Green Heart in The Field With Botany In Action
What can Phipps Conservatory do to stem the disappearance of plants and habitats around the world? Learn how that question inspired a small group of local activists to create Botany in Action, a program of grants that supports graduate student fieldwork in botany, ecology and ethnobotany.
How It Works
Graduate students form alliances with indigenous cultures while studying in some of the most remote and botanically-rich areas of the world. In Pennsylvania and from Guyana to China, Costa Rica to Thailand, Botany In Action researchers document the uses of important, often endangered plants.
Grantees record traditional plant knowledge, analyze complex plant families and measure the decline of plant species. They also identify medicinally active compounds present in plants with the help of farmers, shamans, midwives and other keepers of medicinal knowledge. To date, 29 researchers have benefited from Botany in Action grants.
Applying for a Botany in Action Grant
Botany in Action establishes an ongoing relationship with sponsored students, encouraging them to become visible and socially responsible scientists. Beyond the initial grant for travel and study, students may seek aid to publish and promote their findings through public outreach and education.
Phipps is currently accepting proposals for its 2010 Botany In Action (BIA) Fellows program. Funding is limited to doctoral students currently enrolled in a graduate program at a US institution, with a focus on plant based science. Funding is primarily provided to support field work; the field work may take place in the US or any other country. Once a fellow is accepted, other funding options may be available. All proposals must be submitted by January 15, 2010.
BIA fieldwork research focus areas:
- Ethnobotany, with a special interest in medicinal plants;
- Diversity and conservation, with special interest in regional (SW Pennsylvania and tri-state area) and tropical forests;
- Landscape and brownfield restoration with a special interest in how plants deliver ecosystem services;
- Sustainable landscapes.
For 2010 applicants: Special consideration will be given to proposals focusing on (1) Ethnobotany (with a special interest in medicinal plants) in India (2) Diversity and/or conservation of tropical forests in India (3) Plant based ecosystem services for landscape and brownfield restoration and/or sustainable landscapes in the US.
Support Botany in Action
Botany in Action proves that individuals can make a world of difference. Please consider supporting this global research and conservation effort.
Contact Greg DuFour at 412-441-4442 Ext. 3701 to learn how your contribution can support this important work.
Experience Botany in Action
Information gathered by Botany In Action sponsored graduate students helps to inform Phipps' displays and outreach. They also make appearances at area schools, speaking to children about their life and work as conservation scientists.
Botany In Action sponsored graduate students appear each winter at a Phipps-sponsored colloquium, discussing their work with Phipps staff and board members, local students, and the general public.
Botany in Action Grantees
1995 - 2009
- Selena A. Ahmed, Ph.D. expected 2010
- The New York Botanical Garden
- BIA funded fieldwork (2008 - present), China - biodiversity of wild tea populations
- Email: selenaceae@gmail.com
- View Article
- View PDF
- Nat Bletter, Ph.D.
- City University of New York/New York Botanical Garden 2006
- BIA funded fieldwork (2003 - 2007), Peru and Mali - Cross-cultural medical ethnobotany
- Email: nbletter@lehman.cuny.edu
- View Article
- View Website
- Darron Collins, Ph.D.
- Tulane University, 2001
- BIA funded fieldwork (1998 - 2000) Guatemala - ethnobotany of the Q'eqchi'
- Email: darron.collins@wwfus.org
- Rachel Collins, Ph.D.
- University of Pittsburgh, 2003
- BIA funded fieldwork (2000 - 2003), West Virginia & Pennsylvania - oak forest regeneration
- Email: rcollins@roanoke.edu
- Adam Edwards, M.Sc.
- Florida International University, 2004
- BIA funded fieldwork (2002 - 2004), Southeastern North America - caffeine content of Ilex vomitoria.
- Christiane Ehringhaus, Ph.D.
- Florida International University, M.Sc., 1997
- Yale University School of Forestry, 2005
- BIA funded fieldwork (1996 - 1997), Brazil - medicinal uses of Piperaceae by Kaxinawa.
- BIA funded fieldwork (2003 - 2005), Brazil - non -timber forest products in the Amazon.
- Email: cehringhaus@cgiar.org
- View Website
- Vicente Garcia, Ph.D.
- University of California, Berkeley, 2006
- BIA funded fieldwork (2004 - 2005) Pacific, Thailand, South East Asia - biodiversity/ethnomedicine of Piper
- Michael Gilmore, Ph.D.
- Miami University (Ohio), 2004
- BIA funded fieldwork (2001 - 2004), Peruvian Amazon - Maijuna ecology and ethnobotany
- View Article
- Alyssa Hanna, Ph.D. expected 2010
- West Virginia University
- BIA funded fieldwork (2001 - 2004), Tri-state area - Impact of invasives on Panax quinquefolia
- Email: ahanna2@mix.wvu.edu
- Danica (Harbaugh) Reynaud, Ph.D.
- University of California, Berkeley, 2007
- BIA funded fieldwork (2003 - 2006), Pacific and Australia - ethnobotany of Sandalwoods
- Email: djdanica@hotmail.com
- View PDF 2007
- View PDF 2008
- View PDF
- Christopher Heckel
- University of Pittsburgh, Ph.D. expected 2009
- BIA funded fieldwork (2006 - present), Western PA - effect of deer on Jack-in-the-Pulpit
- Email: cdh8+@pitt.edu
- Anya Hinkle, Ph.D.
- University of California, Berkeley, 2005
- BIA funded fieldwork (2001 - 2004), French Polynesia - dispersal of introduced medicinal plants
- Email: anyahinkle@gmail.com
- View Website
- Bruce Hoffman, M.Sc., Ph.D.
- Florida International University, 1998
- University of Hawaii, 2009
- BIA funded fieldwork (1995 - 1997), Sustainable harvest of Heteropsis flexuosa in Guyana.
- BIA funded fieldwork (2001 - 2005), Suriname - traditional plant knowledge of Amerindians and Maroons
- Email: bhoffmanii@gmail.com
- Karen Crawley Kearney, Ph.D.
- City University of New York / New York Botanical Garden, 2005
- BIA funded fieldwork (1998 - 2005) Mexico - traditional plant pharmacology of Quichol women
- Sarah Khan, Ph.D.
- City University of New York / New York Botanical Garden, 2006
- BIA funded fieldwork (2002 - 2005) India and China - traditional anti diabetic medicinal plants
- Email: skkhan@charter.net or sarah.khan@fammed.wisc.edu
- View Website
- Tiffany Knight, Ph.D.
- University of Pittsburgh, 2002
- BIA funded fieldwork (2002) Western PA - how deer herbivory affects Trillium grandiflorum
- Email: tknight@biology2.wustl.edu
- View Website
- Bianca Knoll, M.Sc.
- University of California, Berkeley, 2006
- BIA funded fieldwork (2006 - present) Costa Rica, Bolivia, Madagascar: Ferns which clean up arsenic pollution
- Dennis Milanowski, Ph.D.
- Washington University, 1998
- BIA funded fieldwork (1996 - 1998) Peru - medicinal compounds of Croton section Cyclostigma
- Emily Mooney, Ph.D
- West Virginia University, 2007
- BIA funded fieldwork (2004 - 2006) PA, NY, MD and WV ethnobiology of American Ginseng
- John Paul, Ph.D.
- University of Pittsburgh, 2008
- BIA funded fieldwork (2003 - 2006), Costa Rica - causes of rarity in Psychotria (Rubiaceae)
- Email: jrp63@pitt.edu
- Cassandra Quave, Ph.D.
- Florida International University, 2008
- BIA funded fieldwork (2006 - 2008), Italy - Antimicrobial plant extracts to combat drug-resistant staph.
- Email: cassy.quave@gmail.com
- View Website
- View PDF
- View another PDF
- Armand Randrianasolo, Ph.D.
- Missouri Botanical Garden, 1998
- BIA funded fieldwork (1996 – 1997), Madagascar - Rhus, Micronychia, Protorhus
- Email: armand.randriansolo@mobot.org
- View Website
- Lauren Raz, Ph.D.
- New York University/New York Botanical Garden, 2004
- BIA funded fieldwork (2000 - 2003), Cuba - West Indian Dioscoreaceae, revision of Rajania.
- Email: pushka1974@yahoo.com
- Sylvain Razafimandimbison, Ph.D.
- Missouri Botanical Garden, 2000
- BIA funded fieldwork (1996 and 1997, 2000), Madagascar - revision of Rubiaceae
- Email: sylvain.razafimandimbison@bergaianska.se
- Pio Saqui, Ph.D. expected 2010
- University of Florida
- BIA funded fieldwork (2006 - present), Belize - ethnobotany and traditional ecological knowledge of Maya.
- Email: psaqui@ufl.edu
- Stefan Schnitzer, Ph.D.
- University of Pittsburgh, 2001
- BIA funded fieldwork (1997 - 2001), Panama, Costa Rica & PA - Treefall gaps play a large role in forest regeneration and the maintenance of species diversity.
- Email: schnitzer@uwm.edu
- View Website
- Kristine Stewart, Ph.D.
- Florida International University, 2000
- BIA funded fieldwork (1997 - 1999), Cameroon - ethnobotany of Prunus africana.
- Email: stewartkristine@msn.com
- View Website
- View PDF
- View PDF
- Arika Virapongse, M.Sc., Ph.D. expected 2010
- University of Florida
- Khon Kaen University, 2006
- BIA funded fieldwork (2008 - present), Brazil - Interdisciplinary ecology in Amazon
- BIA funded fieldwork (2004 and 2005), Thailand - traditional plant medicines of Kui healers
- Email: arikavira@yahoo.com
- View PDF
- Vivian Karina Zeidemann, Ph.D. expected 2010
- University of Florida
- BIA funded fieldwork (2008 - present), Brazil - sustainable management of Brazil nuts
- Email: vivianz@ufl.edu
Botany in Action Mentors
Phipps Conservatory and Botany In Action have gathered a network of academics and professionals in top university programs and at botanical institutions to nominate, select, guide and advise grantees. These mentors also advise Phipps as we endeavor to educate our visitors and train our staff.
- Bruce G. Baldwin, Ph.D.
- Advisor to: Danica Harbaugh
- W.L. Jepson Associate Professor and Curator
University of California at Berkley, The Baldwin Lab web site - William Balée, Ph.D.
- Advisor to: Darron Collins
- Professor, Tulane University Department of Anthropology
- Michael Balick, Ph.D.
- Advisor to: Sarah Khan
- The New York Botanical Garden: Institute of Economic Botany
- Brad Bennett, Ph.D.
- Advisor to: Adam Edwards, Christiane Ehringhaus, Bruce Hoffman, Cassandra Quave, Kristine Stewart
- Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Sciences
Florida International University - Thomas J. S. Carlson, M.D., M.S.
- Advisor to: Vicente Garcia, Danica Harbaugh, Anya Hinkle
- Associate Adjunct Professor, Department of Integrative Biology Curator of Ethnobotany, University and Jepson Herbaria Director, Center for Health, Ecology, Biodiversity & Ethnobiology (HEBE)
University of California, Berkeley - Walter Carson, Ph.D.
- Advisor to: Rachel Collins, Stefan Schnitzer
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh
- Douglas Daly, Ph.D.
- Advisor to: Nat Bletter, Karen Crawley, Christiane Ehringhaus, Lauren Raz
- B.A. Krukoff Curator of Amazonian Botany, The New York Botanical Garden
- W. Hardy Eshbaugh, Ph.D.
- Advisor to: Mike Gilmore
- Professor Emeritus Department of Botany, Miami University
- Susan Kalisz, Ph.D.
- Advisor to: Christopher Heckel, Tiffany Knight
- Associate Professor Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh
- David Lentz, Ph.D.
- V.P. for Scientific Affairs and Senior Scientist, Chicago Botanic Garden
- Walter Lewis, Ph.D.
- Advisor to: Dennis Milanowski
- Professor, Washington University
- Gary Martin, Ph.D.
- Mentor for BIA trip to Marrakech in 2007
- Director of The Global Diversity Foundation
- Lecturer in Anthropology Department, University of Kent at Canterbury, England
- Will McClatchey, Ph.D.
- Advisor to: Bruce Hoffman, Arika Virapongse
- Department of Botany, University of Hawaii at Manoa
- Brent D. Mishler, Ph.D.
- Advisor to: Anya Hinkle, Bianca Knoll
- Director, University and Jepson Herbarium and Professor, Department of Integrative Biology, University of California at Berkeley
- Cynthia Morton
- Curator, Carnegie Museum of Natural History: section of Botany
- Mark J. Plotkin, Ph.D.
- Advisor & eventual employer to: Darron Collins and Bruce Hoffman
- Executive Director ACT (Amazon Conservation Team)
- George E. Schatz, Ph.D.
- Advisor to: Sylvain Razafimandimbison & Armand Randrianasolo
- Associate Curator, Missouri Botanical Garden
- Richard Stepp
- Advisor to: Pio Saqui
- Dept. of Anthropology, University of Florida
- Stephen J. Tonsor
- Advisor to: John Paul
- Associate Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh
