Plant blindness is defined as the failure to notice plants in one’s own environment, and it has multiple environmental and social consequences. Marc will introduce the origins of the theory of plant blindness, the factors which contribute to it, and the implications. He’ll examine the environmental, economic, health, and psycho-social benefits of plants. Lastly, he’ll discuss how Master Gardener volunteers, Extension faculty, and other plant lovers can help combat plant blindness.

Marc is a lifelong plant enthusiast who completed Florida Master Gardener training in 2002 and earned a M.S. in Horticultural Science from the University of Florida in 2005. He is the assistant collection manager and extension botanist at the University of Florida Herbarium—the botanical collection at the Florida Museum of Natural History. Marc manages the Herbarium’s Plant Identification and Information Service, which serves the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences research and extension personnel, University of Florida faculty, and other clients throughout the state of Florida. He has a particular interest in horticultural taxonomy, the identification and classification of cultivated plants.