Plants/Botany
This page contains numerous curriculum resources that may be used flexibly by Virginia Master Naturalist chapters and trainees to meet their learning needs. These resources also are available to other volunteer programs and the public for their use, but please note that watching or reading these materials cannot substitute for enrolling in and completing a basic training course with a VMN chapter in order to become a Virginia Master Naturalist volunteer.
Thank you to the numerous people who contributed to the creation of these materials, particularly the Flora of Virginia Education Committee and the Virginia Native Plant Society for creating and hosting the video modules, and John Hayden for writing the botany readings.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of the Virginia Master Naturalist basic training course, participants will understand and be able to describe:
- Diversity and distribution of plants in Virginia
- Roles of plants in Virginia ecosystems
- Natural history and basic biology of plants
- Adaptations of plants and how these relate to environmental factors
- Taxonomy of plants
- Key characteristics used to identify plants
- Threats and/or issues relating to plants in Virginia, such as invasive species
- Techniques and methods for inventorying and studying plants
Participants also will be able to:
- Recognize some common plants occurring in the local ecosystems
- Recognize rare or special plant species that indicate habitat qualities
- Use tools such as field guides, dichotomous keys, and the Flora of Virginia App to identify and learn about plants
Background Readings
Recommended Readings
- Virginia Master Naturalist Basic Training Course: Botany by W. John Hayden
- Virginia Master Naturalist Basic Training Course: Botany (Introductory Version) by W. John Hayden: This version of the reading has slightly less technical language and detail. Beginners might prefer to start here!
- USA National Phenology Network Botany Primer by Guertin, et al.
Recommended Tools
- For those who prefer a simple, printed plant identification guide, we recommend Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. For short videos explaining how to use the Newcomb’s guide, check out these tutorials from the University of Waterloo.
- For those who want a comprehensive and detailed printed plant guide focused on Virginia, we recommend The Flora of Virginia by Alan S. Weakley, J. Christopher Ludwig, and John F. Townsend, produced by the Flora of Virginia Project. The video module 1 (Tour of the Flora) below will assist you in using the printed Flora of Virginia manual.
- For those who want a mobile app with plant information, range maps, dichotomous keys, graphic/interview keys, and images, we recommend the Flora of Virginia App. The video module 2 below (Using the Flora App) will assist you in using the Flora of Virginia App.
Presentation Videos
What: A series of seven online videos produced by the Flora of Virginia Project’s Education Committee. Together, they include approximately six hours of content, so we recommend that new VMN trainees start with just two of the videos: Basic Botany and Plant Families. Later, you can delve deeper and watch the other videos, which we have included under “Additional Video Resources” below.
Possible uses:
- Have trainees watch before class as preparation
- Watch as part of class, combined with hands-on activities
- Have trainees watch after class as review
- Share with instructor to give him/her an idea of the type of material to cover
- Have trainees watch as a make-up for a missed class on the same topic
- Have existing members watch as a refresher on this topic
User Notes: Please note that you can make the video full-screen and toggle the closed captioning on and off. Please also note that although you can stream the videos directly from this page, there is additional content associated with each video on the Virginia Native Plant Society’s Vimeo site. There you can find descriptions of each video module, a breakdown of the sections in each module, and additional resources such as websites and additional readings.
Flora Education Module 3 – Basic Botany
Open this video in Vimeo to read a description of the module, see timestamps for each section and corrections, and to find websites and additional resources.
Corrections: At 13:06 “how plants are arranged on the stem” should be “how leaves are arranged on the stem” and 14:19 “this is alternate” should be “this is opposite.”
Flora Education Module 6 – Plant Families
Open this video in Vimeo to read a description of the module, see timestamps for each section and corrections, and to find websites and additional resources.
Watch on WebsiteFlora Education Module 1 – Tour of the Flora, An Overview
Open this video in Vimeo to read a description of the module, see timestamps for each section and corrections, and to find websites and additional resources.
Watch on WebsiteFlora Education Module 2 – Using the Flora App
Open this video in Vimeo to read a description of the module, see timestamps for each section and corrections, and to find websites and additional resources.
Watch on WebsiteFlora Education Module 4 – Taxonomy
Open this video in Vimeo to read a description of the module, see timestamps for each section and corrections, and to find websites and additional resources.
Watch on WebsiteFlora Education Module 4 – Keying
Open this video in Vimeo to read a description of the module, see timestamps for each section and corrections, and to find websites and additional resources.
Watch on WebsiteFlora Education Module 4 – Habitats
Open this video in Vimeo to read a description of the module, see timestamps for each section and corrections, and to find websites and additional resources
Watch on WebsiteAssessment Questions
What: A set of possible assessment questions on this topic for VMN trainees.
Possible uses: Incorporate these questions into written or practical assessments during the course.