Graduation Year

2025

Graduation Month

May

Document Type

Thesis

Faculty Mentor Department

Davidson Honors College

Faculty Mentor

Peter McDonough

Keywords

Opportunist, Invasive, Reconnection

Subject Categories

Environmental Studies | Other Plant Sciences

Abstract

Contextualizing the history of opportunist and native plant species opens options for land management and reconnection to cultural land practices. By recognizing that opportunist species often spread as a result of relocation for practical usage, we determine that reintroducing these uses can lead to an escalation in harvesting these plants. Uses of opportunist plants are diverse and include food sources, artistic practices, and medicine. Foraging also leads to improved human-land-connectedness as well as a deeper connection to ancestral and cultural traditions, which has been found to improve mental health. Focusing on this method of land management will limit the need for strategies that require heavy resources, such as herbicides and hand pulling. In turn, increased removal of opportunistic species by foragers will reduce stress on native plant populations and increase ecological biodiversity. To facilitate the removal and uses of these plants, we propose an educational approach that spreads the necessary information for interested parties to forage these plants. This approach includes compiling a pamphlet of available opportunists and their uses. It will also incorporate protocols and strategies to safely forage these plants (e.g., how to check what areas are sprayed by pesticides and proper removal of the plant bodies). To publicize this knowledge, we will table art products made with these plants on campus. Lastly, we aim to create a framework and expand common knowledge on these species so that global communities can apply these principles in their practices.

Honors College Research Project

1

GLI Capstone Project

yes

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© Copyright 2025 Madelyne Miller, Sylvia Blodorn, Aine Fannon, Ada Scott, and Luke Pruitt