The Convergence Zone

Here's a talk I wish I could attend: Dr. Sarah Reichard will speak on “Being a Conscientious Gardener." Dr. Sarah Reichard is a UW professor and Director of UW Botanic Gardens. Dr. Reichard's field of interest is restoration ecology and environmental horticulture. Her research has focused on biological invasion by non-native invasive species and on rare plant species. She will talk about her new book, The Conscientious Gardener. and this part, quoted in http://integraljournal.typepad.com/excerpts/2011/05/the-conscientious-gardner-by-sarah-hayden-reichard.html The soil biota may affect human health. A 2007 study by Christopher Lowry and Graham Rook suggests a reason why gardening feels so good: a bacterium naturally found in the soil, Mycobacterium vaccae, stimulates the human immune system to release serotonin. This hormone is used in anti-depressants to increase feeling of well-being. Some scientists even believe that our ever-increasing desire for cleanliness and