The evolution of photosynthesis in a bacterium rescued life on this planet which would otherwise have exhausted all available energy sources for growth and perished. The capability of photosynthesis spread quickly in the prokaryotes, and then was transferred to eukaryotes in an explosive adaptive radiation of marine kingdoms, often complex and bizarre. Plants are an outcome of this evolution and have continued to play a life-sustaining role by harnessing the sun’s energy, maintaining an oxygenic atmosphere, and providing primary production for all other life.  We will explore the evolution of plants, how they function, important ongoing scientific inquiries, and the roles they play in our lives and in the health of the planet from below the cell to the atmosphere.

Plant identification and other field botany skills are in demand in conservation jobs of any kind. This course is an intensive experience of skill-building, designed to give students the rigorous practice needed for competency in professional plant identification. Students will acquire essential background in plant morphological diversity, life-history variation, structural evolution, and field botanical research skills to facilitate competence for the conservation biology workplace, research, or personal enrichment. 

The integrated 2-credit lab and 1-credit lecture comprise a mix of contextual lectures interwoven with digital and hands-on sessions identifying unknown species of Virginia's Coastal Plain province.  Students will also construct keys, practice sight identification, and learn botanical language. The weekly outside laboratory homework around campus extends the experience by examination and photography of live material.  Group engagement and mutual discovery are encouraged.