UC Davis Conservatory (with photos)
Apr 26, 2016 15:41:33 GMT -5
Jonathan Mejia, yosemite, and 9 more like this
Post by meizzwang on Apr 26, 2016 15:41:33 GMT -5
A conservatory is a place where you'd expect to see plants preserved for now and the future. It serves as a library of genetics, as well as an opportunity to teach the public and provide researchers with material to study.
Back in the day when I was at UC Davis, the botanical conservatory was the epicenter of our activities. Instead of ditching lectures to drink 40's and do dope, we ditched class and went here to play with plants, run tissue culture experiments, master seed germination techniques, and get a real hands on experience with how to grow a wide variety of rare plants from all over the world. This is where I learned how to perfect Sarracenia cultivation, and Ernesto Sandoval, the curator of the conservatory, spent years transferring his wisdom to me.
Sadly, the economic downturn, as well as a change in the leadership, has changed the atmosphere of the botanical conservatory. The economic downturn forced the managers to spend less time with preserving/maintaining plants and focus more time on how to keep funding the department. The new leadership steered management in a different direction, and that once thriving playground of rare plants being cared for by a team of like minded people has slowly disappeared. Well, the plants are still looking great, but there's less of them, and the interns who were all passionate about helping aren't part of the scene anymore. This conservatory and the opportunity to volunteer and do internships there was the only reason I went to UC Davis, and I learned much more there than I did in all required courses combined. Good news is, Ernesto is still there, so as long as he remains the curator, the conservatory will be properly maintained.
Some photos of the UCD conservatory plants:
S. flava var. atropurpurea:
Another shot:
S. flava var. cuprea (might be Phil Sheridan's clone, not sure):
S. flava var. ornata black veins Bulloch Co, GA-unfortunately, I hastily took pictures and didn't capture how big this plant was, it was damn big for a bulloch Co black veined plant:
Another shot:
S. flava var. ornata Gulf Coast, FL. You guys starting to see a pattern here?
another shot, what a beautiful plant that's very well grown:
S. minor:
S. leucophylla Hurricane creek white:
Another shot:
Adrian Slack:
purpureas:
Outstanding colors on their flava var. rubricorpora Liberty Co, FL:
Oreophilas and flava var. rugelii:
Overview of the outdoor Sarracenia:
an amazing cactus in full bloom:
Back in the day when I was at UC Davis, the botanical conservatory was the epicenter of our activities. Instead of ditching lectures to drink 40's and do dope, we ditched class and went here to play with plants, run tissue culture experiments, master seed germination techniques, and get a real hands on experience with how to grow a wide variety of rare plants from all over the world. This is where I learned how to perfect Sarracenia cultivation, and Ernesto Sandoval, the curator of the conservatory, spent years transferring his wisdom to me.
Sadly, the economic downturn, as well as a change in the leadership, has changed the atmosphere of the botanical conservatory. The economic downturn forced the managers to spend less time with preserving/maintaining plants and focus more time on how to keep funding the department. The new leadership steered management in a different direction, and that once thriving playground of rare plants being cared for by a team of like minded people has slowly disappeared. Well, the plants are still looking great, but there's less of them, and the interns who were all passionate about helping aren't part of the scene anymore. This conservatory and the opportunity to volunteer and do internships there was the only reason I went to UC Davis, and I learned much more there than I did in all required courses combined. Good news is, Ernesto is still there, so as long as he remains the curator, the conservatory will be properly maintained.
Some photos of the UCD conservatory plants:
S. flava var. atropurpurea:
Another shot:
S. flava var. cuprea (might be Phil Sheridan's clone, not sure):
S. flava var. ornata black veins Bulloch Co, GA-unfortunately, I hastily took pictures and didn't capture how big this plant was, it was damn big for a bulloch Co black veined plant:
Another shot:
S. flava var. ornata Gulf Coast, FL. You guys starting to see a pattern here?
another shot, what a beautiful plant that's very well grown:
S. minor:
S. leucophylla Hurricane creek white:
Another shot:
Adrian Slack:
purpureas:
Outstanding colors on their flava var. rubricorpora Liberty Co, FL:
Oreophilas and flava var. rugelii:
Overview of the outdoor Sarracenia:
an amazing cactus in full bloom: