… employee in 1980. He grew up on a farm near Celaya, Guanajuato, Mexico, where he learned how to operate equipment and take care of plants. Within a few months, Melecio was promoted to foreman; then a few years later, he became Grounds supervisor. Melecio supervises four regular employees and 43 seasonal employees, and is responsible for general grounds maintenance, major event support (set up and tear down), and the landscape …
Type: Staff bio
… which includes nursery and greenhouse operations. He works with a talented team of growers to produce a complex and diverse range of plants for the Garden's programs, collections, and displays. Clark has been with the Garden since 1979, … He started as a grower in the greenhouses, became plant propagator, and ultimately moved on to manage the department. He has been instrumental in the planning and implementation of the new …
Type: Staff bio
… Allison Pillar is the grower for indoor floriculture in the Plant Production department. She produces high-quality plants for … since worked as a seasonal and assistant grower within the department before being promoted to her current position in 2020. Her interest in nature and plants led her to graduate from Macalester College with a bachelor’s degree in biology, where she also worked on …
Type: Staff bio
… fashion and design. Since the global pandemic began, designers have been turning to the earthy aesthetics and healing powers of mushrooms and other kinds of fungi. In particular, … of the design world. Mycelium—a network of tiny “threads” that links plants together to share water and nutrients—is an irresistible metaphor for connection and harmony. Designer Stella McCartney is making pants and other clothes out of …
Type: Blog
… restoration in the tallgrass prairie. My post-doctoral research is focused on seed mix design for restoration from both a social and ecological perspective. Using social science methods, I am studying the factors that drive seed mix design for prairie restoration managers. Using ecological data collected though observation and … how seed mixes become prairies, that is, which planted seeds and species are likely to germinate, emerge and establish in restored prairies. …
Type: Staff bio
… The Science Collections website launched in 2013, allowing public access to information on all research samples held at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Currently we have … DNA collections (Fant), and herbarium (Zerega and Masi). Plans are also underway to add important rare species and research samples that will increase the value of this … Currently, 70 percent of the collections are digitized. The herbarium serves as a resource for scientists, students, and conservation practitioners, and hosts visitors throughout the year. …
Type: Research
… To most people, the word “pollinator” is synonymous with the word “bee,” but only a fraction of … pollinators—bats, birds, beetles, moths, and more. As part of National Moth Week , we wanted to highlight our work on a very special group of moths: the Sphingidae, or hawkmoths, which … leaves, buds, and flowers. How does scent play a role in attracting hawkmoths? Do moths use it for pollination? Or do they use it to find host plants to lay their eggs? Or maybe both? Hawkmoth …
Type: Blog
… consequences of these shifted flowering times, especially whether there are consequences for population persistence. Plants that initiate life-cycle events earlier could be tracking … occur on an earlier calendar date under climate change. However, plants can also be exposed to novel environmental conditions when life-cycle events occur earlier, because different aspects … example, temperature and precipitation). We are experimentally causing plant life-cycle events to occur earlier by shifting spring snowmelt date in the Colorado Rocky Mountains (using black …
Type: Research
… we onlookers stop in our tracks, smile goofily, gawk unabashedly…and let our thoughts turn to romance. Over the years, the Garden has been the site of many a romantic story for both staff and visitors. With summer in full swing—and romance in the air—here are a few more … approached, a few people walked out on the grass, took their places, cued the music, and began to dance. Popping up from benches and stepping out from trees, others skipped into the action…and …
Type: Blog
… health of all of the turf areas with an integrated pest management program that is designed to reduce the use of pesticides. Fritz grew up in Kankakee, just south of Chicago. He received an … at the Olympia Fields Country Club in Olympia Fields, Illinois. From there, he continued to grow his love for the turf industry at numerous golf courses throughout the Chicago area. Before joining the …
Type: Staff bio
