University Program Blends Art, Science to Teach Local Botany

On December 1 a pilot outreach program at the University of Wyoming combined art and botanical science to create a new model for community learning. Kaleidoscope Science paired a botanist and outreach PhD student, a printmaking instructor, and the director of the Rocky Mountain Herbarium to lead participants through a four lens exploration of local plants. Each lens represented history, art, science, and culture and was tied to a specific color. Participants researched a plant such as the Wyoming paintbrush, translated findings into screen prints, and then layered prints from different groups to produce multi lens outcomes.

Organizers designed the program to be hands on and accessible, hosting workshops for UW Botany Club members, local elementary school classes, the Innovation Wyrkshop makerspace, and broader community audiences. Early engagement was strong, and the team began collecting pre and post program surveys to measure learning gains and document outreach outcomes as part of ongoing research. The project also aimed to increase public familiarity with the Rocky Mountain Herbarium and to demonstrate the scientific value of preserved plant collections.

For Albany County residents the program offers immediate educational benefits and longer term public health and environmental relevance. By teaching plant identification and biodiversity concepts through tactile art activities the initiative lowers barriers for non specialists to engage with ecological knowledge that informs local conservation, land management, and outdoor education. Schools that participated gained a curriculum ready activity that links state natural history to classroom learning, while community events created opportunities for intergenerational conversation about local ecosystems.

Beyond direct participants Kaleidoscope Science suggests policy implications for outreach funding and university community engagement. Transdisciplinary programs that document learning with assessment surveys can help justify investment in collaborative art and science education and support the herbarium as a resource for research and public programming. Organizers plan to expand events and continue collecting evidence on learning and community impact, positioning the pilot as a replicable approach for inclusive science communication in Albany County and beyond.