Arboretum expedition cultivates wider role for female scientists
A tiny seed could change the way we experience the natural world. It’s already changed the careers of Tiffany Enzenbacher and Kea Woodruff, who work tending seed in their greenhouses. And it may one day bear fruit in an example of flora rescued from extinction — and a growing space for women in science. In October, Enzenbacher, manager of plant production, and Woodruff, plant growth facilities manager, left the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University on a road trip to collect seeds of important native species of the American Southwest. In just nine days, they covered more than 1,600 miles through the rugged Ozarks of Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri. The expedition was part of the Campaign for Living Collections, a 10-year initiative to expand the Arboretum’s plant holdings as a hedge against climate change and habitat destruction, which already endanger nearly one in five plant species on Earth. Tiffany Enzenbacher...