Teaching botanical identification to adults: experiences of the UK participatory science project ‘Open Air Laboratories’

Abstract

Taxonomic education and botany are increasingly neglected in schools and universities, leading to a ‘missed generation’ of adults that cannot identify organisms, especially plants. This study pilots three methods for teaching identification of native plant species to forty-three adults engaged in the participatory science project ‘Open Air Laboratories’ (OPAL). The three teaching methods (dichotomous key, word association exercise based on a mnemonic approach and pictorial card game) proved equally effective in teaching plant identification to participants for the groups of plants used. The dichotomous key is an established method for teaching transferrable identification skills, whilst the other two methods could be useful tools for stimulating initial interest and awareness in novices. The reasons for the decline in botanical knowledge are discussed, alongside the importance of using appealing identification resources and making botany relevant to people’s lives.