A Visit to the United States Botanic Garden by Henry Homeyer 13 February 2003

I was in Washington, D.C. recently and took the opportunity to visit the United States Botanic Garden on a cold, windy day. The visit helped me to remember that there is more to life than cold and snow. For a few hours I was surrounded by greenery, flowers and the smells of a tropical jungle. Sigh. Summer is still a long ways off. The idea of having a national Botanic Garden was conceived by Jefferson, Washington and Madison in the late seventeen hundreds. Congress, slow even then, got around to establishing one in 1820, though the first greenhouse was not actually built until 1842. It has been at its present site, on the Mall in the shadow of Congress, since 1849.

Over the next hundred and fifty years the Botanic Garden went through good times and bad. In 1928 a conservatory- a large glass structure- was built. By the 1990's the facility was decrepit and unsafe. Finally Congress appropriated 33.5 million dollars in 1997 which allowed the conservatory to be completely renovated. It remained closed for four years while all its operating systems were redone. The current conservatory, a state-of-the-art building, opened its doors in December of 2001.

Looking over the map of the exhibits, the one which first caught my eye was called the Garden Primeval. This is the Jurassic park of Washington, with plants that have survived pretty much unchanged for 150 million years. These are the descendants of the ferns and other plants that dinosaurs may have eaten. It really felt like being in a Jurassic Park, in part due to the cleverly hidden speakers that were creating noises of frogs, bugs- and maybe even small dinosaurs.

Perhaps the most dramatic display, however, is the Jungle. The Jungle is in the center of the building with its glass roof looming nine stories above us, allowing huge tropical plants to grow to their full size. It was created with great imagination, depicting an abandoned plantation in a jungle. Stone stairs and a flowing stream were integrated into the display. Bananas, palms, vines and flowers have seemingly taken over the landscape. Only the deadly snakes were missing.

One of the missions of the Botanic Garden is to educate us about plants, and the relationship between plants and our environment. In keeping with this goal is a display right now about genetically engineered plants.

The display explained that since 1992 seventeen genetically modified (GM) plants have been approved for use in the United States. Field crops like corn, cotton and soy are the most commonly planted GM crops. There is much controversy in America right now about GM crops, and whether they are safe for consumers and for the environment.

Some scientists believe that GM foods will be needed to feed an ever-expanding population, while others deem these new foods-often containing genes from organisms such as bacteria or animals- as unnatural and potentially dangerous, even calling them "Frankenfoods".

Some farmers are worried about GM plants escaping, or crossing with related wild plants, even creating "super weeds". Others look at GM corn or cotton - which produce a protein that that kills insect predators- as a great way to reduce pesticide use.

The display took the Dragnet approach: "Just the facts, ma'am." It presented succinctly the arguments on each side of the question, and educated me on some new uses of genetically engineered plants.

Of particular interest to me were experiments introducing genes into bananas that could provide the equivalent of an injection to prevent hepatitis B or measles. From my Peace Corps days I remember how difficult it was for local people to obtain vaccines that had not been compromised by the heat in a tropical climate with no refrigeration. The idea is to grow GM banana plants in areas where the vaccines are needed, then feed them to the target population when ripe, thus vaccinating them.

The display also had tomatoes growing that had been genetically altered to increase their content of lycopene, a nutrient that reduces risks of cardiovascular disease and cancers of the prostate and gastrointestinal tract. Unlike the earlier introductions of GM plants, these have an obvious benefit to the consumer, and as such may be more readily accepted.

I believe that much research still needs to be done to determine if bioengineering really is the best for humankind. We need to discuss the issues of genetic modification. The display Botanic Garden is a good, non-biased source of information. An excellent book on all aspects of genetic engineering is, Dinner at the New Gene Cafe: How Genetic Engineering Is Changing What We Eat, How We Live, and the Global Politics of Food, by Bill Lambrecht. It is well written, easily understood by anyone.

Several Vermont towns are including warrant articles at town meeting regarding the use of GM techniques, and I hope this will be a time for good discussions that increase understanding of the issues in a non-emotional way.

There were numerous other displays at the Botanic Garden, from orchids to desert plants, from art using plants to a display of teapots from Norwich Castle in England. Teapots? They showcase the art, culture, and economic importance that a single plant-tea-can inspire. There is a children's garden being developed outdoors in a courtyard, a place where kids can touch and interact with all kinds of interesting things.

The best part is this: it's free, so you can bring the whole family. Plenty of places to sit down and just contemplate, if that is your will. It was a great respite from winter, though I bet it is wonderful any time of the year.

Particulars (Side Bar): Open daily, weekends and holidays included, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Located on the National Mall at the corner of Maryland Ave. and First St. SW. For info call 202-225-8333 or visit their website, www.usbg.gov. Admission free. Handicapped accessible.