Dr. Don Hazlett in the field
Join Gardens’ adjunct researcher Dr. Don Hazlett for a look into the field of ethnobotany. Dr. Hazlett will be giving the second talk in our new brown bag series: Re-search the Gardens: Meet Our Scientists. Dr. Hazlett has been instrumental in the initiation and curation of the Gardens’ ethnobotanical collection, housed within the Kathryn Kalmbach Herbarium. As part of the ethnobotany research Dr. Hazlett conducts as an adjunct researcher, he investigates Native American and Spanish common names. These common names frequently provide information not only about plant origin, but plant use and cultural importance as well.
Dr. Hazlett’s talk will be in Gates Hall from noon – 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 14. We look forward to seeing you there.
Botanists conducting annual monitoring of the Parachute penstemon
Effective today, three rare Colorado plants have been added to the list of species protected under the federal Endangered Species Act. Both DeBeque Phacelia (Phacelia submutica), and Parachute Penstemon (Penstemon debilis) are listed as threatened while the Pagosa skyrocket (Ipomopsis polyantha) is listed as endangered. DeBeque phacelia and Parachute penstemon are restricted to shale slopes on South Shale Ridge and the Roan Plateau in Western Colorado. Energy development and exploration is the biggest threat to these species.
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Are you familiar with Denver Botanic Gardens Research & Conservation department? Have you ever wanted to know more about the type of research we do? We currently have ten staff in our Research & Conservation department with a lot of scientific expertise; we have three PhD and five MS degrees between us. In addition to our core staff, we have seven adjunct researchers collaborating with us on various projects ranging from curating our ethnobotanical collection, to evaluating revegetation practices after removal of invasive species. Our new brown bag series: Re-search the Gardens: Meet Our scientists will provide you with the opportunity to meet the Gardens’ scientists and learn about the great work we do to protect our region’s natural heritage.
The first talk in the series will be held on Wednesday July 13 in the Waring House Great Room from noon – 1 p.m.
The opening talk in the series ‘Conservation genetics at the Gardens: Using DNA to protect our rarest plants,’ will cover how and why we are using DNA to help conserve some of our rarest plants.
For more details on the series visit our website.
Adjunct Researcher Loraine Yeatts works in the Kathryn Kalmbach Herbarium
We have some exciting news to report from the Kathryn Kalmbach Herbarium and Sam Mitchel Herbarium of Fungi. Each collection has added a type specimen of a species new to science. A type specimen is a specimen selected to serve as a reference point when a plant or fungal species is first named. As a result, these specimens are extremely important to botanists and mycologists who are attempting to determine the correct application of a name.
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Denver Botanic Gardens staff and volunteers conduct annual monitoring of the Colorado hookless cactus
Did you know that more than 1350 species in the US are protected under the Endangered Species Act? A whopping 792 (57%) of them are plants. Today is the sixth annual Endangered Species Day, a day to celebrate our endangered species. There are 29 species in Colorado listed as Threatened or Endangered under the Endangered Species Act. Thirteen of them are plants and we at Denver Botanic Gardens are working to conserve each of them.
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The first week of May marked an important week for science at Denver Botanic Gardens. Both Sarada Krishnan, Director of Horticulture, and Melissa Islam, Associate Director of Research & Conservation, successfully defended their dissertations to earn their PhD.
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Dr. Krishnan in the village of Ambolotara in eastern Madagascar meets with one of the village chiefs
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Dr. Islam collects plants for herbarium specimens on the island of Grenada
Dr. Krishnan’s research focused on examining genetic diversity within Madagascan coffee species. Her study was undertaken using the collections maintained at the Kianjavato Coffee Research Station’s ex situ field genebank as well as wild populations. Overall she found high levels of diversity in Madagascan coffee species.
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Last week we were honored to co-host the Center for Plant Conservation Annual Meeting along with the National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation (NCGRP) in Fort Collins. Conservation professionals from more than 20 botanic gardens, federal agencies, and organizations across the country gathered in Colorado for a four-day conference to celebrate our efforts to conserve our nation’s rarest plants.
The Center for Plant Conservation (CPC) is a consortium of botanic gardens dedicated to protecting our nation’s vanishing flora. Denver Botanic Gardens was one of the founding partners of the CPC 27 years ago (1984). We have been actively involved in seed collection and other conservation efforts in collaboration with the CPC ever since.
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