PlAnTS

Plant Awareness Through SciComm

A commitment to education, outreach, and broadening participation

The BotanEE lab cares deeply about outreach, education, and broadening participation in STEM. We believe that science should be accessible to everyone and that being an active member of the community is important in creating an inclusive and equitable space. We broadly hope to share knowledge with the public and inspire the next generation of scientists by modeling unbridled excitement and curiosity for science, as well as welcoming everyone to explore the natural world! The PlAnTS Initiative is focused on applying our botanical knowledge and expertise to communicate science to the broader community. We implement this initiative through broadly accessible social media and in-person educational outreach in schools, universities, and in our communities. Through this initiative we take our scientific knowledge and share it with the broader community to spread an appreciate for plants and enhance scientific literacy on a global scale.

Initiatives

Let's Botanize

This science communication outreach non-profit, Jacob started in collaboration with Ben Goulet-Scott, focuses on democratizing the study of plant biology. We take scientifically rigorous information restricted to the academic space and turn it into digestible content in the form of videos and photos with educational captions and distribute it as widely as possible on social media. We work closely with many other content creators ranging from artists to landscape architects to bring plants into the foreground. Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, LabXchange, or YouTube. Read more about us here and check out our website. Let's Botanize!

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

The importance of representation in STEM is paramount. In the BotanEE lab we make decisions through the lens of equity and inclusivity. Our work targets two main spheres: administratively, through involvement in initiatives and committees, and personally through inclusive mentorship and participation in educational programs focused on training and supporting underrepresented students in STEM.

Secondary Education Mentoring

The pipeline to an education and career in STEM is leaky. Given systemic issues of funding and access, these leaks disproportionately affect underrepresented minorities in the field. In order to create a more equitable, inclusive, and diverse field of science, it's important to engage with middle and high school students, demonstrating that science is an education and career path for them. In this capacity, I have been involved in a variety of secondary school mentorship programs including NSF Planting Science, Lakeside School’s Scientist of the Month, Arboretum Young Scientists, and many more!

Photo Gallery

Art and science are two sides of the same coin. They are ways in which we can make sense of the world. Integrating these two concepts is important for inspiring and educating. Plants—with their ever-varying shapes, colors, and structures—provide a perfect medium for displaying this integration. We take photos of plants to display their artistic beauty and intricate scientific structure in hopes to inspire people to enjoy and appreciate plant life.

Check out some of our shots below! If you would like to use any photo for educational or other purposes (which we encourage), please contact Jacob and we can send you a high-resolution image.