Biology

Native Plant Garden

Tennessee Tech’s Native Plant Garden, located between Pennebaker and Johnson Halls, was begun in 2017 through a $6000 Tennessee Tech Edge/QEP Curriculum Grant to S. Zeringue-Krosnick for implementation in Field Botany (Biol 3240). This amazing resource recreates the plant groupings found in the many diverse habitats in Tennessee. The plantings allow for successional interactions, thus creating habitat assemblages and a place to view native flora and fauna right on campus. Enjoyed by Tennessee Tech faculty, staff, and students as well as outside visitors, the native plant garden serves as an outdoor classroom and lab space, a source of inspiration, and a place to relax. The space has been used by several courses including Plant Ecology (Biol 4330), Concepts of Biology (Biol 1080), General Botany (BIOL 2310), Plant Animal Interactions (Biol 4340), and Drawing I (Art 1050). On any given day, you will likely see individuals detouring through this Tennessee Tech treasure on their way elsewhere, studying or eating lunch, or setting up an observational experiment. The native plant garden is largely maintained by volunteers in partnership with a range of organizations on and off campus. If you are interested in volunteering, reach out to Hannah Kinmonth-Schultz for the current volunteer work times.