Garrett Goodrich
They/Them | They/He
I am queer and nonbinary and I am a botanist.//
I have been enamored with plants since I was young. While attending Vassar College in New York, I double majored in Biology and Women, Feminist, & Queer Studies, exploring a variety of approaches to research including restoration ecology, plant ecophysiology, invasion biology, biodiversity collections management, queer theory, and feminist science studies. My work included 3 years of applied work on The Preserve at Vassar, a year of herbarium digitization, and a senior thesis on the topic of queer botany.
I am now a masters student in Botany at California Botanic Garden working on a floristic inventory of the Jennie Lakes Wilderness and Evans Grove Complex in Fresno and Tulare Counties, California. Located adjacent to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, this unique study site boasts nine giant sequoia groves, six glacial lakes, and numerous meadows. During my floristics research I am eager to explore the impacts of fire and recreation on California’s incredible plant communities, provide a clear baseline for future conservation of the area, and work alongside the groups currently stewarding the region.
I love both plants and queer people, so I’m especially delighted by opportunities to be among other queer people who love plants!