Botany

Botanists study plants. Over 10,000 species of plants live in California, so a botanist has a lot of studying to do just to learn to identify them. But botany is more than just knowing the names of plants. Botanists learn where and when plants bloom, what pollinates them, and what eats them.

They often work to conserve rare plants because California has so many plants that grow nowhere else on earth, like the plants in vernal pools. For more about botanists, visit the profile of Carol Witham, a botanist who became a champion for the conservation of Sacramento’s vernal pools.

Sacramento Splash - Helping children understand and value their natural world picture
Meet Carol Witham, Botanist

Carol is a botanist, which means she studies plants.  Carol says, "Nature is a place to have fun and learn new things at the same time. Just pick a little spot and watch it for a while. Soon you will discover hundreds of little things going on in just that one little spot. Multiply that by thousands and thousands of little spots, and wow!"

Sacramento Splash - Helping children understand and value their natural world picture
What's in a name?

For Splash students, a "Tadpole Shrimp" is an endangered species that lives in vernal pools. For rice farmers, a "Tadpole Shrimp" is a common pest that destroys their rice fields. A rice farmer would think you were crazy wanting to save "Tadpole Shrimp" from extinction!

With scientific names, there's no room for confusion: the rice pest is Triops longicaudatus and the endangered species is Lepidurus packardi. Even a scientists who speak different languages can understand one another when they all use the Latin name!