Botanical idols and other tricks: how to effectively convince people that plants are important

Abstract

Plants play a key role in shaping life on Earth, although paradoxically they often remain

unnoticed part of biodiversity. It's surprising how we relegate this essential component of terrestrial ecosystems to the role of “neutral background” for more attractive species. This neglectance may prove to be fatal to us. Unfortunately, constantly more plant species  are threatened with extinction, their number has exceeded 40% of the global flora. In order to draw attention to plants, we need both - paying more attention to human-plant relations and effective tools which will engage a larger part of society in activities for their protection. One method could be to highlight personal stories about plants – “plant love stories”. Combining it with the presentation of famous historical figures in a "botanical" context can strengthen the effectiveness of such a narrative. The article presents two figures living at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries who could be an inspiration in educational activities – Rosa Luxemburg, a political activist and revolutionary, and Władysław Michał Zaleski, a member of the Catholic hierarchy. Both were extremely different when it comes to their social background, beliefs and professional activity, but they had one thing in common – a huge love for botany.