While many of our fellow citizens registered their opinions on the value of Truth and Morality on Election Day, Mary Anne and I made a behind-the-scenes visit to the Desert Botanical Garden.
I know, I know. You’ve probably seen more cactus photos than strictly necessary. Fear not, this post isn’t about the plants. At least not directly. It’s about all of the other activities that go on at DBG.
We met our fellow guests and a pair of staffers at the back entrance to the gardens.
After checking in, we were introduced to our guide, Dr. Kimberlie McCue, Chief Science Officer for DBG. First stop: the Reference library. This is no ordinary book repository. Many of the works are old, maybe one-of-a-kind. Although anyone with a legitimate interest can request access, the books and other materials are frequently loaned to the Smithsonian and other facilities.
Our next stop was at the Reference building, where plants are carefully preserved for later examination. The process of preparing, discecting, and mounting these delicate specimens requires both skill and artistry. The ideal is to create a display that is both useful and attractive.
Some specimens in the collection are very old. There are a few collected by Charles Darwin. Not these, though.
We next paid a short visit to the research facility. Here, Dr. Kim Pegram explains why collecting DNA from plants is more difficult than from animals. Hint: it’s inside of a hard cell casing.
Why collect plant DNA? Speciation.
Our next visit took us to the facility where species restoration takes place. One goal is to breed enough difficult-to-grow specimens to increase endangered populations. A more fundamental goal is to understand the sometimes complex symbiotic relationships required for breeding.
At the end of our visit, a little greenhouse fun. We were shown some examples of the seemingly limitless varieties of cactus. What an interesting and weird family!
