DOCTORS’ NOTES
Close Encounters with Rhode Island’ s Plants
A field seminar at Brown teaches students how to identify the flora of the Ocean State.
BY CORRIE PIKUL
PHOTOGRAPH: NICK DENTAMARO
Along a nature preserve trail in Barrington, a group of Brown students worked through an in-the-field quiz.
As part of a course last fall called“ Rhode Island Flora: Understanding and Documenting Local Plant Diversity,” they were being tested on their ability to identify poison ivy, sugar maple, and camphor weed and to distinguish between sedges, grasses, and rushes. The students take quizzes seriously, says Rebecca Kartzinel, PhD, an assistant teaching professor of ecology, evolution, and organismal biology, and not just to avoid poison ivy rash— they truly want to understand local plants.
They progressed through a marsh and onto a Narragansett Bay beach, where undergraduates set out in pairs to collect plants. A student exclaimed they’ d found a beach rose, but upon closer inspection it turned out to be wild sweet William. Still, a fun find.
“ Science is so much more interesting when you’ re out in it— when you can pull plants out of the ground and look at their root structure,” teaching assistant Madeline JeBailey says.
Brown students see grass every day as they stride across the College Green. The students taking Rhode Island Flora, however, learn to really see the Poaceae— which they know is the Latin name for common grasses. One of the main goals of the course, Kartzinel says, is to help students develop an educated appreciation for the often-overlooked species that comprise the diverse flora of the Ocean State and to see how they fit into their environment.
“ When you look at different habitats one after the other, you’ re able to notice
The Rhode Island Flora class explored Queen River Preserve in Exeter last fall. differences and start to understand the features of a particular place, which helps inform you what’ s going on ecologically— for example, when you’ re near a saltwater marsh versus freshwater, or a broadleaf forest versus pine,” Kartzinel says.“ Living in a city in a built-up world, we’ re all so removed from our natural environments. Being able to go in the woods and find some aspect that’ s recognizable and familiar is really important to understanding where we are. That’ s not just valuable for scientists— it’ s valuable for anyone who spends time outdoors.”
Sophomore Evan Hamaoka came to Brown to study international and public affairs. He was motivated to take the class by his love of hiking and gardening:“ I’ m always collecting items from the trail,” he says. He enjoyed the course so much that he’ s now planning to also major in Earth, environmental, and planetary science.
“ I feel like what we do in this course gives us a higher respect for nature, the biology of things, and how plants grow and persist despite challenges,” Hamaoka says.“ It’ s been great to get outside and connect with nature and the environment. But that’ s not to say that this class is easy.”
Riley Brooks, a sophomore majoring in biology, adds:“ When you’ re outdoors and you see something, it’ s like,‘ Oh, that plant is my friend, because now I know its name.’ That familiarity makes the outdoors feel a lot more accessible and welcoming, too.”
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