Missouri Botanical Garden
Missouri Botanical Garden researchers collecting plants on the remote South Pacific island of New Caledonia have discovered a new genus belonging to the plant family Cunoniaceae, a group of Southern Hemisphere tropical trees. Garden botanists say their find is particularly exciting because it is very rare to discover a genus in the field.
The tropical island of New Caledonia, a French territory located east of Australia, is slightly smaller than New Jersey. Missouri Botanical Garden staff members have conducted research there since 1979.
Currently they are involved in a joint project with the National Museum of Natural History in Paris to identify areas of exceptional botanical richness that are priority sites for conservation activities. This collaboration involves the careful mapping of a large sample of New Caledonia’s nearly 3,500 plant species, almost three-quarters of which are found nowhere else in the world. As part of the project, American and French researchers are also inventorying plants in the most poorly explored corners of the island to ensure full botanical coverage.
The Garden’s project in New Caledonia is supported by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, with assistance from local authorities in New Caledonia.
In May, Dr. Gordon McPherson and Dr. Pete Lowry were exploring Mt. Ignambi, a 4,300 ft. peak in the northeast part of the island. Working with New Caledonian forestry agents and a local university student, they camped about half way up the mountain and collected botanical specimens along a foot-trail leading to the summit.
After a few days of collecting, they found a tree with flowers and fruits of a kind they had not seen before, despite many years of field work in New Caledonia. A bit further down the trail a second tree of the same species yielded flowers with much longer male parts. The researchers realized that the remarkably unusual species had separate male and female plants.
A graduate student in St. Louis analyzed the DNA sample from collected specimens, and it was determined that the new plant belongs to the family Cunoniaceae. It is unlike all previously known members of this family because it has a simple, one-chambered ovary and single-seeded fruits that have a fleshy outer layer surrounding a stone, rather than being dry and splitting open to release the seeds.
The new discovery is also significant because it was made directly in the field, allowing researchers to prepare freshly collected specimens and take color photos.
Turning little moments into big magic
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri has a very different and unique program with MasterCard International. Big Brothers Big Sisters, along with St. Louis Public Schools is embarking on a new frontier in mentoring – called e-mentoring.
Students from Langston Middle School correspond with MasterCard employees about their science fair projects through e-mail at least three times a week. The program began last February and takes place throughout the school year.
The group utilizes the International Tele-Mentor Program (www.telementor.org) website to e-mail each other. The telementoring program began in 1995 when David Neils, a software engineer at Hewlett-Packard, set up a class to teach Internet skills to junior high students. He realized quickly that students who are encouraged to pursue their interests will do so passionately. Telementoring is an electronic version of the proven practice of mentoring, in which an older, more experienced person shares his or her experience and expertise with a younger “protégé” in a way that helps the protégé achieve a goal. This exchange of information and inspiration takes place through e-mail and secured online discussion forums. The goal of “e-mentoring” is improved communication, writing, math, and science skills.
Checkpoints are taken through out the program on a regular basis to assess the performance of the program. Big Brothers Big Sisters and schoolteachers receive copies of all e-mails between the two groups for evaluation.
In addition to this to program, MasterCard has been a generous supporter and contributor of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri for several years. They are the title sponsor for the organizations biggest fundraiser Bowl For Kids Sake.
Big Brothers and Big Sisters are, foremost, friends to children. They share everyday activities, expand horizons, and experience the joy in even the simplest events. Within those little moments lies the big magic that a Big Brother or Big Sister brings to the life of a young person. Being a Big Brother or Big Sister is something that almost anyone can do. The only requirement is a willingness to make a new friend and a desire to share some fun with a young person. Volunteers say that being part of a BBBS match is as enjoyable and fulfilling for them as it is for their “Littles”!
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri is an organization that specializes in developing one-to-one friendship based relationships between adult volunteers and children ages 5 through 17.
To get your company or school involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri call 314-361-5900 or log on to www.bbbsemo.org.