In Variations on a Theme, Joey will take us on a journey beyond the Rio Grande Valley to see how related plants in the same genera and families have evolved in dramatically different environments across the globe. Discover the unexpected connections between our local flora and their distant relatives and gain a deeper appreciation for the incredible diversity of plant life.

From Outside magazine about Joey: “An ex-punk and former train engineer who is self-taught in the sciences, Joey Santore does not fit the mold of the stereotypical botanist. He has lots of tattoos and no college degree... Joey’s YouTube channel, Crime Pays But Botany Doesn’t, has more than a quarter-million subscribers … he’s getting … many different kinds of people to geek out on plants.”

Joey describes himself and his work: “Joey is a freight train driver turned self-taught botanist who has traveled the world studying plants through the lens of ecology and natural selection. Aside from occasionally teaching Intro to Botany as an adjunct professor at Sul Ross University, Joey has avoided any commitment to academia like the plague.”

His view on Plants: “A view through the “bigger picture” of ecology and evolution rather than what they can “do” for us (as if holding up the biosphere isn’t enough) - can provide us not only with an awareness and context for our part in the intricate web of life here on Planet Earth but also with a philosophical underpinning that will enable us to weather and withstand some of the dark elements coming our way.”

Joey has managed to protect 150 acres of Tamaulipan Thornscrub which include fossilized oyster beds of Eocene-Oligocene age and a unique complement of native vegetation. [https://www.crimepaysbutbotanydoesnt.com/thornscrub-sanctuary -preliminary action-plan]

The meeting will be held at the Valley Nature Center, 301 S. Border (Gibson Park), in Weslaco, on Tuesday, March 25, at 7 p.m. For more information, call (956) 969-2475. You can also visit their website at nativeplantproject.com/.