Matt Candeias – Plants Make a Living

What happens when a couple of plant nerds get together for a chat? This conversation between botanist and author Matt Candeias and Designers of Paradise host Erik van Lennep. Candeias, author of the recently released book “In Defense of Plants: An Exploration into the Wonder of Plants,” explained how he became fascinated with plant life while working in a quarry and learning about the plants that enabled the life of a specific butterfly, the Karner Blue.

It turns out plants can be pretty interesting. Candeias describes how they are in an “evolutionary arms race” like animals, and develop innovative new approaches to compete, how critical context and local environment matters to their success, and the rationale for planting native plants. He also explains how, unfortunately, plants get short shrift from people, arguing our values don’t align with the needs of the natural world and plants in particular. Case in point: plants receive only 5% of conservation dollars. This shortfall is bad for plants, but also bad for general biodiversity which is a buffer against the effects of climate change.

How should we respond?  Erik and Matt go on to discuss science communication – how to explain these issues to the “not-geeky amongst us”. Candeias argues storytellers must put ourselves in their shoes and help people relate. Personalizing plants – “they make a living too” – and risque stories about co-opting insect sex lives can help readers want to learn more.  To help people begin their exploration of plants, Candeias suggests helping them to explore outdoors, learn the names of common garden plants. This also helps root people into their place.

Matt’s work was inspired by other’s books including The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins and A Year in the Maine Woods by Bernd Heinrich.

Links for Matt:

• In Defense of Plants, the website
• the book
• the podcast
• and the merch!
• Matt on LinkedIn

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