Teaching biodiversity in universities: a question of ethics

Preamble: 

I wrote this as part of an application package when I recently applied for an academic position at a university. I was rather proud of it, so I thought I would share - please enjoy :)

Teaching biodiversity in universities: a question of ethics

Biodiversity is both essential and fanciful – structural and decorative. We depend upon the varieties of life for virtually everything: the air we breathe, the food we eat, the clothes we wear all come from the millions plants, animals, bacteria, and fungi that live around us. The appearances, names, physiological quirks, and natural or cultural history of our native flora, fauna, and fungi can entertain, inspire, stimulate innovation, and call us to action. 

Unfortunately, much of the world's biodiversity is in peril, and particularly for the tiny plants and fungi that form the foundations of our ecosystems, those who know enough to bear witness are few in number. Few non-experts ever experience the joy that comes with recognizing a tree, moss, or mushroom, or even a fruit in the grocery store, as though it were an old friend, let alone noticing its absence. It is a rarity for primary and secondary school curricula to include more than a nod to natural history, despite the widely recognized ability of those same pupils to recite hundreds of names for other things (commercial brands, professional athletes, etc.), and the formative importance of natural science for many of our greatest thinkers today. Obscurity and indifference are threats to biodiversity.  

By teaching the names, the natural history, and the stories that belong to our native (or culturally important) flora, fauna, and fungi, we help our pupils to connect to the land, and to develop a deep sense of responsibility towards it. This connection, and this sense of responsibility, are what  Aldo Leopold termed a "land ethic". For generations, the strongest land ethics were possessed by the professional botanists – the foresters, farmers, and foragers who made their living from plants and fungi – and it was these professionals that became our ethical leaders. We are now on the cusp of a botanical renaissance, one driven by curiosity, creativity, and connectivity. Those of us who are professionals have a responsibility to use this momentum to assist future generations in developing their own land ethic.  

The opportunities for helping students to learn about biodiversity have never been more promising. From plant-recognition applications and citizen science projects, to popular science blogs, books, and documentary films, our students are awash in inspiration. The applications of biodiversity have never been more creative: from bio-engineering solutions to wastewater treatment, to using fungal mycelia as replacements for Styrofoam packaging, no student should feel a lack of entrepreneurial opportunities from botany or mycology. Combined with traditional resources, such as museum collections and constantly expanding literature databases, we also have a plethora of opportunities for students to contribute to scientific content in concrete ways. Inspiration, information, entrepreneurial potential, and concrete opportunities to contribute are what our students crave, and what they will receive from studying biodiversity.

Those who teach at universities bear a special responsibility to our communities and the natural world, because we do more than teach the future biologists – we teach politicians, lawyers, physicians, engineers, and perhaps most importantly, we teach the future teachers. As biodiversity experts, our ability to influence society for the better is magnified many times over when we teach. To truly engage students, we must allow them to contribute. If we encourage their curiosity with simple tools, embrace their creativity through applied tasks, and celebrate their connectivity by asking them to share, their scientific skills and passion for biodiversity will grow alongside their land ethic – the few will become the many. Just as our understanding of one another is fostered by knowing each others' personal stories, a land ethic is fostered by learning the stories of the flora, fauna, and fungi around us.