Nature is not something found in a faraway place. Wildness is not limited to exotic locales featured on nature documentaries. Nature is all around us. Place-based environmental education is crucial to fostering an appreciation of the natural world. This curriculum is intended to serve as a guide to study the native plants that define our local landscapes with the intention that your students will gain a better understanding and appreciation of the place that they call home.
Our guiding principles of this curriculum revolve around place-based, inquiry-based and hands-on learning that foster community partnerships and service-learning. Lessons progress from basic plant identification into more advanced topics in botany, ethnobotany, ecology, and restoration. We understand that many teachers are unable to commit to the entire unit of study in their school-year planning, so lessons can be used individually.
This curriculum is developed within the framework of the NAAEE Guidelines for Excellence.
We would like to thank the following people for their contribution in producing Project Botany:
Peggy Olwell—Bureau of Land Management, Plant Conservation Lead, BLM National Program
Joan Seevers—Bureau of Land Management, Plant Conservation Lead, Oregon/Washington
Nancy Sawtelle—Bureau of Land Management, Plant Ecologist, Eugene District, Oregon
In addition we have had numerous people who have acted as advisors and have contributed botanical, ecological, or educational expertise, and painstakingly edited and re-edited materials. Thank you all, your contribution has been important and appreciated.