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Plant Talk Blog: Science

From the field to the lab, NYBG’s scientists aren’t just about white coats and microscopes—they’re adventurous and determined globe-trotters who live to discover, understand, and preserve Earth’s biodiversity. The Plant Talk blog exposes the far-reaching work of the Garden’s botanical specialists.

PLANT TALK: SCIENCE

New York City EcoFlora: EcoQuest Challenges

EcoQuests, part of the NYC EcoFlora Project, challenge New Yorkers to become citizen scientists and observe, study and help conserve the native plants and animals of the City, using iNaturalist, an easy-to-use mobile App.

Each month, NYBG EcoFlora will announce a new Challenge where we need your help to document the flora and fauna of New York City by taking and sharing photos via iNaturalist, an easy-to-use mobile App.

Learn more and participate in our newest EcoQuest Challenge

Photo of a student looking through binoculars

Citizen Science Program

Citizen science, or public participation in scientific research (PPSR), is the use of scientifically-literate people to collect data, generate results, and generally conduct science. Citizen science projects have the ability to collect large amounts of data, due to large volunteer groups, but usually require technical or scientific staff to analyze data and decipher patterns.

At its simplest, citizen scientists collect data following clear protocols and report those back to researchers. At NYBG, most of our citizen science programs relate to seasonal changes in plants, animals, and the environment.

If you are looking to get involved with NYBG citizen science, please visit NYBG Citizen Science.

NYBG Field Trips

Each year trips are organized to local and regional sites of conservation concern. Trips are advertised and available on a first-come basis. NYBG experts and their collaborators co-lead these day trips.

For more information, contact bboom@nybg.org.

A visitor scouting for birds with binoculars.

NYBG Urban Naturalist Program

Explore NYC’s ecological diversity with expert naturalists Nancy Slowik, Ken Chaya, Karla Risdon-Nugent, and Gabriel Willow. Keenly observe the natural world, create scientifically useful records of your observations, and investigate the interrelationships between species. Learn More

Science Internships

Each year, the Botanical Garden places 25–30 post-graduate, undergraduate, and high school interns in its diverse programs in plant science and conservation. Working directly with Garden scientists and their technical teams, interns participate in cutting-edge research in systematic botany, molecular phylogenetics, structural botany, genomics, bioinformatics, geographic information systems, economic botany, and conservation.

Internships offer a taste of the culture of plant research, allow students to explore their interests in science and conservation, and provide excellent educational experiences to include in resumes.

More information: Science Internships

Adult Education

The Garden’s Adult Education Program offers more than 30 courses in plant science, in addition to Certificate Programs in Botany, Horticulture, Gardening, and Horticultural Therapy.

More information: NYBG Adult Education, Current Catalog

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