Digital Plant Encounters: Integrating Critical Plant Studies with Digital Environmental Humanities

The distinction between nature and technology is a western dichotomy that is slowly being eroded. As we are continuously confronted with humanity’s role in the climate crisis, it is important that humanists also tell stories about the environment and not cede that conversation to the sciences. The Humanities have a role to play in explaining the histories, cultures, and stories of plants to help us see and acknowledge all of the lives around us. Our research foregrounds Digital Humanities projects that weave together different narratives that tell deeper, more nuanced stories about the natural world, specifically focusing on projects that center plant narratives. We examine how Digital Environmental Humanities in conversation with critical plant studies can create detailed, interactive narratives about the lives of plants and underscore the importance of portraying plants as subjects of inquiry and not merely background objects. (HR and CB)