the-circles-of-life:Mediocalcar decoratumft. Matt Candeias / @indefenseofplants​“It came about durin

the-circles-of-life:Mediocalcar decoratumft. Matt Candeias / @indefenseofplants​“It came about during a low point in my mid-20’s. I had just left an unhealthy work environment, I was unemployed, it was winter, and my brain desperately needed an outlet,” Matt Candeias explains the birth of “In Defense of Plants,” a well-known blog on the botany side of the internet. Since then, his blog has expanded into a YouTube channel and a podcast.“I guess what gets me excited is learning about individual species and where they fit into this world. I am really interested in the taxonomic relationships of plants. I love thinking about their evolution. More than anything though, I love meeting new plant species.”Many botanical blogs like to talk about the folklore and practical value of plants. This human-centric approach is the reason why Matt invites people to learn about the true nature of plants. “They are fascinating organisms and each of the myriad species alive today has its own story to tell, its own place in the environment. So few people tell these stories.”When asked about which plant is his favorite, he decided on an orchid from New Guinea called Mediocalcar decoratum. In his words, the plant helped him understand firsthand the importance of getting to know a plant’s history.“You wouldn’t readily recognize it as an orchid at first because it has a carpet-like growth. When it comes time to flower, the little green mounds throw up numerous chubby flowers with the shape and color of candy corn. When I first encountered it at an orchid nursery I just had to have it. It was my first real serious attempt at keeping an obscure orchid alive so I knew I had to do my homework if I was going to keep this plant happy. Thanks to that plant, I learned a more patient and observant way of tending to plants.”He also thinks it’s unfair when we conserve nature purely for the benefits they bring to us. “This lack of attention breeds a lot of apathy towards plants. We call them weeds and we do what we can to get them out of our lives.”“If we have any future in our ever-changing world, we better start celebrating plants a whole lot more than we do right now.“—Matt Candeias runs the popular blog In Defense of Plants.Get to know Matt and his passion for plants.Twitter · Facebook · Tumblr · Youtube · Patreon—My main blog · Ko-fi · PatreonCHECK HIS CHANNEL OUT GUYS.^ He is my kind of person. -- source link

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