I was the founding Principal Investigator on the ¡Plantásticas! exhibition at the Exploratorium, which opened in March of 2023. This project included a major exhibition and public program series that explored plants through the lens of research science, Indigenous knowledge, and lived experience.

The exhibition included over twenty new and refurbished experiences, through which visitors could see leaves of the plant yerba buena under a microscope next to text written by Ohlone collaborators on the significance of that plant to their community; explore data visualizations of the daily cycle of oxygen production by a living plant wired with sensors; observe the diversity of maize from Mexico under a microscope; and build a leaf from three dimensional cell models printed from real data.

This exhibition combined the long-standing expertise in the life sciences at the Exploratorium with the Latino Audience Engagement Initiative at the Exploratorium, and was designed to share our understanding of plants through design informed by research in inclusive science communication and inclusive exhibit design. The exhibition was created in collaboration with Ohlone culutral leaders Vincent Medina and Louis Trevino, Maya elder María Avila Vera, artist Andi Xoch, Salinas-based community organization Xinampa, and scientists at the University of Iowa and UC Davis. I conceived of, obtained funding for, and led the project through conceptual development and initial prototyping.

This work was funded by a grant from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and the National Science Foundation. More details can be found on the Exploratorium website.