Western silvery aster

Meet botanist Diana Bizecki Robson:

Where do you work?

The Manitoba Museum in Winnipeg, Canada.

What do you study?

My current research focuses on rare plants and pollination ecology.

What are three titles you would give yourself?

Ecologist, Botanist, Expert Strudel Maker .

What do you like to do when you are not working?

When I’m not in the lab I like to read, garden, bake, cycle and do yoga.

What do you like most about science?

I love being able to explore natural areas and observe interesting organisms when conducting my research.

Images

Images courtesy of Ari Daniel Shapiro and the Chicago Botanic Garden.

Facts

Other insect visitors to asters include the white and sulphur butterflies.

Mammals that graze on aster include groundhogs and rabbits. These short, spreading plants don’t usually attract deer.

Many of the wildflowers on the tall-grass prairie are forbs, short for Euphorbiaceae, a group of broad-leaved herbs other than grasses. Familiar members of the Euphorbiaceae include sunflowers and milkweed.

The prairie system is maintained by cycles of animal grazing and natural fire. In the Tallgrass Prairie Natural Preserve in the Flint Hills of Kansas, managers are reintroducing bison and a program of prescribed burns to restore the tallgrass ecosystem to its former health.

Participate:

View a collection of the plants and animals that make up the tallgrass prairie ecosystem, and see a tutorial about how to start your own.

If you’re fortunate enough to live near a remnant of tallgrass prairie, there may be opportunities to volunteer in prairie restoration efforts. Here’s one, gathering native prairie seeds.