Videos

Highlights one of the most important wild food plants to the Martu people of Australia's Western Desert, Wamula (Solanum diversiflorum) -- and a research project showing how Martu traditional practices are benefitting this species and the habitats it grows in. 

Highlighting one of the coolest and most ambitious projects in the history of rare species conservation, this episode takes us to Kaua’i, Hawai’i, where a group of passionate plant people are working to save some of the rarest plants on the archipelago — and tell us why we need a new generation of biodiversity lovers to help battle the extinction crisis.

Even plants we use in gardens can be rare in nature – and student Cheyenne Moore is doing her best to help protect one of the most popular perennial wildflowers in its native habitat in Pennsylvania. Join her on a kayak trip on the Allegheny River as she assesses the status of the blue false indigo (Baptisia australis) in unusual formations called scour prairies.

Behind-the-scenes view of the plant conservation pipeline at the National Tropical Botanical Garden on Kaua’i, where plant people are working every day to protect the plants of Hawai’i and the rest of the global tropics. Special focus on the importance of conservation horticulture.

A team of biologists drops off a cliff to learn more about one rare plant, but ends up discovering something completely unexpected with the help of science Twitter: white alumroot (Heuchera alba). 

Conservation takes partnership. Many off-roaders think conservationists are all “tree-huggers”… and many conservationists think off-roaders are all “tree-killers.” But somewhere in between there is a sweet spot where forests can be appreciated and cared for. In the case of the Anthracite Outdoor Adventure Area (AOAA), that sweet spot might even help to reinvigorate a local economy.

What's it like to do undergraduate research in college? How do you find a professor to work with? Is spending your summer working in a lab worthwhile? This student-produced mini-documentary follows the paths of Bucknell University's botanical research group from their work in the lab, greenhouse, and field to their presentations at the international Botany conference. 

The largest cities on the planet are home to millions of humans, but there is still plenty of nature to discover and appreciate in these urban habitats… if you know where to look. Shot on location at Inwood Hill Park, Manhattan.

Plants that survive in parking lots might be considered “weeds,” but they are also really great examples of extremophiles – organisms that survive, thrive, and evolve in Earth’s toughest habitats.

The first predator-proof management fence installed in the US is helping to prevent species extinction in Hawaii. 

What do you get when a team of biologists from Mexico and the US sets out to explore remote areas of the Chihuahuan Desert? Lots of examples of the evolution of new species on gypsum soils — and plenty of evidence that the world is still full of things to discover. 

Giant hawk moths fly for miles each night in search of flower nectar -- and are thus critically important as pollinators of desert wildflowers. Plant romance by the light of the full moon at New Mexico's White Sands National Monument. 

Smelling like a dead animal (or a zombie?) and having thermogenesis works out well for the plant known as skunk cabbage; and having this plant around works out well for our wetlands. 

Most plant fossils are impressions, but the ones in Clarkia, Idaho are actual leaves encased in rock for the last 15 millions years… and we might be able to use their DNA. 

How pitcher plants lure, trap, and digest insect prey… with the help of millions of mystery microbes. Focus on the habitat, life cycle, morphology and internal ecosystem of Sarracenia alata.