Core Ideas
Human figure drawing protocols were modified to assess children's plant drawings.
When drawing plants in situ, students were unable to accurately represent plant characteristics.
Drawings lacked detail and only contained prominent features, some contained inaccurate features.
Students had over‐simplified mental models of plants, indicating plant blindness.
It has been speculated that most people have plant blindness, meaning plants go unnoticed by the majority of the population. This study sought to combine the knowledge of multiple disciplines to determine evidence of plant blindness through children's drawings. To do this, third‐grade students were introduced to native prairie and wetland plants during a curriculum‐based field trip to a natural area to assess if youth accurately perceive plants in situ and had preconceived mental models of plant prototypes. Using a coding scheme from human figure drawing research, drawings were analyzed based on the plant characteristics represented in the drawings. Drawings showed the third graders oversimplified plants regardless of the macro‐features of the plant. Some drawings had inaccuracies, despite children being in close proximity to the designated plant. These results demonstrate plant mental models are already in place in this age group and may lead to plant blindness. Therefore, there is a need to start plant education as early as possible with more exposure to different plant types. This research represents one of the first studies to investigate the roots of “plant blindness” and what may be contributing to lack of knowledge and awareness of plant communities. It is the hope that the findings from this study will help professionals grow environmental literacy of plants across age groups.
Plant blindness, the inability of people to notice plants, is of current interest in the natural sciences community. It has been hypothesized that communities of varying cultures may have improved plant sight. Researchers used an online survey to assess citizens ability to identify plants. The survey also intended to address the concern of elders from the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians (TMBCI) who have seen reduced abundance of traditional plant species. The survey assessed knowledge of local wetland, grassland, and forest habitats; names of plants; and how citizens use plant features in identification. The survey gathered demographic data to determine trends across different demographic groups including age and ethnicity. A total of 216 participants took the survey, the majority classified themselves as female and Native American or Alaska Native. Our findings indicated that participants were able to identify forest and wetland plants the best, but struggled with grassland plants. Older individuals were more able to identify plants when compared to younger individuals. Ecologically, increasing plant knowledge is vital to rebuilding and maintaining the diversity of local habitats, but culturally the impacts are just as important. The practice of using traditional plants in medicine and ceremony is an integral part of the TMBCI culture. As both the knowledge and the plants disappear in younger generations, so does their unique cultural identity.
is a Pre-Engineering Instructor at Turtle Mountain Community College. He earned a doctorate degree in Civil Engineering from Texas A&M University. His work deals with using manufactured drones to map ecological areas. He is dedicated to using engineering solutions to investigate environmental issues close to home.
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