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Cambridge offers botany course that inspired Darwin after rare archive uncovered
University’s botanic garden will use study materials created by John Stevens Henslow, the naturalist’s mentor, 200 years ago
TL;DR
- Rare botanical teaching materials, including specimens and illustrations used by Professor John Stevens Henslow to teach Charles Darwin, have been rediscovered in Cambridge.
- These materials, stored for nearly 200 years, will be utilized in a new four-week botany course at Cambridge University Botanic Garden.
- The course aims to revive Henslow's teaching methods, which focused on hands-on learning and field excursions, to address a perceived gap in contemporary botanical education.
- Henslow's teaching emphasized the concept of variation within plant species, laying the foundation for Darwin's theory of evolution.
- The rediscovery and revival of these teaching methods are seen as crucial for equipping students with the skills to understand plant morphology, diversity, and their role in addressing issues like biodiversity loss and climate change.
- Darwin described Henslow as having "influenced my whole career more than any other."
- Henslow recommended Darwin for the naturalist position on HMS Beagle, a post Darwin accepted and used to collect specimens for his former tutor.