Plant lab/studio

This research lab immerses students in botanical science and artistic expression, focusing on plants and people. Our key research areas include plant taxonomy, vegetal geography, ethnobotany, ecology and climate change impacts on plants. We also explore plant’s cultural significance through an ethnobotanical perspective, examining community practices and the symbolism of plants in literature, age-old art forms, and historical structures. Faculty-led projects in botanical science involve collaborations with stakeholders, offering art and design students a chance to learn & contribute to a better understanding of the human-nature relationship through engaging with plants in varied capacities. The lab offers transdisciplinary research units enabling students to engage with communities and their traditional botanical practices, discovering how plants can inspire, heal, and illuminate the symbiotic connection between humans and nature. Through hands-on gardening, internships in forest ecology, and access to resources like books, herbariums, and project materials, we promote botanical literacy campus-wide. In collaboration with the forest department, volunteer groups, and NGOs, we share knowledge through workshops, nature walks, and project consultations, encouraging community engagement. Our lab actively contributes to landscaping and plantation drives on the MAHE campus through the MAHE B’LRU Rewilding Task Force committee, fostering a deeper consciousness about human-plant relationships.