#plantlove: Joel Ramirez, Web Developer for Biodiversity Information Management

Posted in People on July 29 2019, by Matt Newman

As part of #plantlove at NYBG, we’re talking with people from all over the Garden about what inspires their passion for plants. Today, meet Joel Ramirez, Web Developer for Biodiversity Information Management in the Steere Herbarium.

My interest in plants started back in high school when I joined the Environmental Club. They offered a program with Wave Hill to learn the invaluable skills for pruning, growing, and composting plants. These types of school-garden partnerships in the Bronx with institutions such as these, including NYBG, help foster a connection between young adults and nature—educating students about the environment. Watching our school garden grow and become a safe haven was uncommon growing up in the Bronx. A “diamond in the dirt,” bringing peace into my heart. Nine years later, I’ve been able to fuse my passion for technology with plant science here at the Garden. Though they cannot speak, plants still communicate with us in their own way, and we must come together to ensure their well-being. Plants are the reason we’re able to live.