Honors Students Focus on Biophilia in New UH 390 Course
PULLMAN, Wash.—Fifteen Honors College students were happy to get their hands dirty during finals weeks of spring semester. On a field trip to the new 170-acre WSU Arboretum and Wildlife Conservation Center, they partook of activities that brought a sort of symmetry to the close of their UH 390: Domain of the Sciences class. Led by professor Ginny Lohr, it was a case study in global issues in science.
Part of the new Honor’s Curriculum, which focuses on engaging students to learn about key global issues of our time, the course encourages students to work in groups and on case studies.
For her first Honors class, Lohr decided to center on the theme of “biophilia.”
“Biophilia is the tendency of humans to be drawn to and fascinated by nature,” explains Lohr. “For example, plants can help people with their stress levels and reduce mental fatigue.” Biophilia is a growing field of research for scientists in many fields, such as biology and environmental psychology.
Lohr, a professor in the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, has researched the impacts of plants on people since the 1990s. Her work has shown that physical discomfort may be reduced in the presence of interior plants, that people feel happier looking at a tree rather than no tree, and that people prefer trees when they have a spreading form.
“One thing I saw very early on with Professor Lohr was her great passion for her work,” says Honors student Jared Brickman.
“Horticulture is probably one of the last areas of study I would ever really consider taking,” says Brickman, who is majoring in journalism and pre-law. “But this class taught me a lot about a subject I would have otherwise been oblivious to.”
Lohr’s students used their research skills to analyze the effects of plants and nature on people and on theories about why these responses occur. Students were required to write a paper, present a topic to the class, and participate in class activities. Topics tackled by the students in the class included: deforestation, environmental exploitation, cardiovascular disease, urbanization, international drug trade, and invasive plants.
Brickman’s topic was deforestation, which is the clearance of naturally occurring forests by logging and burning.
“The role of trees on our planet is rather paramount,” Brickman says. Damage to forests and other aspects of nature could halve living standards for the world’s poor. In developing countries, almost 3 billion people rely on wood for heating and cooking.
Lohr plans to present some of the students’ research at the 28th International Horticultural Congress this August in Lisbon, Portugal. This is a world conference on horticultural sciences that emphasizes its scientific components and how it relates to scientists, producers, consumers, and society at large.
“In my presentation, I will tell the audience about the Honors students and their topics,” says Lohr. “I will ask the audience to consider becoming involved in one of these areas as they make plans for the future.”
For the Honors students’ UH 390 final, they planted 30 Ponderosa pine trees on a windy, but sunny, Tuesday afternoon along with professors Lohr and Rod Sayler at the new WSU Arboretum and Wildlife Conservation Center.
“The Ponderosa pine trees will grow well under arid conditions,” reassures Sayler, associate professor in the Department of Natural Resource Sciences and chair of the WSU Arboretum Committee.
The new WSU Arboretum and Wildlife Conservation Center broke ground on April 22, Earth Day, with approximately 80 people to help plant trees and participate in a Native American blessing of the land. The 170 acres will be used to provide a unique landscape to experience science and demonstrate the creative interaction of art, science, and culture.
“I really enjoyed working with Honors students,” Lohr says with a smile. “They are enthusiastic, inquisitive, and willing to try new things. The idea of planting trees was actually suggested by a student after learning about the impacts of deforestation. It was great fun working with such a proactive group!”
Lohr plans to teach her UH 390 course again next spring.
CONTACT: Merik Metos, Communications Assistant, WSU Honors College, 509-335-8070, mmetos@vetmed.wsu.edu