their hands full with other, more invasive, species that are a bigger threat to the habitats in the Keys, so they need our help.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh25efMrvoYNCsf7OCiI84inr3uBchT_V6CYyKEyemTFn2RPi2Oz0ldl1fb-XvOlIc_uMpNWomCxLQuAIvmpRqcKelY6_ulzB8oxThK0bSSRAAO_3mW9K3XdEWq84gdzq3FoH89crFR7Os/s1600/Cocos_nucifera_(Zone_23)_2011-04-13_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh25efMrvoYNCsf7OCiI84inr3uBchT_V6CYyKEyemTFn2RPi2Oz0ldl1fb-XvOlIc_uMpNWomCxLQuAIvmpRqcKelY6_ulzB8oxThK0bSSRAAO_3mW9K3XdEWq84gdzq3FoH89crFR7Os/s1600/Cocos_nucifera_(Zone_23)_2011-04-13_01.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coconut trimming at Kona Kai</td></tr>
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How can we help reduce the number of coconuts in the environment? We need to ramp up our collection efforts and harvest them! I'm not kidding! If you have coconut palms on your property, you likely have someone come cut down the coconuts so they don't endanger pedestrians and property when they fall. Keep up the good work!<br />
These delicious fruits also provide many cottage-industry product ideas to local artisans: homemade Keys coconut soaps, body scrubs, lotions and hair oils; locally sourced coconut milk for cocktails and coconut pies - who says we can only be famous for Key Lime pie?; cooking oil for fried lionfish fritters - another invasive species that we are hunting and eating! We need to jump on the locavore band wagon and start providing tourists with locally grown food and locally sourced ingredients so their experience in the Keys is even more memorable. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Raw coconuts and two clever uses for cleaned/dried coconuts </td></tr>
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By actually using this valuable resource, we can help remove the coconuts from the environment, limiting their ability to disperse and grow in the wild. There are so many coconut palms throughout the state that it is inconceivable to think about removing them all so we need to come up with other means of control. I'm going to start by cutting the coconuts down from the tree in my front yard. I can't think of a tastier way to control invasive plants!</div>
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For more information on the genetic research done to decode the origins of coconuts, follow this link: </div>
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<a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110624142037.htm" target="_blank">Deep history of coconuts decoded: Origins of cultivation, ancient trade routes, and colonization of the Americas http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110624142037.htm</a></div>
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Thanks for reading!<br />
Emily B. Magnaghi<br />
Associate DirectorThe Botanic Gardens at Kona Kai Resorthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16067989939562688620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850328525135901609.post-5338970141215209432014-10-07T17:50:00.000-04:002014-10-14T10:34:10.911-04:00Settling InSince moving back to Florida from California in the summer of 2012, I have felt like a newly transplanted seedling on oolitic limestone; my roots have been creeping along looking for a space to reach down and anchor into. I waited patiently for an opportunity to continue my botanical career in south Florida, networking and meeting all the right players, taking on temporary part-time jobs while biding my time, but never finding a permanent position. That space in the limestone was eluding me. I knew I wanted a new challenge, something that combined my love of plants with education. Just as I was about to throw in the proverbial towel and reassess my mission, I finally found my space at The Botanic Gardens at Kona Kai Resort!<br />
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There are many different activities I enjoy that are now part of my job: working with my team to plant new specimens in the garden, planning different tour routes throughout the garden as the flowers come and go, presenting information to the local schools, learning new information about plants every day, networking with fellow botanists and horticulturists, and working with a great group of people who share my passion and enthusiasm for plants and botanical education. I am thoroughly enjoying my new position and getting to know everyone I work with. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enthusiastically describing light sensing in plants on a TYUP tour</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Veronika breaking up the roots of old <i>Hibiscus</i> plants to make room for new poolside additions</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Myristica fragrans</i>, nutmeg and mace, by Pauline A. Goldsmith</td></tr>
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One of my first "field trips" outside the garden was to see the Tropical Botanic Artists Bizarre Botany exhibit at the Coral Gables Museum. Our Executive Director, Joe Harris, Director of Education, Ronnie Harris, and I made our way up to the mainland to preview the exhibit from the Miami-based group before it came to our gallery at the resort. We also wanted to see author Michael Largo speak about his new book, The Big Bad Book of Botany. It is an A-to-Z encyclopedia of ordinary to bizarre plants and their interesting culinary, medicinal, ecological, and agricultural histories. The book is a great primer for budding plant enthusiasts and seasoned botanists alike! And the botanical artwork is beautiful! We are fortunate to have this exhibit at The Gallery at Kona Kai Resort for the next few months. All the drawings are either pen and ink or graphite and some of them rival the best scientific botanical illustrations I have seen. I have my eye on the <i>Myristica fragrans</i> (nutmeg) drawing and several others. Between the artwork in the gallery and the plantings in the garden, I am not sure which is more beautiful!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJau6RhtM5r21DgU6LzyRjGoDQuTrScBCwYEmiHPkLSI5GJnikNYeGIxkvuyzNq_vuvV7qIprTG5RMixAVp5enAT60uy2y2XGPMwhr72UQZSwSBm6ZOU-JIxsujS7Pdw7l_nPzkI4oduVh/s1600/1-Absinthe.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJau6RhtM5r21DgU6LzyRjGoDQuTrScBCwYEmiHPkLSI5GJnikNYeGIxkvuyzNq_vuvV7qIprTG5RMixAVp5enAT60uy2y2XGPMwhr72UQZSwSBm6ZOU-JIxsujS7Pdw7l_nPzkI4oduVh/s1600/1-Absinthe.jpeg" height="400" width="287" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Artemisia absinthium</i>, absinthe, by Silvia Bota</td></tr>
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I am happily settling into life in the Keys and at The Botanic Gardens at Kona Kai Resort. Soon I will likely be that "Keysie" tour guide with all the flowers and seeds adorning my sun hat, telling everyone how amazing coonties are...wait you don't know what a coontie is? Well, you need to come down and take my tour!</div>
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Emily B. Magnaghi - Associate Director</div>
The Botanic Gardens at Kona Kai Resorthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702430463981667289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850328525135901609.post-55824669508107220182014-08-28T17:25:00.001-04:002014-08-28T17:25:09.668-04:00New Associate Director of The Botanic Gardens at Kona Kai ResortAs promised, in this post you'll be introduced to the new Associate Director of The Botanic Gardens at Kona Kai Resort. Her name is Emily Magnaghi and we met in December of last year, when she came down to Key Largo to take a tour with me and see what The Botanic Gardens at Kona Kai Resort was all about. At the time, she was living in Miami and working in Everglades National Park monitoring plant populations after a restoration project. We got along very well and it was great having someone come by for a tour who really knew their plants. After the tour, we kept in touch and got together a few times for day trips throughout the Keys. On one of our trips, I mentioned that we had been trying to acquire a few specimens of <i>Pilosocereus robinii</i>, a Florida Keys native cactus, and she happened to know one of the people up at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden who was propagating those plants for their conservation program. After a few phone calls and introductions and a proposal for our intentions of use for the cacti, we had three specimens here for the Gardens.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrWzpEExV_1-j2Bk5mYHUu6iszKY5MWxlL_WX7Jh2Is1JTp1sOSNiXwQxqbsFVZhtk4Nu_0cYX6Any2QMTgA1PotDphyIHba0Ebkkb-DK9ET4I9V50R04zno_nUnOpWy3_PJqi69PZf7jf/s1600/Pilosocereus_robinii_(2014-009*A)_2014-04-15_01.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrWzpEExV_1-j2Bk5mYHUu6iszKY5MWxlL_WX7Jh2Is1JTp1sOSNiXwQxqbsFVZhtk4Nu_0cYX6Any2QMTgA1PotDphyIHba0Ebkkb-DK9ET4I9V50R04zno_nUnOpWy3_PJqi69PZf7jf/s1600/Pilosocereus_robinii_(2014-009*A)_2014-04-15_01.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the specimens of <i>Pilosocereus robinii </i>(Key tree cactus) Emily helped us acquire, at home in the Gardens.</td></tr>
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About this time, I was pretty sure my time at Kona Kai was limited, so after getting to know Emily better and seeing her enthusiasm for plants and her understanding of their importance to humans and the world as a whole, I began to think she might make a great successor to my position here at the Gardens. Once I was sure I was going to be leaving, I encouraged her to apply for my position, as I thought she'd be a great fit. After a number of interviews with Joe and Ronnie, everyone seemed to agree, and so we welcomed her as the newest addition to The Botanic Gardens at Kona Kai Resort just over a month ago, during which time I've been helping her learn all she needs to know to take the Gardens into its next stage of life, which I have no doubt will be a beautiful one. And so, it is with great pride that I now hand this blog over to Emily, whom you'll get to know a bit better by the time this post is through...</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's Emily beside <i>Alpinia purpurata</i>, a beautiful ornamental ginger plant.</td></tr>
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Thank you SO much Rick! He has been a wonderful, patient mentor to me during this past month as I have been learning all the ropes here at the Gardens. I have been fortunate to overlap with him for several weeks now which, I think it's safe to say, is making the transition easier for everyone. Rick has done such a wonderful job building the program over the past 3 1/2 years. His organizational skills are outstanding which has made finding all the files and information I need very easy. His presence and energy on the tours are always very calming yet enthusiatic. He is a good role model to strive to emulate. We will have to find a way to commemorate Rick in the Gardens! We will all truly miss Rick and wish him well on his next journey in life. I hope he will come visit us again in the future.<br />
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I know, it's a tough one...Magnaghi. Say: "mahn-YA-ghee" and be very expressive like you're really Italian. You can even use your hands to get into the role, or come by the Gardens and we can practice Italian together!<br />
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I grew up in Florida as a snow-bird, like many folks here. My summers were spent exploring National Parks elsewhere in the United States, while during the school year I was in Naples (Florida, not Italy). My path to botany was via the underwater world which I greatly enjoyed as a child. Along this path, I happened to take a botany class and this changed everything. Plants fascinated me! In the middle of winter in Michigan, here were these vibrant creatures growing in the greenhouses at the University of Michigan's Matthaei Botanical Gardens. I looked forward to that hour once a week more than anything that semester, as the plants and sunlight in the glasshouse chased the winter blues away.<br />
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After reconsidering my path of study, I decided to change course and follow the greenery. Many years later, after practicing restoration with native plants, studying plant taxonomy, pressing herbarium specimens in San Francisco and performing plant surveys for the California High Speed Train project, I find myself back home in South Florida finally enjoying the tropical diversity.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2krPQo6YqCBVyyptohNk2FitepvPp1IZVNHg75Ndi6oXzDC74gV7mRQXCGBeyuTxKHMaexN-f8lxo95vVGlM4O3Ek_b_RQqTRJGGwbyfgNa5tPGzIgf42_Xw0LNiTYNEV1-MDhLsPAfCT/s1600/Tour_With_Emily_2014-08-19_10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2krPQo6YqCBVyyptohNk2FitepvPp1IZVNHg75Ndi6oXzDC74gV7mRQXCGBeyuTxKHMaexN-f8lxo95vVGlM4O3Ek_b_RQqTRJGGwbyfgNa5tPGzIgf42_Xw0LNiTYNEV1-MDhLsPAfCT/s1600/Tour_With_Emily_2014-08-19_10.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here I am leading one of my first tour groups around the Gardens. I hope I received high marks from Rick on this one!</td></tr>
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I am very excited about my new role at The Botanic Gardens at Kona Kai Resort. Stay tuned for more information on what I hope to learn and accomplish in my role as Associate Director in my next blog post.<br />
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Emily B. Magnaghi<br />
Associate DirectorThe Botanic Gardens at Kona Kai Resorthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15702430463981667289noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850328525135901609.post-15724234057960295722014-08-08T16:17:00.000-04:002014-08-08T16:21:00.130-04:00SunsetStarting in September, "The Diary of The Botanic Gardens at Kona Kai" will have a new author.<br />
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I have had a wonderful 3.5+ years here at The Botanic Gardens at Kona Kai Resort helping Joe, Ronnie, and the rest of the Kona Kai staff realize their dream of an ethnobotanic teaching garden here in the Florida Keys, where visitors can come and learn about the incredible importance of plants in their lives.<br />
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Looking back, it's amazing to see what we've accomplished. I remember some of our first projects: building a comprehensive BG-Base database for KKBG's plant collections, creating 500+ records labels and 140+ display labels for the plants, and developing the first iteration of our "Ethnobotanic Tour," which we now call our "Transforming Your Understanding of Plants Tour." The Tour has been taken by over 1,200 people from all around the world since I began leading it in March 2011. After working on establishing these foundations for the Gardens, I moved on to develop <a href="http://kkbg.org/">kkbg.org</a>, the Gardens' virtual mobile-friendly botanic garden "app", with Joe while at the same time working with Ronnie on expanding our educational outreach to the local community by making The Fairchild Challenge (a very successful South Florida environmental education program developed at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardens) available to Upper Keys teachers and students as "The Upper Keys Fairchild Challenge," which involved over 900 students (53% of all local elementary and middle school students) last year. Since Day One, I have worked closely with our Grounds Manager, Veronika, when it came to learning more about the characteristics and needs of the plants here on the property, conducting tree trimming, discussing plant selection, and planting our precious new specimens. I also had plenty of interaction with the other staff here, too, even if it wasn't as frequent or intensive as my work with Joe, Ronnie, and Veronika. Tracey and Denise coordinated reservations for my tours, and I always saw Ileana, Maria, and Charlie around the Gardens taking care of the accommodations or their garden beds. We have also recently been blessed with another great addition to the team, Karen, who is helping Veronika out in the Gardens, and it seems like she will fit in wonderfully.<br />
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As you can see, even though I have been the "face" of the Gardens for the past few years, I've had incredible support from the rest of the staff here, without whom the Gardens' work would not have been, or continue to be, possible. On a personal as well as professional level, I have learned from each of them, and know I am a better person for it. One of my favorite parts of working at Kona Kai is that the staff here do not see each other exclusively as co-workers or colleagues, but friends and family, which I believe is no small contributing factor in what makes Kona Kai so magical; you feel like you're coming home from the moment you arrive on the property, especially as a returning guest.<br />
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Although I am departing, it is not because I see the mission and vision of the Gardens to be unimportant, as I hope you've been able to realize from all of my previous 75 blogs, which I have written from the heart. Indeed, I still consider it one of the most noble and urgent causes in today's world. What I have felt is a calling within the deepest parts of my spirit that I can no longer ignore, and unfortunately I cannot answer it while at the same time having a full-time job. In 2007, a strange unprompted curiosity came over me about contemplative monastic life, which I knew nothing about at the time. In order to learn more about it, I visited a Trappist monastery in Massachusetts while at Connecticut College, after which I knew I needed to return at some point for a longer visit and also explore other monastic orders, which I was planning on doing after finishing my internship at Holden Arboretum in 2011. One of my favorite quotes is "If you want to hear God laugh, tell Him your plans," and as I was making plans for monastery visits, I came across the advertisement for my current position here at The Botanic Gardens at Kona Kai Resort. I could not believe there was a position being offered at that particular moment in time that suited my ethnobotanical interests / education and my botanic gardens work experience so well, so I figured this might be where I was meant to be for the foreseeable future. I applied for the position and have been here since. Even though I see the work being done here as extremely important and I really couldn't have asked for a better job for several reasons, the pull towards monastic life has not ceased to leave me, and has become more and more intense, especially over the past year, during which I made two visits to the same monastery I visited in 2007. After my last visit in June, I've had a deep sense of peaceful conviction that it is time for me to make the necessary visits to the monasteries to discern whether or not life as a monk is my next vocation.<br />
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I have no doubt the "sunset" of my time here will quickly make way for a beautiful sunrise; I am confident the Gardens' work will continue to thrive, supported by all the staff I mentioned earlier, Kona Kai guests, the local community, and one other notable addition (to be introduced in the next posting) who will take my place as Associate Director of the Gardens at the beginning of September.<br />
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What follows is a slideshow I put together covering the Gardens' main themes and undertakings over the past three and a half years. Be sure to watch it in full screen mode (click on the button on the bottom-right-hand corner of the video) on a laptop or desktop (if you watch it on a mobile device, you won't get any of the sound that goes along with the video and you probably won't be able to read any of the text), and adjust the quality to one of the HD options by clicking on the "gear" button on the bottom-right of the screen after you've begun playing the video in full-screen mode. Here's to many more "fruitful" years to come for The Botanic Gardens at Kona Kai Resort!<br />
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Rick Hederstrom<br />
Associate DirectorThe Botanic Gardens at Kona Kai Resorthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16067989939562688620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850328525135901609.post-13928561370621611892014-07-19T13:59:00.001-04:002014-07-19T13:59:22.992-04:00A Choice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Humans are the main transformative force on the planet at the time; we can make of it what we wish to a large extent. If we wanted a world full of a diversity of life, we could make that a priority and bring that about. If we wanted a world largely denuded of life, we could bring that about, too. For those who do not consider morality to be objective, there is no right or wrong, only what a given culture at a given time in history deems, usually by majority, to be better or worse; one way could not be considered "wrong" and the other way "right," they would just be two ways to live with different priorities.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two very different potential futures for our planet.</td></tr>
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Earth as a planet racing through space doesn't have the capacity to care which way we choose; it doesn't need us to "save" it because it has and will continue to go through cycles of more life and less life, indifferently continuing in its orbit until it is eventually engulfed in a dying sun. Besides humans, other species of life on the earth don't have (as far as we know) the capacity on an individual level to consciously care if there is more or less diversity or life; they are driven by instinct and completely preoccupied with survival (food, reproduction) and reactions to immediate stimuli. As humans we are uniquely able to learn what the earth was like in the past and care about what the world will be like in the future. We have the capacity to consider the earth from a global perspective and understand the factors that contribute to more life or less, as well as the power to take conscious actions to bring about planned outcomes based on what kind of future we choose for the planet.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg85XsRJmQ_7z9JGURj1QqsrWmQ9MmXN1HwCZIxr5r4cPGP7Gr97BCPcsWRj4uiIP0n2NHcKc0LBPPEfGJd5yfCgpV6ooBRRXjWBEtVICcglpdHG75B4WGMPKr_bBRVSUPW9hicoDjoPWM/s1600/Le_penseur_de_la_Porte_de_lEnfer_(muse%CC%81e_Rodin)_(4528252054).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg85XsRJmQ_7z9JGURj1QqsrWmQ9MmXN1HwCZIxr5r4cPGP7Gr97BCPcsWRj4uiIP0n2NHcKc0LBPPEfGJd5yfCgpV6ooBRRXjWBEtVICcglpdHG75B4WGMPKr_bBRVSUPW9hicoDjoPWM/s1600/Le_penseur_de_la_Porte_de_lEnfer_(muse%CC%81e_Rodin)_(4528252054).jpg" height="564" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"The Thinker" by Auguste Rodin (Taken by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/72746018@N00">dalbera</a> on Flickr)</td></tr>
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There are plenty of people out there who aren't interested in plants (yet) and who apparently don't care much about the natural environment or its future (yet). I can still remember when one of my friends in college said he never really liked being outdoors and how much of a shock that was to me. Unlike my friend, I love spending time in natural spaces like gardens and parks, which I see as havens and retreats, but there are plenty of others who would rather use that space to develop houses, factories, shops, and expansive lawns. If a "silent spring" were indeed to happen, with all birds vanishing, I think there would be quite a few people who wouldn't notice or care. Perhaps they'd remark one day that they hadn't seen or heard a bird in a while, then just shrug their shoulders and carry on.<br />
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Our children would then see a world without birds as the norm, with stories of a world filled with thousands of kinds of colorful winged singing creatures seeming much like how stories of the dinosaurs are to us. The same could be said for plants. Even if the world were nearly completely void of plants, something akin to Luke Skywalker's home planet of Tatooine, and everything humans need is synthesized, those born into that world wouldn't miss plants because they never knew them. Perhaps there would not even be an interest in having them around at all - there would be much more interest in the technological advances that have been made. If anyone did happen to be interested in plants, there would be plenty of maintenance-free artificial trees, shrubs, flowering plants, and grasses for people to have installed. Nature would be regarded as primitive, dangerous, and chaotic; something not to be desired back. Besides, if people ever wanted to immerse themselves in "nature," they'd have virtual reality experiences available to simulate activities such as hiking or mountain biking through any type of landscape, and that would be considered close enough to, or perhaps even better than, the real thing. It's not too absurd to think the world could become a nature-less technologically advanced dystopia similar to what some authors and film makers imagine...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTOTTlg2n7CXY2CKnCd_I1XlufqXm5Nu7WNotdOtDVXwJCmyPn7APrB00Ek6pfPfQ17SNx-dxeaBzTYx_k1HggR7ToXaphjZjArRsqj-bHig9LvHuvYj1Wo3tSatVXhigchk4WCTGS0lU/s1600/equilibrium-city.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTOTTlg2n7CXY2CKnCd_I1XlufqXm5Nu7WNotdOtDVXwJCmyPn7APrB00Ek6pfPfQ17SNx-dxeaBzTYx_k1HggR7ToXaphjZjArRsqj-bHig9LvHuvYj1Wo3tSatVXhigchk4WCTGS0lU/s1600/equilibrium-city.jpg" height="275" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From 'Equilibrium'.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDF_SDj40OSRqbSUM5VFtDxeHLc97O2xyUxWzuLnx62IKD3zb7QN7xOl0my_U8DDhUMQaHrVH6VLCDrC5IlQtpe7MQkpHPE6IoCB1SG42MHDyCC1wsMezHMcR7DaBhJAAgIEBBVjhOR34/s1600/Spielberg_AI_29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDF_SDj40OSRqbSUM5VFtDxeHLc97O2xyUxWzuLnx62IKD3zb7QN7xOl0my_U8DDhUMQaHrVH6VLCDrC5IlQtpe7MQkpHPE6IoCB1SG42MHDyCC1wsMezHMcR7DaBhJAAgIEBBVjhOR34/s1600/Spielberg_AI_29.jpg" height="344" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From Spielberg's 'A.I.'</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5zNSK9Je7Dn2B58KquGKZrKqZxeyfXWtQNPZWOLtMNefiO0n5xDFL2PTQArje09bdKbNRoLyQ5PfNTmVVeULil03Bd54TBlP-kjRANQJ_zAaSX5xqE7llpMQV-pTyaJGkPFvQabt8ET4/s1600/MachineCity_Matrix.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5zNSK9Je7Dn2B58KquGKZrKqZxeyfXWtQNPZWOLtMNefiO0n5xDFL2PTQArje09bdKbNRoLyQ5PfNTmVVeULil03Bd54TBlP-kjRANQJ_zAaSX5xqE7llpMQV-pTyaJGkPFvQabt8ET4/s1600/MachineCity_Matrix.jpg" height="308" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Machine City from 'The Matrix'.</td></tr>
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Although I studied ethnobotany in the strict sense of the term in college and appreciate greatly the benefits plants provide people, I think a rationale for protecting and conserving nature based completely on utilitarian arguments is imperfect. For one, I think that, largely thanks to the building blocks plants have given us, we will be able to synthesize all that we need without their help (we're already synthesizing beef in laboratories!). Secondly, there are a lot of creatures out there that have no direct use for us, and so are "expendable" using utilitarian logic. Acknowledging those two points, I think the ultimate rationale for protecting and conserving nature is beauty. Even if miniature seahorses and orchids provide me with nothing tangibly useful in my life, I still want very much to have them around for many generations to come so that others could marvel at their beauty as I have, and these creatures could continue to function in ecosystems, which I also consider to be beautiful because of their complexity and function.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyo8dCIQIU5zdnqQjy0alJ5pnDmroWo3uso-Vn-3PhkCt9PPIIeiRYk2-G86EWjXieQAXVXUtcjucVy5FyjFGrBUyOBvrKjNegdMzJPqcH1YZP7V6zoIdicPe-S3JFirU_o4t009AfiaM/s1600/Orchid_(Zone_10)_2012-01-05_01.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyo8dCIQIU5zdnqQjy0alJ5pnDmroWo3uso-Vn-3PhkCt9PPIIeiRYk2-G86EWjXieQAXVXUtcjucVy5FyjFGrBUyOBvrKjNegdMzJPqcH1YZP7V6zoIdicPe-S3JFirU_o4t009AfiaM/s1600/Orchid_(Zone_10)_2012-01-05_01.JPG" height="390" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Negligible utilitarian value for humans, priceless beauty and ecological value.</td></tr>
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As another example, why would it be tragic if all Bach compositions (or those of your favorite music producer) and all their renditions were destroyed? After all, everyone born henceforth would never know them and so they wouldn't miss them. However, those who had been alive to experience them would find it tragic that there would be people who would never be able to experience the unique, powerful, and emotional beauty of that music, and would consider the world has suffered a great loss, not because the music had been useful in a utilitarian sense but because it had been beautiful.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Yo-Yo Ma playing Bach's Cello Suite No.1 Prelude</span></div>
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While I certainly want you to learn how plants have been and continue to be useful to us as humans, and so come to a greater appreciation for them, I want much more to spark curiosity and wonder in your mind and spirit for the incredible incarnations of life on earth, of which plants are a large part. I want to help you hone your senses of observation to see all the little and big miracles that surround us until you are constantly going around with "oh wow! oh wow!" in your mind and realize that the value of each living creature is not based principally in what products it could offer for our use, but in its own magnificent and beautiful nature that would be tragic if the world were without. Then when you understand that each of these creatures needs healthy ecosystems to survive and thrive, you'll wonder what you can do to ensure the health of those ecosystems (a subject for another post), and so ensure a life-filled planet for generations to come.<br />
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Such a future can become a reality if we choose it. I personally would rather have a world filled with as many miraculously beautiful incarnations of life as possible, even if that requires what at first <i>seem like</i> sacrifices on my part. If we made the choice to exploit the natural world to the point of denudation so that we could have more money and more "things," how ironic would it be if we'd give all that money and those possessions to once more live amongst the beauty that was sacrificed in the name of what was mistakenly valued as profit and thought to be progress. May we ever more fully know the priceless, irreplaceable beauty that surrounds us and live diligently to protect and nurture it.<br />
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<br />
Rick Hederstrom<br />
Associate DirectorThe Botanic Gardens at Kona Kai Resorthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16067989939562688620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850328525135901609.post-67424913107454749342014-06-28T16:13:00.000-04:002014-06-28T16:13:26.426-04:00Cannabis (Marijuana) UsesAfter my last post, Joe thought it might be interesting to expand more on the non-psychedelic uses of <i>Cannabis</i> (marijuana) in particular, so here goes!<br />
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Currently, the highest-profile use for <i>Cannabis</i> is medicine ("medical marijuana"). <i>Cannabis</i> contains about 460 compounds, including over 80 cannabinoids. No anti-cancer properties have been documented with certainty, but placebo-controlled clinical trials indicate efficacy of marijuana in treating Tourette's, Lou Gehrig's disease, multiple sclerosis, irritable bowel syndrome, muscle spasticity, glaucoma, and anorexia. Another promising use is the treatment of chronic pain, against which marijuana works about as well as opioids (e.g. morphine and oxycodone) with fewer side effects. Marijuana's effectiveness against acute pain, however, is not significant.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEAeOKDBCoo5vGFA9KZgxn7dZ_7DeSciRp7aujpaMWYmQM_cKwsJ7vpmVvB-uebb-9MgkHu5184WkwhawZcLnWO_ltttdqlagFdZEYq-VeIs1wpasU5WiXPVaGKNgNjM-ynpGSLQ5Ydi4/s1600/500px-Cannabis_sativa_(Ko%CC%88hler).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEAeOKDBCoo5vGFA9KZgxn7dZ_7DeSciRp7aujpaMWYmQM_cKwsJ7vpmVvB-uebb-9MgkHu5184WkwhawZcLnWO_ltttdqlagFdZEYq-VeIs1wpasU5WiXPVaGKNgNjM-ynpGSLQ5Ydi4/s1600/500px-Cannabis_sativa_(Ko%CC%88hler).jpg" height="640" width="534" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A botanical illustration of <i>Cannabis sativa</i>.</td></tr>
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The most notable hypothesized side-effect of extended regular marijuana use is the possibility of an increased risk of psychoses such as schizophrenia, especially for people who begin using the plant at a young age. While there seems to be a significant correlation between people who have used marijuana regularly in the past and schizophrenia, it is difficult for scientists to determine if marijuana <u>causes</u> the psychosis or if some underlying genetic pre-disposition towards psychosis is also a pre-disposition to marijuana use, hence the correlation. Much more research will need to be conducted to determine if there are in fact any long-term side effects of use.<br />
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Short-term side effects, which include lengthening of reaction time and impairment of attention, assessment of risks, concentration, and short-term memory, are much easier to prove. These effects can be present up to 24 hours after marijuana use, often with the user unaware of continued impairment several hours after use. The use of many methods of transportation and other machinery would therefore not be advisable for someone using marijuana for treatment.<br />
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Marijuana is not as addictive as other drugs like caffeine, tobacco, alcohol, cocaine, or heroin, but individuals can suffer from Cannabis Use Disorder, defined in the 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders as a dependence on the plant experienced by about 9% of users.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs9RWHsqYKntSOz4XFdPEWPUuNiog2hqfpyOxCg63U2yEHy-qxHeaSJ0owv4GrBA8Raq487bwi5TaRhty4wHAezMOrJMpfGcVx1G4jPpfKVVG3GsWHaKJdaPME8Rx_2nAxAiRutxc7PAQ/s1600/Medical+Marijuana+Shop+In+Denver+Colorado+-+O'Dea+at+WikiCommons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs9RWHsqYKntSOz4XFdPEWPUuNiog2hqfpyOxCg63U2yEHy-qxHeaSJ0owv4GrBA8Raq487bwi5TaRhty4wHAezMOrJMpfGcVx1G4jPpfKVVG3GsWHaKJdaPME8Rx_2nAxAiRutxc7PAQ/s1600/Medical+Marijuana+Shop+In+Denver+Colorado+-+O'Dea+at+WikiCommons.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A medical marijuana shop in Denver, CO (photo by O'Dea at WikiCommons).</td></tr>
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Beyond medicinal use, <i>Cannabis</i> is employed extensively for material use under the name of "hemp," referring to the soft and durable fibers extracted from <i>Cannabis sativa</i> stems, which are most commonly used because they are the tallest (~18 ft.). Plants used for fiber production are usually bred to have low THC content so authorities can tell it's not being grown for drug use. Hemp cultivation has been dated back to over 10,000 years ago in China, where early uses included clothing, shoes, paper, and rope. Rope, sail canvas (the name "canvas" is derived from the name "<i>Cannabis</i>"), and oakum (ship caulking) have been the main uses of the plant since the 1400s for Europeans, who needed extensive sources for their ever-expanding navies and commercial ship fleets. Rope made from hemp is strong but needs to be tarred because it holds moisture and rots relatively easily without a protective coating. Hemp rope was eventually largely replaced by abaca (aka Manila hemp), which is a fiber derived from a species of banana (<i>Musa textilis</i>) and does not require tarring because it doesn't easily rot.<br />
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The United States made extensive use of hemp during World War II for uniforms, rope, and canvas because our Asian abaca sources were cut off by the Japanese. Here is a video produced by the United States in 1942 called "Hemp for Victory" detailing the need and uses for hemp, as well as how to grow, harvest, and process the crop:<br />
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As is shown in the video, because <i>Cannabis</i> grows so densely, it can be used by farmers as a rotation crop to help choke out weeds on cultivated land. This is especially useful to organic farmers, who need to find ways to kill weeds without synthetic herbicides. Dense plantings of hemp can also be used in phytoremediation - the use of plants to clean undesirable compounds from the soil including heavy metals such as lead, nickel, and cadmium. While this capability is good for phytoremediation, it is a property that significantly hinders its use for other applications.<br />
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Even though Japan has some of the most severe penalties for marijuana possession (5 years imprisonment), they make exceptions for growers to produce enough hemp for robes for Buddhist monks and hemp belts for the highest ranking Sumo wrestlers known as <i>yokozuna</i>, who traditionally wear them during ritual cleansings of sumo rings. Hemp is stronger than cotton, but although fabric for clothing can be made from hemp alone, it is most commonly blended with cotton at about a 1:1 ratio for softness.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A yokozuna wearing a heavy (25-35 lbs) hemp belt during a ritual cleansing of a sumo ring (photo from Kannaway Magazine).</td></tr>
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Hemp seeds are quite nutritious, and while they are currently most commonly used in animal and bird feed, they have great potential for human nutrition. The seeds contain plenty of omega-3's and omega-6's and also have a "complete" protein profile, meaning that they contain all the nutritionally significant amino acids, including the nine essential amino acids that human bodies cannot produce. The seeds can be eaten raw or used in a variety of ways, including baking, hemp milk, cereals, tofu, nut butter, and ice cream. Hemp seeds can also be processed into biodiesel.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A small selection of hemp food products (photo from freedweed.wordpress.com).</td></tr>
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Hemp is often an ingredient in biodegradable plastics, and has been an ingredient in composite automobile panels by major car manufacturers since 2002. The harder inner parts of older <i>Cannabis</i> stems can be used as a wood replacement for certain house construction applications.<br />
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Although hemp was used to make early paper in China, it is not too practical a commercial option because of the processing involved, resulting in costs that add up to about six times those involved in making paper from wood pulp. A couple major reasons for this are that hemp can be harvested only once per year and only about 25% of any given hemp stalk can be used for the paper, as opposed to nearly 100% from harvested trees.<br />
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As you can see, <i>Cannabis</i> is quite a useful plant for more than just "getting high," though it does have its limitations, some of which will require more study to determine the plant's commercial viability. You'll likely see it in more and more products as time goes on if regulations on the plant continue to ease.<br />
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<br />
Rick Hederstrom<br />
Associate DirectorThe Botanic Gardens at Kona Kai Resorthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16067989939562688620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850328525135901609.post-31292644224731107412014-06-02T17:14:00.000-04:002014-06-25T17:32:24.872-04:00Psychoactive PlantsHave you recreationally used psychoactive drugs this week? Chances are you have: common legal plant-derived psychoactive substances include caffeine and alcohol. Psychoactives (compounds that act on our central nervous system, especially the brain) are also found in prescription drugs like antidepressants, stimulants, mood stabilizers, sedatives, addiction treatments, and painkillers, many of whose ingredients have been sourced from plants.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmEx8tMWAn2eVkeJTtN1KB-z0QJexqZSLPtOX1DQ38Qjwl8J2g1WIdVIvasW6a4weXK-iK_7_knOFoCorjWpY_0d6p6eUTWZKKHUoqunMP2ab1jcq1hFmDqtD_uQndZW_3MpUEWeLWMNMS/s1600/Cup+of+Coffee.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmEx8tMWAn2eVkeJTtN1KB-z0QJexqZSLPtOX1DQ38Qjwl8J2g1WIdVIvasW6a4weXK-iK_7_knOFoCorjWpY_0d6p6eUTWZKKHUoqunMP2ab1jcq1hFmDqtD_uQndZW_3MpUEWeLWMNMS/s1600/Cup+of+Coffee.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can we add an asterisk to "Just Say No"??? (Photo by Julius Schorzman)</td></tr>
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Plants produce many psychoactive compounds that are / can be extremely useful to humans but there are many people who don't feel comfortable discussing their use. It seems like "psychoactive drug/substance" isn't perceived too widely in a positive light, but I think that's probably due to a lack of knowledge on the topic. If someone were to come up to me and ask, "Do you use any psychoactive drugs/substances?" it doesn't seem like "Yes" or "Absolutely!" would be an appropriate response. It seems like a potentially incriminating question, probably rooted in the anti-drug education I can remember from my elementary school years. When you're brought up with statements like "substance abuse," "Drugs are bad," "Dare to resist drugs," and "Just say 'No' to drugs," you are bound to see anything termed "drug" or "substance" in a negative light and have a knee-jerk reaction against it.<br />
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"Psychoactive" and its subcategory "psychedelic" also seem to be loaded terms with all sorts of negative connotations, which could have their genesis in some folks' negative attitude towards culture in the '60s and '70s, association of the terms with abuse or overdose, the fact that the word contains the pejorative "psycho," or knowledge of only addictive psychoactive substances or psychedelics that cause predominantly negative experiences. Our American culture has largely been bent on prevention or tight control of use of psychedelic substances, including <i>Cannibis</i> (aka marijuana), though its effects are quite mild. Marijuana is the most commonly use psychedelic in the world and also has a number of important material uses (usually under the name "hemp").<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgysaHsXutBnXQ4s1fXaeJ5nXUJ71AoAMVs7SZr9LqTYrNC29VHj0lAtz0y_Uo7xMjj41n5-dHjPBupP3584eHkTloS6J8PVy8cDWyf7hBWr-S2K4A4bezcBuLB5ygyhiwg6OeKXID-vgs/s1600/Hippie+Smoking+Marijuana.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgysaHsXutBnXQ4s1fXaeJ5nXUJ71AoAMVs7SZr9LqTYrNC29VHj0lAtz0y_Uo7xMjj41n5-dHjPBupP3584eHkTloS6J8PVy8cDWyf7hBWr-S2K4A4bezcBuLB5ygyhiwg6OeKXID-vgs/s1600/Hippie+Smoking+Marijuana.jpg" height="320" width="306" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A good example of a marijuana smoker stereotype.</td></tr>
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As we know from medicine, powerful plant compounds can be and have been used to treat serious diseases. In order for this to happen, the dosage is critical, and even a slight deviation from the recommended amount could have serious consequences. There is a risk:benefit correlation here, and the same is true for many psychoactive / psychedelic substances, which can be easily misused without proper education. First, one needs to understand the effects certain plants have, and also be able to correctly identify plants. There are certain plants that almost always produce horrifying experiences that someone would never want to repeat, let alone have in the first place (e.g. those caused by plants in the genera <i>Atropa, Datura, </i>and <i>Brugmansia</i>) but there are also plants that have usually positive and even indescribably amazing experiences (e.g. Ayahuasca) <u>when properly prepared and in the right dosage</u> (many have suffered harm when these conditions were not met). In my mind, some of the greatest knowledge held by indigenous peoples throughout the world relates to the preparation and use of psychoactive plants in the areas of therapy, spirituality, and appreciation of the natural world and the connections between all living things. Even though these people are often seen as poorer and less advanced than societies in developed countries, they possess riches and wisdom of which most people do not know or understand.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf91rs6sgsspaTeJEa3ouDF60ZscYNFwF09vXdpjMFtrMEMlUhouW_Upkc-i-lWvJl6g9bCSqQ7DC8cYYd5SCh_vWD71YPqAHeQ8D5ihPAWc9Q2oTep3H7IFMsVijonoqWdL9HmCYPJuI/s1600/Preparing+Ayahuasca+01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf91rs6sgsspaTeJEa3ouDF60ZscYNFwF09vXdpjMFtrMEMlUhouW_Upkc-i-lWvJl6g9bCSqQ7DC8cYYd5SCh_vWD71YPqAHeQ8D5ihPAWc9Q2oTep3H7IFMsVijonoqWdL9HmCYPJuI/s1600/Preparing+Ayahuasca+01.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mateo, a Matsigenka shaman (far left) prepares Ayahuasca with ethnobotanist Glenn Shepard (far right) in the Peruvian rainforest. (Photo by Manuel Lizarralde)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwmgKEwE4lng6Ixot6rkUaMqu2CX88jm-VRwOEMJ8ojg7OdPUcAqMSpEOncGMKbQHfkN9dn64DqKsVcdn5dqecjAREfq3KFs6-H7Rvar2Hr6tBjYZpfy6qW1H9ITsqTOZTcRg5qRIek5c/s1600/Preparing+Ayahuasca+02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwmgKEwE4lng6Ixot6rkUaMqu2CX88jm-VRwOEMJ8ojg7OdPUcAqMSpEOncGMKbQHfkN9dn64DqKsVcdn5dqecjAREfq3KFs6-H7Rvar2Hr6tBjYZpfy6qW1H9ITsqTOZTcRg5qRIek5c/s1600/Preparing+Ayahuasca+02.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The plants are mixed together in a pot in the correct proportions and boiled for several hours. (Photo by Manuel Lizarralde)</td></tr>
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Much of this wisdom has to do with powerful properties of plants, especially psychedelics. Even when properly prepared, a certain type of experience cannot be guaranteed for a particular plant or combination of plants. Major variables include the dosage, the internal constitution of a person (attitudes, fears, struggles, worldview), preparation for the experience, and the context of the experience, including the physical setting. That being said, there are often general effects that can be expected from certain plants and preparations, as described in the previous paragraph. Here is a link to a Wikipedia article that contains a couple good attempts to describe what can occur when humans use psychedelics. See especially the "Dynamics" and "Levels" sections: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychedelic_experience">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychedelic_experience</a>. I don't know how anyone would not be interested in the psychoactive / psychedelic properties of plants after reading through experience descriptions such as those.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Pk97bHcWF7OvWJRvDJrfncJS2NXAAKYBKeB__UjAL9GzdP7QGb_Y9-2dkS0i8UWYjJZnbIqYBveuhTOX99wrGuyFO0pOdOcFxh26f9t4h_Ij-gqrPG3mqJrO01jYWXOaF9oOCevVDV4/s1600/Ayahuasca+Encontro+By+Alexandre+Segregio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Pk97bHcWF7OvWJRvDJrfncJS2NXAAKYBKeB__UjAL9GzdP7QGb_Y9-2dkS0i8UWYjJZnbIqYBveuhTOX99wrGuyFO0pOdOcFxh26f9t4h_Ij-gqrPG3mqJrO01jYWXOaF9oOCevVDV4/s1600/Ayahuasca+Encontro+By+Alexandre+Segregio.jpg" height="640" width="636" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Encontro" by Alexandre Segregio depicting part of an Ayahuasca experience, which I chose because it was the best artistic representation I could find to reflect the Ayahuasca experience as a whole as I experienced it. Even though the body remains in the forest, the "spirit" travels beyond this world to other dimensions and what are also apparently other planets / galaxies / universes.</td></tr>
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The sad part is that many people in our culture will only ever look to psychoactive plants for a recreational "high" and most people who have had experiences will have only experienced Levels 1 or perhaps 2 (e.g. marijuana). Fewer individuals would find or make use of the means to reach Levels 3 or 4 (e.g. mushrooms), still often an experience of only superficial entertainment. An incredibly profound Level 5 experience is safely accessible only with certain less-than-well-known tropical plants (e.g. those in Ayahuasca) with the correct preparation, with the right attitude and in the right context. If one is able to make those stars align, the experience is largely ineffable, as the Wikipedia article rightly states, and seems to transcend any other experience one has ever had.<br />
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Many psychedelic substances are illegal throughout the world because of the potential for abuse and the possibility of further experimentation leading to addicting drugs like cocaine or heroin (morphine). I think it is important, however, that we not "throw the baby out with the bath water," especially when it comes to Ayahuasca, which is an incomparable experience on its own but also has such great power to transform individuals' lives and alter their perception of the universe and the world in which we live in extremely profound ways. <em>Cannibis</em> is certainly another plant that warrants our consideration due to its many uses and potential uses beyond a recreational "high," and this is currently the hot topic of debate in the world of psychoactive plants. Perhaps it will open up a more widespread conversation and exploration into this most fascinating realm of ethnobotany in the near future.<br />
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Rick Hederstrom<br />
Associate DirectorThe Botanic Gardens at Kona Kai Resorthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16067989939562688620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850328525135901609.post-33328882700642987702014-05-15T14:24:00.000-04:002014-05-15T14:24:42.495-04:002013-2014 Upper Keys Fairchild Challenge End-of-Year Awards CeremonyIt's hard to believe another school year has come and gone. We recently concluded The Botanic Gardens at Kona Kai Resort's 2013-2014 Upper Keys Fairchild Challenge with a bang at our end-of-year awards ceremony, which was a rewarding night for the 250+ students, teachers, and parents who crowded into Key Largo's Murray E. Nelson Center to receive their certificates, awards, and more. In all, over 900 students, 50 teachers, and 6 Upper Keys schools participated in the program this year!<br />
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We presented awards to students who participated in the winning submissions for each challenge, recognizing over 400 students in total, and also to the schools which earned the most points overall. Key Largo Elementary and Middle School were each awarded $750 to use toward future environmental programs for placing 1st in their divisions, while Plantation Key Elementary School and Treasure Village Montessori Middle School both received $500 awards for placing 2nd in their divisions. Additionally, 10 teachers were recognized as Environmental Role Models for their environmental dedication during the school year.<br />
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Highlights of the Awards Ceremony included two live performances. Dressed as native Keys creatures, the Key Largo Middle School Band opened the Ceremony with "Hangin' at the Hardwood Hammock." Later on, 3rd and 4th grade students from Ocean Studies Charter School treated the audience to a choral performance titled "You've God a Friend, Land & Sea."<br />
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We just started a YouTube channel, so now instead of having to pick and choose photos due to space considerations, we can just make a slideshow movie and show them all! Here's one that Joe made of this year's Upper Keys Fairchild Challenge Awards Ceremony:<br />
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If you'd like to learn more about the Upper Keys Fairchild Challenge program, visit www.kkbg.org, click on "Explore" and then "The Fairchild Challenge." Results, news, photos, and challenge details are available for each school year.<br />
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We're honored to be in a position as a botanic garden to play a part in educating the next generation of world citizens about the importance of plants and the environment to humans and the earth's future, and The Botanic Gardens at Kona Kai Resort is looking forward to once again facilitating The Fairchild Challenge in the Upper Keys for the 2014-2015 school year.<br />
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Rick Hederstrom, Associate Director<br />
Joe Harris, DirectorThe Botanic Gardens at Kona Kai Resorthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16067989939562688620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850328525135901609.post-60735451477869816472014-04-15T14:03:00.000-04:002014-04-15T14:03:34.023-04:00Three Years OnIt's been just over three years since The Botanic Gardens at Kona Kai Resort officially opened. I can still remember receiving, in December of 2010, the impossible pre-opening "goals" from Joe (the Gardens' Director) after I made it through some of the first rounds of interviews for this position. It was a major reason I tried to withdraw my application; I knew there was no way I'd be able accomplish it all and thought, "the whole ethnobotanic garden thing is right up my alley, but this guy must be crazy thinking someone can do all that in three months!" Joe ended up reassuring me, however, that it was more of a "wish list" and that he understood some things would require a longer time scale. And so, after a very positive visit to Kona Kai for a final interview, I packed my car and headed down to the Keys.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPdHV7uCiOwvB63yDuXbRVLV0ZazfwCKInassoFYmXYbk5NTSNXSdsm7MRghlLcwaMhVuaoiaaiOnhEEAvdxswnsLUw5IpdzXjuaTXbbzF8kV-wG8nP_jgMCaWWS9ZZXF_6HLs7luRjKA/s1600/KKBG+Pre-Opening+Goals+2011.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPdHV7uCiOwvB63yDuXbRVLV0ZazfwCKInassoFYmXYbk5NTSNXSdsm7MRghlLcwaMhVuaoiaaiOnhEEAvdxswnsLUw5IpdzXjuaTXbbzF8kV-wG8nP_jgMCaWWS9ZZXF_6HLs7luRjKA/s1600/KKBG+Pre-Opening+Goals+2011.png" height="218" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The infamous pre-opening goal list - having worked in a Plant Records office for almost two years, I knew that I would be hard-pressed to finish the first two items alone in three months!</td></tr>
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During the first year, Joe and I had many discussions about what we wanted the Gardens to focus on and the messages we wanted to convey. I brought what might be called an academic, technical, and practical "scientific" perspective, whereas Joe brought a more energetic, creative, and "layman's" perspective. It was interesting and frustrating conversing with Joe because he had none of the formal education in ethnobotany or experience regarding the inner workings of botanic gardens that I did, but this ended up being very helpful when it came to articulating what we wanted people to learn. Joe could provide insight into what someone without botanical knowledge would understand and find stimulating and powerful and what they probably wouldn't. The fruits of these discussions were our first batch of display labels and the first iteration of my "ethnobotanic" tour here at the Gardens, both of which focused primarily on the ways people have used and continue to use plants, which fall under the umbrellas of "traditional ethnobotany" and "economic botany." These vital practical uses of plants to humans were what originally struck Joe powerfully and made him want to share these many values of plants with others, hoping they would come to realize that we need to preserve and protect these valuable assets if we are to survive and thrive on earth for centuries to come.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXGExLBEWO3_96buE00P2yc7TfsOwWF9tgHVqW1uyZ11aP2sPkEoyPkVHNDX-jjPLj_zHk2neR5idpCYmzncnbVD5sTF_zDLUD7_Z1DGIzRw3FTH2YsYH85v-ZLjCpclM-95HR-ywICg4/s1600/KKBG_Labels_Arrive_3-21-11_2011-07-08_01.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXGExLBEWO3_96buE00P2yc7TfsOwWF9tgHVqW1uyZ11aP2sPkEoyPkVHNDX-jjPLj_zHk2neR5idpCYmzncnbVD5sTF_zDLUD7_Z1DGIzRw3FTH2YsYH85v-ZLjCpclM-95HR-ywICg4/s1600/KKBG_Labels_Arrive_3-21-11_2011-07-08_01.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first display labels arrive!</td></tr>
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As our discussions continued in subsequent months, our topics began to broaden. Joe now had a pretty good grasp on the many ways people use plants, but he still didn't know much about plants themselves. And so, he would often ask basic botanical questions like, "How does a plant survive?" I would explain that a plant uses photosynthesis to produce sugars and brings in water and nutrients through its roots. Then, of course, he would ask what photosynthesis is, which I would explain simply as the process of a plant using carbon dioxide, water, and sunlight to produce the sugars it uses to function and also oxygen as a byproduct. This elicited a response of wonder and astonishment from Joe, which was repeated again and again over the course of several weeks when discussing such self-evident and elementary subjects for a botanist. He explained to me that although many of these aspects of plants are well-known to me and have become by now "given knowledge," these things are potentially revelations to others who have had no botanical education, and suggested that I include many of these facts in my tour.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZEAmEZvX2nJfkB10ySQNWSeZjIdkW8ZLkEYhtweg4oDTiZeypiFh0blDoSKvRdqsNrX0Xh6HvwGN6doZ2Xn3uPKLW7Ea-Paf4bsgrxdVZP8kCT9JQ7D-TWHU-yxnuYqXH2znc1QxlV2Y/s1600/Tour+with+Rick+at+Kona+Kai+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZEAmEZvX2nJfkB10ySQNWSeZjIdkW8ZLkEYhtweg4oDTiZeypiFh0blDoSKvRdqsNrX0Xh6HvwGN6doZ2Xn3uPKLW7Ea-Paf4bsgrxdVZP8kCT9JQ7D-TWHU-yxnuYqXH2znc1QxlV2Y/s1600/Tour+with+Rick+at+Kona+Kai+2.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These particular bromeliads are not useful to humans from a "utilitarian" perspective, but they do contain fascinating micro-ecosystems within each plant, as well as clusters of tiny white flowers peeking just above the water that gathers in their centers.</td></tr>
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One day, Joe came into the office and exclaimed, "Plants are people, too!" "Oh boy..." I thought. Joe continued, "They need to eat, they need to drink, they breathe, they see light, and some plants even move when you touch them!" "Sure," I said, "but that doesn't make them people... maybe <i>like</i> people, but they are not humans." Although he initially showed some resistance to this distinction, especially after reading books like <i>The Secret Life Of Plants </i>and <i>Plants as Persons</i>, we eventually reached an understanding after a number of subsequent discussions and reading of other, more scientific, literature such as <i>What A Plant Knows</i> by Daniel Chamovitz. Although Joe eventually came to agree that plants are indeed not people, we both found compelling value in the perspective of perceiving plants as much more than objects; as "persons" in their own way.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxpk8wGzh3j8LL583_Ivz8quocBmH0IXbuRZpy3j3l7IIkgLHHoMRivJEGZl-7jNn7e7J7AHhdTUJCErXiYJo6BbAlPTVR7TrpBEWr15DscPI9Wz_6IpkSrLi-63ZbWojpvvy-jO1KEHk/s1600/Books.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxpk8wGzh3j8LL583_Ivz8quocBmH0IXbuRZpy3j3l7IIkgLHHoMRivJEGZl-7jNn7e7J7AHhdTUJCErXiYJo6BbAlPTVR7TrpBEWr15DscPI9Wz_6IpkSrLi-63ZbWojpvvy-jO1KEHk/s1600/Books.png" height="320" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Descriptions of each of these books can be found in the <a href="https://sites.google.com/a/kkbg.org/mobile-shop/books">"Recommended Reading" section of kkbg.org</a>.</td></tr>
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Well into our second year, we were able to see that the focus of the Gardens and my tours, while still based on plants and people, had expanded significantly beyond the realm of "traditional" ethnobotany and into areas like plant biology, plant behavior, and philosophical botany. If it had been just me running the Gardens, it probably would have remained focused on traditional ethnobotany and would have had a more scientific orientation. If it had been just Joe, if I may take the liberty of humorous speculation, the Gardens would have likely been a place where a man apparently out of his mind pets his plants, carries on in-depth one-sided conversations with them, and makes sure they are dressed properly with pants, shirts, and sunglasses. As it happened, though, we came together to form a very unusual collaboration, much like two different species of plants that hybridize to create a new plant that retains the best qualities of each.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9dmwhbpc2dujARiC7oGCMN7bAg1i9xPMRMHIops75VGd_DR_k5Jpsq0gLtXTmbrIuo9LwiCU_uxynh6I9RZxV6TLnXpzBM8Fp9Y9YYIvojw3x-NBEM1FSMIhVoqGBUx95rr2vTgWBwqQ/s1600/Pluot+-+finecooks.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9dmwhbpc2dujARiC7oGCMN7bAg1i9xPMRMHIops75VGd_DR_k5Jpsq0gLtXTmbrIuo9LwiCU_uxynh6I9RZxV6TLnXpzBM8Fp9Y9YYIvojw3x-NBEM1FSMIhVoqGBUx95rr2vTgWBwqQ/s1600/Pluot+-+finecooks.png" height="462" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pluots (plum x apricot) - one of my favorite hybrids, YUM!</td></tr>
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The product of this hybridization has been the development of the Gardens' current mission to transform people's understanding of plants through educational and restorative experiences here at The Botanic Gardens at Kona Kai Resort, and vision of a world in which people partner with plants to preserve and protect our biosphere. We go about accomplishing this through 90-minute TYUP (Transforming Your Understanding of Plants) Tours here at the Gardens, as well as an education program for local students (we currently facilitate the involvement of over half of all elementary and middle school Upper Keys students in The Fairchild Challenge environmental education program). KKBG.org is our virtual botanic garden "app" that allows visitors to explore the Gardens in an interactive way, take the Gardens home with them, and share it with others. Although we're a small botanic garden, we're "planting" and "watering" hundreds of seeds of environmental awareness every year in the lives of those who visit us or take part in one of our programs. We strongly believe that the 21st Century is a pivotal time in human history, a time for many of these seeds to germinate to spark widespread partnership with plants to preserve and protect our biosphere for generations to come.<br />
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For more on our focus of "Plants as Partners," see Joe's most recent <a href="http://www.konakairesort.com/kk/execletter.html">Director's Letter</a>.<br />
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Rick Hederstrom<br />
Associate DirectorThe Botanic Gardens at Kona Kai Resorthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16067989939562688620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850328525135901609.post-40573422766258323202014-03-23T15:14:00.001-04:002014-03-23T15:14:30.772-04:00Nothing Gold Can Stay<div style="text-align: center;">
"Nature's first green is gold,</div>
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Her hardest hue to hold.</div>
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Her early leaf's a flower;</div>
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But only so an hour.</div>
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Then leaf subsides to leaf.</div>
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So Eden sank to grief,</div>
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So dawn goes down to day.</div>
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Nothing gold can stay."</div>
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I often think of this poem by Robert Frost when walking around the Gardens. Everywhere there is life and beauty because the Gardens are very well kept by our staff. It is interesting to note that for a garden to be "well kept" it is almost a requirement that what is decaying or dead be removed or at least hidden. And yet, even in the best-kept gardens, there is no lack of death and decay, and cracks can be found in the facade of beauty if only one looks for them, which not many care to do. Why is it that our culture's sense of aesthetics largely excludes death and decay from what is considered "beautiful"? Perhaps it's because these sights serve as uncomfortable reminders that "nothing gold can stay."<br />
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Although I do love landscapes and gardens filled with only blooms and life, it seems like something of a lie: death doesn't really exist - the world is perpetually in a state of youthful beauty and vigor. When we look at a flower in full bloom, we are enraptured by it and our spirits soar, and may even be filled with a deep longing. Perhaps there is an unconscious reason why we love to surround ourselves with flowers in bloom - that we might convince ourselves that our life will also be only bloom, with no decay or death; that these things don't really exist.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirpXhUkdAaFG_KNiljU-4ywCLXD8ylC8PljUKWfsC599FG6ma8ZSXC9xvUWQYwMbdXYZaXAoWuKKasybbTVCc4SbjGBiioQ-dbqR-0J0lAJegxG923otLWa1yDwQl-GaBbqRzoMOevHmI/s1600/Orchid_2012-03-28_02.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirpXhUkdAaFG_KNiljU-4ywCLXD8ylC8PljUKWfsC599FG6ma8ZSXC9xvUWQYwMbdXYZaXAoWuKKasybbTVCc4SbjGBiioQ-dbqR-0J0lAJegxG923otLWa1yDwQl-GaBbqRzoMOevHmI/s1600/Orchid_2012-03-28_02.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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Yet these very flowers serve as one of the most poignant examples of the transitoriness of every living thing on earth precisely because their extreme beauty gives way to almost unthinkable ugliness in such a short span of time. We would, of course, love to believe that flowers only go from bud to bloom and then bloom in perpetuity. Notice how flower bouquets are usually discarded as soon as the decay begins; we don't want to see that. I doubt most people have ever even intently looked upon a flower that has fully died!<br />
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For those who are willing to look these phenomena of decay and death straight in the eye, the hibiscus provides great opportunities for reflection. One can watch the buds develop as their beautiful colors flush into the exposed petals, which then open into full bloom for only a single glorious day. Afterwards, the flowers quickly and quietly fade and do not remain long on the plant, falling off to make way for tomorrow's beauties, which easily make you forget about the ones that came before - you will not bother looking for them underneath the leaves, where they are decaying upon the ground; a forgotten, contorted shadow of yesterday's magnificent beauty. Here is a sequence of photographs chronicling the typical life of a hibiscus flower over the course of about a week:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-8B6Msg_xINYhgZMQtMO-BGerOueUf4YbVOEGruugcjiXVRyT7oMKi7jZ92mir8rb0Vkzd3OSKDf0LdoFkeavm5NLOXYRY0hZek9Kb91uYo3Fd5pH0mbPAhAqyHEilxkIe1eYzNWz1I4/s1600/Hibiscus+01.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-8B6Msg_xINYhgZMQtMO-BGerOueUf4YbVOEGruugcjiXVRyT7oMKi7jZ92mir8rb0Vkzd3OSKDf0LdoFkeavm5NLOXYRY0hZek9Kb91uYo3Fd5pH0mbPAhAqyHEilxkIe1eYzNWz1I4/s1600/Hibiscus+01.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUYZFJEwBwYy1NzPb3y0QEWP4Xme5-DFqRUcAGHtgjYYR4LZA4ZO9oM0xkwqit8LBIMV-USASyBLIGPCeIvWiV8fOo0j5kmECLWCyiE8_-KrRz5CQtTW47XX_LCzGzglbHy1bknjah6zw/s1600/Hibiscus+02.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUYZFJEwBwYy1NzPb3y0QEWP4Xme5-DFqRUcAGHtgjYYR4LZA4ZO9oM0xkwqit8LBIMV-USASyBLIGPCeIvWiV8fOo0j5kmECLWCyiE8_-KrRz5CQtTW47XX_LCzGzglbHy1bknjah6zw/s1600/Hibiscus+02.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXr4ZMBX9gdTwZUIlYGFl8GBLDfb7BlEjyovUDY2SFfTUi0YYL0dH6qLlmOxp62U9ICCbURt0zgLIEzV3Yp1wa0A8XkgucfYUwuFxL1lQUbCj1t-z7HND7dlkISg_ekgyrEE5HRH_04YA/s1600/Hibiscus+03.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXr4ZMBX9gdTwZUIlYGFl8GBLDfb7BlEjyovUDY2SFfTUi0YYL0dH6qLlmOxp62U9ICCbURt0zgLIEzV3Yp1wa0A8XkgucfYUwuFxL1lQUbCj1t-z7HND7dlkISg_ekgyrEE5HRH_04YA/s1600/Hibiscus+03.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTm0rgrR0okrs3erpYSRhgc1PISNpD5T32puGnUq2UwLBdE7cUbSrIFEK8RjBZDK75NdaV0FiDkzhFCeKvbPJW19Jr40r5QIjW8ijmpylI4zonJxMxAtlnvbrB5X4Bt-5ZACzHjaO60hg/s1600/Hibiscus+04.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTm0rgrR0okrs3erpYSRhgc1PISNpD5T32puGnUq2UwLBdE7cUbSrIFEK8RjBZDK75NdaV0FiDkzhFCeKvbPJW19Jr40r5QIjW8ijmpylI4zonJxMxAtlnvbrB5X4Bt-5ZACzHjaO60hg/s1600/Hibiscus+04.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoVTqheFNbPe1ERNlohFVhvh0r5bQ9aSSbXjdvJwEOYPZI7w_YVxheBDRf4-Vf8gsclWWJqWDVrvfDzl-9hYW9htFz87djHweNVPJcn1YL1phVyUBrtXNQswZejAQ18YhPUyaINDikQ4s/s1600/Hibiscus+05.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoVTqheFNbPe1ERNlohFVhvh0r5bQ9aSSbXjdvJwEOYPZI7w_YVxheBDRf4-Vf8gsclWWJqWDVrvfDzl-9hYW9htFz87djHweNVPJcn1YL1phVyUBrtXNQswZejAQ18YhPUyaINDikQ4s/s1600/Hibiscus+05.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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But if we do decide to push back the leaves of the hibiscus bushes to find the unsightly figures of yesterday's beauty, undoubtedly we will feel a corresponding tinge of revulsion perceptible within ourselves, as if our mind can't stand to face the truth of what such beauty has become, and what we ourselves will one day soon become. Indeed, each of our physical bodies is a flower. Look in the media today - youth is glorified in the same way flowers are glorified in display gardens. But what happens to those youthful "flowers" once they've passed their prime? Our culture seems to do the same as a display gardener would - keep them away from sight so as not to upset our pleasant fantasy of being forever young and beautiful. We can, however, find these flowers of yesterday if we but seek them out, beyond the movie screens and magazines. Here are only a couple examples among countless others:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1YB082jWd0A1RCTIXOzXp7Y0Z-mWBrGOBcQGxxFnsMzSiUtOVSE3Hg-65ersoe9JSyhSmiR8DkSbc7Q2yVOQxN5gOlOAdobzfdCC43B5K4rhukyn4ZiMI7udSrZVmNtfUQ5dEyNSrSNA/s1600/Arnold+Schwarzenegger+Young+01.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1YB082jWd0A1RCTIXOzXp7Y0Z-mWBrGOBcQGxxFnsMzSiUtOVSE3Hg-65ersoe9JSyhSmiR8DkSbc7Q2yVOQxN5gOlOAdobzfdCC43B5K4rhukyn4ZiMI7udSrZVmNtfUQ5dEyNSrSNA/s1600/Arnold+Schwarzenegger+Young+01.jpg" height="400" width="296" /></a></div>
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Arnold Schwarzenegger, 4-time Mr. Universe and 7-time Mr. Olympia.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Y30aFuBWpznNnY9JcrVcyc9tn7LELRnsBBrYGft4Mh0yvcStbe8T02QY0inRLnSYfrMM_7NkFjfpqEadgWFmD2hpPRGtePpvB0GbHoTz_rJBWjLJDrHYk0sDLCy1yj6uYIp7qwdDLXg/s1600/Arnold+Schwarzenegger+Old+01.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Y30aFuBWpznNnY9JcrVcyc9tn7LELRnsBBrYGft4Mh0yvcStbe8T02QY0inRLnSYfrMM_7NkFjfpqEadgWFmD2hpPRGtePpvB0GbHoTz_rJBWjLJDrHYk0sDLCy1yj6uYIp7qwdDLXg/s1600/Arnold+Schwarzenegger+Old+01.jpg" height="400" width="155" /></a></div>
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Ursula Andress, the original Bond girl in the first James Bond Movie - Dr. No.</div>
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Flowers teach us the way of natural physical life on earth - youth, beauty, and vigor give way to decay, ugliness, and death. Try as we might, we will all reach the same end; we will all "subside" like the flowers of spring or the leaves of autumn, as Frost observes. And yet, we find a strange principle within the human species that seems to suggest an exception to Frost's "golden" rule. While our bodies follow the same path as nature's flowers, the spirit that animates our bodies can actually become more beautiful with age until the day we die. What then is this that has the potential to proceed ever forward mockingly in the face of inevitable physical decay and death? Simply, it is love, and all the noble qualities contained therein. If we are fortunate enough, we may arrive to the point of death enlivened by this triumph of love, when our spirit can say with Paul of Tarsus "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"<br />
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After our bodies die, what happens to the spirits that animate them cannot be proven for certain one way or another, but perhaps well-kept gardens full of life, vigor, and beautiful flowers are not, as postulated above, intuitively created and appreciated so much out of an unconscious attempt to remove anything hinting of our inevitable decay and death. Perhaps they come from the sprouting of a deeply-seeded knowledge and hope inside that decay and death are not meant to be our end, but rather a passage into a perpetual springtime, of which our well-kept gardens and our capacity for ever-growing love within ourselves in spite of physical decay are only signs.<br />
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Rick Hederstrom<br />
Associate DirectorThe Botanic Gardens at Kona Kai Resorthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16067989939562688620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850328525135901609.post-31881170082294320252014-03-08T16:12:00.000-05:002014-03-08T16:12:38.066-05:00So Much To Do, So Little TimeI'm pretty sure everyone has made or heard this lament several times in their life, if not every day. Most of us have more things we want to do than we have the time and/or resources for, both in our personal lives and at work, and this is certainly the case at The Botanic Gardens at Kona Kai Resort.<br />
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Think of all the things we currently do and could yet do with this botanic garden. We want to answer all the e-mails we receive the same day we get them. I need to inventory our collections regularly and take notes on flowering and fruiting events, entering all this into our botanic garden database. Plant labels need to be made and maintained. I research new plants to add to our collections then need to make time to head up to Homestead to bring back the new specimens. We take photographs for our own records and also for social media - and then we need to manage all those social media accounts. We would love to acquire more plots of land to expand our collections. I would love to be able to offer ten different tours instead of two. I already have a 90-minute tour slot each day, but demand could certainly increase to requiring two per day. It would be great to put out a blog every week instead of once every two or three. We're working on a botanic art gallery and it would be very neat to feature interactive exhibits along with those works of art. It would be of great benefit to the community if we could bring our educational environmental programs for students to all the schools here in the Keys, not just elementary and middle school students in the Upper Keys. We would love it if our Grounds Director could spend all her time focused only on caring for the collections, but as it is, about half her time is needed for other work on the property. KKBG.ORG has come into its own as a virtual ethnobotanic garden, but I would love to to make it an even more comprehensive ethnobotanical resource. It would be valuable for us to attend more community events, devote more time to fundraising, and write at least a few grant proposals each month. It sure would be neat to host seminars and workshops on ethnobotany here with experts from around the U.S. and the world, as well as a range of other special events. It would be nice to eat lunch each day as well. And on and on and on...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just a few of the things we do.</td></tr>
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Now think of how much an organization with one full time staff member and three part time staff members could handle well without becoming overwhelmed. At least one part-time person is needed for daily horticultural maintenance and another part-time person is required for a basic level of administration, and all of a sudden we're already down to one full time and one part time person! Needless to say, we can't do all we would like to do. In reality, though, no organization does, even if they have 100 times the staff and resources. There will always be something more that could be done, and more is never enough.<br />
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Deciding what to focus our time on given our limitations and figuring out how to go about accomplishing those things has been a challenge for me in my role as Associate Director here at the Gardens, but one I quite enjoy because I feel it's a skill that is extremely important to develop for use in all aspects of life. So how exactly does one go about making these choices about what to do given constraints on time and resources? When it comes to the Gardens, Joe and I get together a couple times a year to comprehensively evaluate what we are doing and what we might want to do. Our mission and vision statements are crucial to this process because they allow us an objective framework from which to evaluate whether or not programs are relevant to what we want to achieve as a Garden and which relevant programs are most important. Choices on my own then need to be made regarding how to go about accomplishing these goals. With practice and an internalization of the priorities of the organization as well as consideration for deadlines, I begin to make these choices almost unconsciously. Beyond that, personal preference is important, as some people prefer to start the day with the most challenging tasks so they can coast downhill after that, whereas others prefer to start off with easier-to-accomplish tasks to get into a groove before going after the more time-consuming and challenging tasks.<br />
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To make things a little more complicated, each week is usually full of unanticipated interruptions and tasks. I've found that one of the most valuable skills to develop is a flexibility from hour-to-hour and day-to-day that allows me to maintain a sort of disjointed continuity: taking on unanticipated tasks as they arise while at the same time staying focused on the several projects of central importance that need to get done, so that when I'm able to get back to the last major project I was working on, I can pick up easily where I left off. I imagine the ideal of this skill metaphorically as a constant juggling act of tennis balls (representing major mission-oriented goals to accomplish) that incorporates other tennis balls (representing smaller unanticipated tasks) into the juggling routine whenever they come up. The tennis balls are then dropped out as they are "accomplished," all while maintaining flawless juggling of the others. When you get it right, this is basically what it feels like:<br />
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Certainly, people have juggled several more balls at one time than that, but not in such an incredibly artistic and powerful way. So, even if we can afford to have only a few tennis balls in the air at a time as a botanic garden given the staff and resources we have, we can still create an unforgettable experience for our visitors and local community. It's not how much you have, but what you do with what you've got.<br />
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Rick Hederstrom<br />
Associate DirectorThe Botanic Gardens at Kona Kai Resorthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16067989939562688620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850328525135901609.post-77820231735980767692014-02-22T13:53:00.002-05:002014-02-22T13:57:10.298-05:00Why Classify Plants?In the last post, we discussed the classification of life and how it's not as simple as it seems. Since it's so difficult and confusing, why bother classifying life at all? I hope to explore in this post some of the reasons why, specifically related to plants.<br />
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First, classification is an integral part of an organized and practical naming system, which Linnaeus recognized; he closely linked classification and naming. The official names for creatures prior to his work served two functions: to
identify and describe. The names were in Latin (the universal
"educated" language) and could be two or more words long. The first
word was the <u>generic</u> name for the creature and the rest of the
words formed a <u>specific</u> description. Sounds like a pretty good
idea, but since you had no limit on the number of words in the specific
description, you ended up with names like: <i>Plantago foliis
ovato-lanceolatus pubescentibus, spica cylindrica, scapo tereti</i>.
Understandably, Linnaeus recognized things were getting out of hand and that no
one would be able to remember these ridiculously long names. He decided that
each name should still be two parts, generic and specific, but that the
specific name should be limited to only one word, while the lengthier
descriptions should be listed elsewhere. And so, the lengthy Latin name listed
above became <i>Plantago media</i>. <u>Much</u> better. This
"binomial" (two name) system of naming is still used today, and we
still use Latin since it is the classical universal scientific language; each
Latin name is held in common around the world, so scientists in different
countries can be on the same page when it comes to names and descriptions of
life forms, which would otherwise be impossible because of language
differences.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Plantago media </i>(Photo credit: Sten Porse via Wikimedia Commons)</td></tr>
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This binomial naming system inherently incorporates classification. Plants of the same <u>species</u> are able to reproduce with one another "naturally" (i.e. no human intervention) in the wild and produce viable offspring (seeds that will grow). Plants with the same generic name (aka "<u>genus</u>") are closely related, sharing many characteristics, but they do not reproduce with one another naturally in the wild. The next broader stage of relationship is at the "<u>family</u>" level, which usually includes a number of different related genera (plural of "genus") that share even broader characteristics. So, a plant not only has a name as an identity; its name is an indicator of relationships with the thousands of other plants and organisms in the web of life.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha4zGbWBGv6pjbl2PgKL_7U6fuDTHSz8aprJygdBrB_zPT2ENBbaWHEGKUFFC8T3fI3nyfMmZlISV6lJjdEmfwpwltgP2602aC1EptVJchjgcrHOuZn7fChGWnbqE5wZvkn0ZRlh9LaHM/s1600/Taxonomic+Tree.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha4zGbWBGv6pjbl2PgKL_7U6fuDTHSz8aprJygdBrB_zPT2ENBbaWHEGKUFFC8T3fI3nyfMmZlISV6lJjdEmfwpwltgP2602aC1EptVJchjgcrHOuZn7fChGWnbqE5wZvkn0ZRlh9LaHM/s1600/Taxonomic+Tree.JPG" height="356" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A simplified taxonomic family tree I drew to show how relationship and naming go hand in hand.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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These relationships are important to know because plants that are related share similar characteristics. This one fact has a number of very useful practical implications like finding sources for medicinal compounds. If you found an especially effective medicinal compound in a rare plant, you would want to see if other more common species with this same compound exist to serve as sources for the medicine until a synthetic method for production is developed (which can take many years). It is often the case that closely related plants will produce similar compounds, so classification comes in handy here. A good example of this situation is Taxol, a powerful anticancer drug. The active compound in this drug, paclitaxel, was discovered in the bark of the Pacific yew (<i>Taxus brevifolia</i>), which was harvested from wild trees to produce the drug from 1967 to 1993, thereby killing each tree used for this purpose. Since the tree itself did not have a large range, the cancer-fighting drug was not widely available and the Pacific yew's future was in danger. So, scientists began to look elsewhere and discovered that the compound was also found in other species of yew trees and that needles from a common cultivated species (<i>Taxus baccata</i>) could be harvested and used in a semi-synthetic method of drug production, which made the medicine much more widely available and saved the Pacific yew from being harvested to extinction. Hooray for taxonomy!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbvGp8BCJn2VGIiIwXeUqffTO7og4kzHR5SqHQU_OPniONugMRwuxtcfwFCCHWEZtnUX7HoMJsvRZDzhnBFOvemJRWkxoLytfKqDxfHoin-6KbvLxlgCRVzZqWx1-P9UT2Sj7AGVHRvlc/s1600/Taxus_brevifolia_Blue_Mts_WA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbvGp8BCJn2VGIiIwXeUqffTO7og4kzHR5SqHQU_OPniONugMRwuxtcfwFCCHWEZtnUX7HoMJsvRZDzhnBFOvemJRWkxoLytfKqDxfHoin-6KbvLxlgCRVzZqWx1-P9UT2Sj7AGVHRvlc/s1600/Taxus_brevifolia_Blue_Mts_WA.jpg" height="640" width="512" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A branch of <i>Taxus brevifolia</i>, the Pacific Yew (Photo credit: Jason Hollinger via Wikimedia Commons)</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUn6kEhC6uhwEut0ce7zydnkTG7SjcLrpC0qoAgLecxx7cCFlq5zKjGOnd98DocF6X5j4Z6iUNqr7EKFMGMDNEQIr7-IGc9xR0HUyvbQAWjF27iw8PpOWp443hAUPsL2zH1msOwa0Q6Qw/s1600/Yew_bark_Taxol_PD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUn6kEhC6uhwEut0ce7zydnkTG7SjcLrpC0qoAgLecxx7cCFlq5zKjGOnd98DocF6X5j4Z6iUNqr7EKFMGMDNEQIr7-IGc9xR0HUyvbQAWjF27iw8PpOWp443hAUPsL2zH1msOwa0Q6Qw/s1600/Yew_bark_Taxol_PD.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Harvesting the bark for Taxol. (Photo credit: NCI via Wikimedia Commons)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBmU2U0bq8f0RI74mJA15PcQvZrLzB_192cUEIBRN_yRAE_ympEPSUVH8Is_OdXH7eyj66ZI6C9AHX-KefdeHecFE_7q9G9cgKYmKqWLBhlaZOfJqSjeHpmhSVplhVrXboaaNtxgFxgX4/s1600/Taxol+-+drugdiscovery_com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBmU2U0bq8f0RI74mJA15PcQvZrLzB_192cUEIBRN_yRAE_ympEPSUVH8Is_OdXH7eyj66ZI6C9AHX-KefdeHecFE_7q9G9cgKYmKqWLBhlaZOfJqSjeHpmhSVplhVrXboaaNtxgFxgX4/s1600/Taxol+-+drugdiscovery_com.jpg" height="420" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The finished product. (photo credit: drugdiscovery.com)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Another example regards avoiding poisonous plants. If you grew up with poison ivy (<i>Toxicodendron radicans</i>) in the north and know it is in the family <i>Anicardiaceae</i>, you could save yourself a lot of miserable itching by knowing which other plants are in the same family, like poisonwood (<i>Metopium toxiferum</i>) here in the Keys. Another plant family to learn to identify and avoid is <i>Urticaceae</i>, which contains many species of plants with stinging hairs. Lest you think "stinging hairs" don't sound so bad, check out the following video, which might motivate you to learn a little botany before your next trip through the woods:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/33H93Rlzk2w?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33H93Rlzk2w">Click here to watch the video on YouTube if the one above does not load.</a></div>
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Classification also helps with conservation efforts, as it gives us an inventory of the world's plant species and tells us how related they are to one another. This information can, for example, help us prioritize which plants to conserve. While no species should be treated as expendable, classification comes in handy if we have to choose between spending our resources to preserve, say, one of the 1,200 species of orchids in the genus <i>Dendrobium</i> or the species <i>Ginkgo biloba</i>, which is not only the <u>only</u> species in the genus <i>Ginkgo</i>, it is the <u>only</u> genus in the family <i>Ginkgoaceae</i> (compared to 880 genera of orchids in the orchid family, <i>Orchidaceae</i>), and is even alone in its own DIVISION (to put that into perspective, another example of a plant division is "flowering plants," which includes about 250,000 species); in short, there is nothing else like it on earth. Conservation efforts don't have unlimited funds, so if we have a good classification of plants, we can try and conserve the most diversity with the limited resources available for these efforts.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT-RMVAo-yUM2tYSysu7dlagts-KWs1JCzAkoBWOPh_pQ_oMxNObUPESV-1o9X3dLN4xWHsNnVlvaPagBUtwhPI9kKszitUUyKGdASDv_nOf7nJ-2BK1MzpFjBpaKqceYNNlZ9_duWD9k/s1600/Ginkgo+biloba.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT-RMVAo-yUM2tYSysu7dlagts-KWs1JCzAkoBWOPh_pQ_oMxNObUPESV-1o9X3dLN4xWHsNnVlvaPagBUtwhPI9kKszitUUyKGdASDv_nOf7nJ-2BK1MzpFjBpaKqceYNNlZ9_duWD9k/s1600/Ginkgo+biloba.jpg" height="640" width="464" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A nice specimen of <i>Ginkgo biloba</i>. Photo credit (from Wikimedia Commons)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU8JsMsWh114zH-AoKOs9dRi1Vre_fC3yrfkirmZ8Zu1ypM7_ucce2jVaSEZLnbEN5hTpFgLbn0HzywtdbDykJ05ll9Tpq0ldazxeKApKoIIGi8pIZQ_vu74kuhFlWhLG86XZF0LSpjYY/s1600/Ginkgo+biloba+leaf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU8JsMsWh114zH-AoKOs9dRi1Vre_fC3yrfkirmZ8Zu1ypM7_ucce2jVaSEZLnbEN5hTpFgLbn0HzywtdbDykJ05ll9Tpq0ldazxeKApKoIIGi8pIZQ_vu74kuhFlWhLG86XZF0LSpjYY/s1600/Ginkgo+biloba+leaf.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The very distinctive leaves of <i>Ginkgo biloba</i>. (Photo credit: James Field via Wikimedia Commons)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Classification also helps when it comes to developing desired traits in plants such as higher fruit yield, disease resistance, or stress tolerance through breeding. While different species in the same genus do not reproduce naturally in the wild due to a number of factors, they will often produce viable seed if pollen from one is introduced to another by a human. To make a hybrid, you would find out which plants are closely related, then select from that group the species that have the qualities you want for breeding. For instance, if you wanted an especially tasty and disease-tolerant citrus tree, you would try to find a species of citrus with great fruit yield / taste and a related species of citrus noted for its disease resistance. Thanks to classification efforts, you can find a list of all the known citrus species in the world, and from there, you can find out which ones are tastiest and which ones have the least disease problems, then try and make some magic happen. This process has recently become very important for Florida farmers with the spread of citrus canker and citrus greening disease; hybridizations are made to produce trees with the best disease resistance and fruit quality.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL11KHsTJKxjbmGma6OXVEGPWOwCYI7h0S6E4vanC9Kgh719p-_yscRFUhOF3sqDlAOH_ql5OSzVxsRWW3Az_7EvWdpwPzuGLn4GPzcj9t3uPYx18PB1QEhygm7OHJDpRJMgbEDDaHdlA/s1600/CitrusCanker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL11KHsTJKxjbmGma6OXVEGPWOwCYI7h0S6E4vanC9Kgh719p-_yscRFUhOF3sqDlAOH_ql5OSzVxsRWW3Az_7EvWdpwPzuGLn4GPzcj9t3uPYx18PB1QEhygm7OHJDpRJMgbEDDaHdlA/s1600/CitrusCanker.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not exactly what you want to see on the grocery store shelves.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I hope this post has given you a better idea about some of the practical uses and benefits of plant classification in areas like drug discovery and development, food security, conservation, and the avoidance of painful and/or poisonous plants, which I hope will motivate you to take a closer look at those curious Latin names on our plant labels during your next visit!<br />
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Rick Hederstrom<br />
Associate Director<br />
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<!--StartFragment--><!--EndFragment-->The Botanic Gardens at Kona Kai Resorthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16067989939562688620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2850328525135901609.post-65781178762909418662014-02-08T15:29:00.001-05:002014-02-21T14:19:09.360-05:00Classifying LifeHumans, by nature, seem to like order: distinct entities with names that fit neatly together in relationships that make sense, like in filing cabinets and family trees. It makes sense that if humans classify everything in their own lives, they would want to do something similar with the life that surrounds them. We are a "botanic garden" and that very name involves a classification of life ("plants"). When you explore a botanic garden, you find that initial classification broken down further into more specific groups (family, genus, species) that are often indicated on display labels in front of individual plants. So how did this classification come about and how exactly does one go about classifying life, starting at the most general level?<br />
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I suspect if we were asked to organize and classify living creatures, most of us would do what was done prior to the 18th century: divide all life up first into "vegetative life" and "animal life" based on mobility and how organisms look overall. Vegetative life would include creatures like plants, algae, and fungi, while animal life would include mammals, humans, birds, fish, reptiles, insects, etc.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJU5NQVuGSOyivKfQp714ujBi954J7EJJY1QuzBrgE8e2Fzg02hfP_0QzpOyQHWnEZBvPTeLzIepy7Xl2qusBlbCprExEsr7Sgfcj6iqrDKjlaF5Cf97wu2AV4IgwcHxiZdlz6M7Cd6gE/s1600/monkey-orchid2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJU5NQVuGSOyivKfQp714ujBi954J7EJJY1QuzBrgE8e2Fzg02hfP_0QzpOyQHWnEZBvPTeLzIepy7Xl2qusBlbCprExEsr7Sgfcj6iqrDKjlaF5Cf97wu2AV4IgwcHxiZdlz6M7Cd6gE/s1600/monkey-orchid2.jpg" height="472" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So where do we put this guy? #classificationconundrums (Seriously, this is real: photo from <a href="http://keralitesblog.blogspot.ro/2013/03/amazing-monkey-orchid.html">keralitesblog.blogspot.ro</a>)</td></tr>
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This first division of life into Vegetative and Animal was used by Carl Linnaeus in the early 1700s when he set out to create a comprehensive classification and naming system for life on earth. One might say the classification of life first became a science at this time. He developed a hierarchical system for classification in which Vegetative and Animal were "kingdoms" with subcategories that started out general and became more and more specific (i.e. phylum, class, order, family, genus, species). His system was based mostly on reproductive characteristics, which were more reliable and accurate than using overall physical appearance and mobility as main considerations.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgahNrx737HkFJKWZbWMCc4uldWMt_pBjYDvxKL-FPERlnjXJ6sQ_wkvpwwNMIactuKkbbVsHJe99qxWyPg_l1ti86dtq_5g-6W2JcKF3UOz-1lQVYUzurWFagKzeVrDjoTQOjLWTxqeKc/s1600/478px-Linne%CC%81-Systema_Naturae_1735.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgahNrx737HkFJKWZbWMCc4uldWMt_pBjYDvxKL-FPERlnjXJ6sQ_wkvpwwNMIactuKkbbVsHJe99qxWyPg_l1ti86dtq_5g-6W2JcKF3UOz-1lQVYUzurWFagKzeVrDjoTQOjLWTxqeKc/s1600/478px-Linne%CC%81-Systema_Naturae_1735.jpg" height="640" width="510" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carl Linnaeus' landmark work on the classification of life, <i>Systema Naturae</i>.</td></tr>
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Linnaeus did a lot for the science of classification (known as "taxonomy"), but a huge amount of life, which for the most part cannot be seen with the naked eye, went unclassified in his work, even though Antonie van Leeuwenhoek discovered microorganisms in the mid- to late-1600s with the help of the advanced (at the time) microscopes he developed. Finally in 1866, a man named Ernst Haeckel took these creatures into consideration by classifying life first into<b><i> three</i></b> kingdoms as either Plants, Animals, or Protists (single-celled organisms and simple multicellular organisms that did not seem to fit well as either a Plant or an Animal). This was another step in the right direction, but there was still much to learn about these tiniest of life forms, which were to make a disproportionately large splash in taxonomy.<br />
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Amoebas are single-celled organisms that wound up classified as protists...you can understand the dilemma of trying to decide how to classify this sort of creature.</div>
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In the 1800s, taxonomists began to arrange life into "family trees" to reflect relationships, based on the view that all life shares a single ancestor and differentiated over time into separate species, which was not really something considered prior to 1859, when Darwin's "Origin of Species" was published.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi60iUDruVCnSVgJoEJUkNns_2ccb88btazyp3fpEPgpoMBsDljkNCx-uf2H52aXteuUprUH-Aq9tTKQp6AFY3Acc5SBb9PKbszkgqqeebUpoqw7HBbc3C4LmNeuJ_HlFSvoO8jMd9-r84/s1600/Haeckel_arbol_bn.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi60iUDruVCnSVgJoEJUkNns_2ccb88btazyp3fpEPgpoMBsDljkNCx-uf2H52aXteuUprUH-Aq9tTKQp6AFY3Acc5SBb9PKbszkgqqeebUpoqw7HBbc3C4LmNeuJ_HlFSvoO8jMd9-r84/s1600/Haeckel_arbol_bn.png" height="640" width="412" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's an early "tree of life" done by Haeckel. Note the three main divisions of life.</td></tr>
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When creating these "trees," the first division of life reflected the earliest presumed differentiations, which were usually determined to be the most fundamental differences. As we mentioned earlier, the most fundamental differences in life were thought to be between plants and animals (and later, protists), but in the late 20th century, classification systems experienced dramatic restructuring based on cellular and genetic analysis of life, which was previously impossible due to technological limitations. Scientists began realizing that the differences between plants and animals were much less fundamental than originally thought, relative to other life forms on earth. Plants and animals are actually quite similar on the fundamental levels of cell makeup and genetic structure / coding:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCBO7xxN9JNhW3kumqIG4l8dxkDAlYrH2cqD9nnlQ49uypBMK4eu_I9TiqW-0U6RTIpEWQbd68zYH44rIFTIa5kzgnA02bgOiz5VSLyGjc6VSgevFs_ue46O3HjYJ09MEnjaN-libdSnU/s1600/Plant+vs+Animal+Cells.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCBO7xxN9JNhW3kumqIG4l8dxkDAlYrH2cqD9nnlQ49uypBMK4eu_I9TiqW-0U6RTIpEWQbd68zYH44rIFTIa5kzgnA02bgOiz5VSLyGjc6VSgevFs_ue46O3HjYJ09MEnjaN-libdSnU/s1600/Plant+vs+Animal+Cells.png" height="382" width="640" /></a></div>
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Taxonomists today think that the difference between life with cells having DNA in a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles (specialized structures found in cells of plants, animals, and fungi) and life with free-floating DNA and no membrane-bound organelles are the most fundamental meaningful differences in life, also thought to have occurred very far back in time. We call these two forms of life prokaryotic life and eukaryotic life. Because of this, notable taxonomists like Carl Woese now think that the first division of life should be made into <b><i>domains</i></b> like Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya, which would be a level above <i style="font-weight: bold;">kingdoms</i> (plants, animals, protists, fungi, etc.), which were previously considered to be the most general classifications of life.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1fYSnkAhEHEatsDXYJ4ZP1EFbtEI8E_wEl4vRZMdramY4M-dV7HegiE8UwFJCAWgfMO2yDpr9ndyrsUMMHRgYLUOT3NutJhK5enjLGnYWSzDqOeO4UW8wligDeZtfPQ-DCGnnEdH-F3Y/s1600/Woese+Three+Domain+System+01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1fYSnkAhEHEatsDXYJ4ZP1EFbtEI8E_wEl4vRZMdramY4M-dV7HegiE8UwFJCAWgfMO2yDpr9ndyrsUMMHRgYLUOT3NutJhK5enjLGnYWSzDqOeO4UW8wligDeZtfPQ-DCGnnEdH-F3Y/s1600/Woese+Three+Domain+System+01.jpg" height="368" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A diagram of Woese's three-domain classification, showing how plants, animals, and fungi are actually "close relatives" when compared to some of the other life found on earth, most of which is not readily visible.</td></tr>
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Bacteria and Archaea do not reproduce sexually and are both single-celled prokaryotes, but they have enough significant differences in very fundamental areas (membrane structure and genetic structure, makeup, and coding) to warrant splitting into two domains. Prokaryotic life is believed to have begun on earth from 3.5 to 2.7 billion years ago, developing in the earth's early inhospitable conditions. Since the conditions of early earth are hypothesized to have been quite extreme, it is likely that organisms much like today's Archaea, which live in extreme environments such as underwater hydrothermal vents, oil deposits, and volcanic hot springs, were first to exist. Bacteria are also ancient; Cyanobacteria are the first life forms we have evidence for in the fossil record. It is the only prokaryote that uses photosynthesis to produce food and it forms the basis of most of the aquatic food chain along with algae. While it is generally agreed that prokaryotic life was the first life on earth, it is not certain if Bacteria or Archaea came first.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Archaea form the basis of deep sea hydrothermal vents, using the chemical compounds from the vents for energy.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheSMEtJw63NLC6PJwEr-KnFrQ3e7TSp14gEt3qAQRSG8rlD396FH4h-ohZjA3d-hJOE6XZ7N3XVySjovJ_YK2tXL3o5ywSJW7a_P0xgl6krORMfa1TkoxUZgXq8OCBSox7sIZ62U3fxhM/s1600/Grand+Prismatic+Spring.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheSMEtJw63NLC6PJwEr-KnFrQ3e7TSp14gEt3qAQRSG8rlD396FH4h-ohZjA3d-hJOE6XZ7N3XVySjovJ_YK2tXL3o5ywSJW7a_P0xgl6krORMfa1TkoxUZgXq8OCBSox7sIZ62U3fxhM/s1600/Grand+Prismatic+Spring.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cyanobacteria can also tolerate some extreme conditions; they are responsible for the psychedelic colors (except the blue) of the Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park.</td></tr>
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Eukaryotes appeared 2.1 to 1.6 billion years ago and may have developed when certain prokaryotic cells were "eaten" by others and rather than being digested, were put to use by the cell. These became the membrane-bound organelles like chloroplasts and mitochondria found in eukaryotic cells. Somewhere along the line, single-celled eukaryotes began to work together as groups to make multicellular organisms, eventually becoming many of the easily visible organisms we are most familiar with. It's amazing to think that "I" am actually trillions of specialized cells working together. It's not until we progress very far up the "tree of life" that we encounter humans, who are out on the tip of a far branch as relative newcomers to the planet and only a single species among thousands. Here's a beautiful diagram called the Hillis Plot, which is basically a modern "tree of life" in circle form, with humanity's position indicated in the upper-left-hand corner:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3pqVqJCHPNM2ptgjCWjJYGXDoktktkowfPRRTOo8fPYalgIbwbYeOywyO29H9IWm6s2Pgpf7L7h7D72AM4F8izv0lSxXMCQCGBpL-grYg8KjCOkZ0R5VRzuQcnpTDnByjudmP_AFekWM/s1600/tree-magnified.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3pqVqJCHPNM2ptgjCWjJYGXDoktktkowfPRRTOo8fPYalgIbwbYeOywyO29H9IWm6s2Pgpf7L7h7D72AM4F8izv0lSxXMCQCGBpL-grYg8KjCOkZ0R5VRzuQcnpTDnByjudmP_AFekWM/s1600/tree-magnified.jpg" height="610" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's incredible to think that only a single species among so many thousands has had such a disproportionate impact on the planet...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZEnFSpTUTmGPeVfbv9tr4960zTKwhtrDBN12IoByvQeypd44_6rOvIy66ie4HpQQvztt4oVAaTynTpTKXXdkBGjjmzZT27y-QpAWSXRzBtYa0wevBKKn_pbrkt51JJlOlmPm3F7odfaI/s1600/time460_kentucky_geological_survey.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZEnFSpTUTmGPeVfbv9tr4960zTKwhtrDBN12IoByvQeypd44_6rOvIy66ie4HpQQvztt4oVAaTynTpTKXXdkBGjjmzZT27y-QpAWSXRzBtYa0wevBKKn_pbrkt51JJlOlmPm3F7odfaI/s1600/time460_kentucky_geological_survey.gif" height="486" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...and in such a small span of time: in the "hour" of the earth's existence, humans have been around for 0.1 seconds.</td></tr>
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I hope you've gained an appreciation of just how difficult it is to classify life, and we've only been considering the most general categories, which should be the easiest! Now just imagine making the thousands of further distinctions and categorizations in the "tree of life" on the levels of phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species that you see in the Hillis Plot... I can assure you it doesn't get easier. Classification and naming of life is certainly not cut and dry, and as much as we humans dislike disorder and chaos, life seems to resist the organized classification we would like to make for it. All that I've brought up in this post is really only the tip of the iceberg and there's good reason to believe the classification of life we currently have will look quite different a hundred years from now. Indeed, taxonomists are starting to transition from the idea of life and its history as a "tree," seeing it now more as a chronological "web" for reasons such as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horizontal_gene_transfer">horizontal gene transfer</a>.<br />
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Who knew life could be so complicated and that those two apparently innocuous questions posed in the first paragraph would require such an explanation... Go grab some ice for your brain, as I'm sure it's pretty sore after reading this post!<br />
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Sometime later, after you've recovered, I hope to discuss the classification of plants in particular and why it's so important, now that we've seen where they fit into the larger framework of natural life.<br />
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Rick Hederstrom (domain: <i>Eukarya</i>, kingdom: <i>Animalia</i>, phylum: <i>Chordata</i>, class: <i>Mammalia</i>, order: <i>Primates</i>, family: <i>Hominidae</i>, genus: <i>Homo</i>, species: <i>sapiens</i>)<br />
Associate DirectorThe Botanic Gardens at Kona Kai Resorthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16067989939562688620noreply@blogger.com0