This week, we are so excited to bring you an Interview with a Botanist! Lucy interviewed Rachel Tenney (BS in Plant Science) of Plant School Podcast and Tenney Plants. Rachel is super down-to-earth, fun, and extremely passionate about plants! She makes plant care simple even for those of us with the blackest of thumbs! She is also a mother and is the perfect person to teach us about how and why to include children in our planting endeavors.
 
She teaches us all about the benefits of caring for plants including teaching children gratitude, boosting the immune system and building tolerances to allergens, releasing serotonin and helping to stabilize mood, increasing focus, encouraging picky eaters to try new foods, establishing healthy nutritional habits, and exercising in a moderate and sustainable form. She also gives really practical ideas on how to involve children in plant care and gardening. Rachel also gives us some examples of great plants to bring to your indoor environments especially if you are new to this plant business. 

Rachel also gives some advice to moms about not allowing yourself to feel guilty. "Be happy with what you can accomplish, …teach your kids to love the things you love and I think it will pass on to them, and…they will grow to see the things you love and grow into that as well." Please go check her out at one of her several platforms! 

• https://tenneyplants.com/
• https://www.instagram.com/tenneyplants/?hl=en
• https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNl82BnC262JNxVmaktTYAA

References and Resources:

• School Gardens Enhance Academic Performance and Dietary Outcomes in Children - https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/josh.12278
• The Effect of a School Gardening Program on the Science Achievment of Elementary Students - https://journals.ashs.org/horttech/view/journals/horttech/15/3/article-p448.xml
• Growing Environmental Stewards: The Overall Effect of a School Gardening Program on Environmental Attitudes and Environmental Locus of Control of Different Demographic Groups of Elementary School Children - https://journals.ashs.org/horttech/view/journals/horttech/18/2/article-p243.xml
• Ingestion of Mycobacterium vaccae decreases anxiety-related behavior and improves learning in mice - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0376635713000296
• Soil and Human Health: Current Status and Future Needs - https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1178622120934441