Rhododendrons in the Middle of Nowhere: Helping Hannah work on her thesis research

The scene was like something out of a movie:

Scottish Sunset at Corrour Train Platform.

I'm the only who gets off of the train at the Corrour platform as the sun is setting in the Scottish Highlands. The train attendant gives me a coy smile and then shuts the door behind me. The silence of the expanse of glens and mountains around me floods my senses. The openness of where I found myself almost makes me gasp. The trains pulls away into the sunset and I am left alone with the mountains. The only semblance of humans is the empty platform and closed lodge.

Whoa. I was alone in the truest sense of the world.

The Lonely Mountain?

Not for long, anyway. I knew Hannah would come pick me up, but man, as I walked along the road towards Loch Ossian, , as the sunset behind the mountains, I felt an immense silence and alone-ness like I'd never experienced.

Hannah did come get me and what ensued can only be described as amazing. We stayed at incredible accommodation, ate tasty food, and wandered in a private Rhododendron garden set amongst hundred-plus-year-old conifers. We did get some work done, pressing plants and taking data for Hannah's project, but we also took time to enjoy being where we were. The mountain views over the loch and the soft mats of sphagnum moss were like something out of a faerie tale. Even for being eaten alive by midges, it was a once-in-a-lifetime trip.

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Classes are over!! A year in review of the Biodiversity and Taxonomy of Plants

My first dissection of a fall-blooming Anemone hybrid, family Ranunculaceae, order Ranunculales, showing a cross-section of the bracts, receptacle, the fruits and the stamens. 

So....it's been more than a week since classes were over and now I'm coming down from, literally and figuratively, a vacation and extra Beltane performance at the Museum Late Celts Evening at the National Museum of Scotland. Whoa!

Needless to say, this year has been insanely busy, challenging, hectic, crazy, insane, borderline manic, amazing, insightful, and full of good people, great plants, and incredible experiences.

Monday I start my thesis work (in not so many words: evaluating how existing ecosystem services evaluation systems are able to assess botanical garden collections), but I thought it would be appropriate to reflect back on the year of classes on angiosperms (what most folks know as flowering plants), gymnosperms ('naked seed plants', or what most folks know as conifers, Gnetophytes, and Ephedras), and evolution of all the plants and all the things associated with plants, like algae, fungi, and fossils (which Scotland is rich in!!).

The common themes you'll probably notice from the photos are flower dissections and plant walks with Louis and Jenny. I will work on trying to annotate the photos so you know what I was trying to look at!

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Nathan being a human yard stick to show how big these Vireya Rhododendron trusses are.

I'M GOING TO EDINBURGH

Well, I have been very slow about my recent updates; I've still got three more posts from my trip back in December (and they are still coming!). It's been a pretty busy time being back in North Carolina and moving down to Mobile, Alabama.

Center circle of the Millie McConnell Rhododendron Garden in the morning light.

But, I have some very exciting news!

I've been accepted into the University of Edinburgh's Master's of Science in the Biodiversity and Taxonomy of Plants!

That's right: Edinburgh, Scotland. The year-long program is done in conjunction with the researchers at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and looks to provide an incredible opportunity to gain more training and experience in field botany and applied taxonomy (also to explore the beautiful country of Scotland and be involved with RBG Edinburgh). Wow.

I have some more good news.

I will be staying on at the Mobile Botanical Garden in Mobile, AL over the summer working on the grounds and staying plugged in with their other programs. I can't wait to really dig in and get more involved in the collections.

Finally, I would like to send out a general thank you for everyone who has kept up with me and my travels. It has meant a lot to me that I have friends and family that care about me and what I'm doing. I would appreciate if you would take some time to view my GoFundMe page and think about if there is anything you would care to donate.

Just like this little Pinus palustris seedling, I am just getting started, but I am well on my way.