Post by Tanja on Mar 30, 2007 18:24:04 GMT
I volunteer at the USF Botanical Gardens in Tampa, Florida. I work with the carnivorous plants. I was lucky enough to attend carnivorous plant talks given by Bob McMorris and Trinity Ridgeway, both experienced growers. These workshops were well attended by beginner and advanced growers.
I asked if I could give a talk at the fall plant show in October 2006 from the angle of being a new grower -- only two years under my belt. Sometimes it is easier to connect with beginners, if you are a beginner.
My workshop was called "Sarracenia Autopsy". I figured this would get the interest of children.
I brought in old Sarracenia leaves, split them open and gave them out to my workshop participants. We had a lot of fun trying to identify the insects, which included many wasps, beetles and flies. Some of my plants were gluttons. I like to do hands-on workshops and one child actually took his leaf home. One leaf had the head of a wasp sticking out of it.
I brought in Sarracenia, Nepenthes, Drosera, Utricularia, and FlyTraps and talked about their basic care. I had a Sarracenia Dana's Delight and a Judith Hindle, and people could not believe how gorgeous these plants are. I showed them an ant that had the misfortune of being inside my Flytrap. The gnats on my Sundews.
I handed out basic care sheets with websites and book recommendations for where to get started. Explained that many of the plants are not tropical. Even in Florida people worry that we are not tropical enough for carnivorous plants. I explain we have more problems with the temperate plants (dormancy is difficult), although they can also be grown beautifully.
We received newspaper coverage in a neighborhood paper and through the USF paper. More people exposed to gorgeous, mostly easy to grow, fascinating carnivorous plants. Yea!
I love teaching. Hopefully leads to awareness and conservation.
I asked if I could give a talk at the fall plant show in October 2006 from the angle of being a new grower -- only two years under my belt. Sometimes it is easier to connect with beginners, if you are a beginner.
My workshop was called "Sarracenia Autopsy". I figured this would get the interest of children.
I brought in old Sarracenia leaves, split them open and gave them out to my workshop participants. We had a lot of fun trying to identify the insects, which included many wasps, beetles and flies. Some of my plants were gluttons. I like to do hands-on workshops and one child actually took his leaf home. One leaf had the head of a wasp sticking out of it. I brought in Sarracenia, Nepenthes, Drosera, Utricularia, and FlyTraps and talked about their basic care. I had a Sarracenia Dana's Delight and a Judith Hindle, and people could not believe how gorgeous these plants are. I showed them an ant that had the misfortune of being inside my Flytrap. The gnats on my Sundews.
I handed out basic care sheets with websites and book recommendations for where to get started. Explained that many of the plants are not tropical. Even in Florida people worry that we are not tropical enough for carnivorous plants.
I explain we have more problems with the temperate plants (dormancy is difficult), although they can also be grown beautifully. We received newspaper coverage in a neighborhood paper and through the USF paper. More people exposed to gorgeous, mostly easy to grow, fascinating carnivorous plants. Yea!
I love teaching.
Hopefully leads to awareness and conservation. 
