Awakened by the Prairie: Reconnecting with Purpose at the Danforth Center

My first visit to the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center was in the fall of 2024. Just a few months earlier, I had accepted an offer to join the Center as a visiting scientist, which was an exciting new chapter that followed my decision to leave a scientist position at a large corporate organization. That move was fueled by a deep desire to return to meaningful research in an environment where innovation, curiosity, and diversity are genuinely valued.

As I walked toward the main building for the first time, it wasn’t the grand architecture that caught my attention. It was the prairie, a vibrant, living landscape spread out in front of the building like a natural welcome mat. The golden autumn light filtered through tall grasses waving gently in the breeze, while patches of water and meandering streams added a calm rhythm to the scene. Blue and yellow wildflowers danced among the greenery. Bees moved busily from bloom to bloom, and birds sang cheerfully from their hidden perches. Everything was alive, each element perfectly in harmony with the rest.

In that moment, I felt an unexpected sense of peace and stillness. It was a feeling I had never encountered at any other scientific institution. Most places I had worked or visited had their well-maintained lawns, trimmed with precision by diligent gardeners. Every blade of grass was identical. Every boundary is sharply defined. Neatness, uniformity, and symmetry were celebrated as symbols of refinement.

It reminded me of a passage from Yuval Noah Harari’s Homo Deus, where he speaks of lawns as a symbol of cultural constructs. Lawns have no practical function. They don’t feed us or shelter us. They first emerged among European aristocrats as displays of status and power, vast green carpets maintained for show, not purpose. 

In contrast, the prairie at the Danforth Center tells a very different story. It is not trimmed, tamed, or polished. It is diverse, resilient, and alive. It supports a complex habitat of plants, insects, birds, small mammals, reptiles, and even microbial life. It exhibits ecological richness and interdependence, with every organism playing a part and every form valued for its role.

To me, this prairie doesn’t just provide environmental benefits. It stands as a powerful metaphor for what Danforth itself represents: diversity, inclusivity, and authenticity.

I have seen firsthand how the Danforth Center community genuinely values the contributions everyone makes to the research, and its surrounding environment. Diversity here is not only about having different kinds of people; it is about understanding, respecting, and celebrating their unique perspectives and contributions. Just like in the prairie, strength lies in diversity. Innovation blooms in diversity. Harmony thrives in coexistence.

As I embark on my journey here, I carry with me not just the excitement of scientific exploration but also a sense of belonging to a place that values both curiosity and compassion, precision and empathy.

And every time I walk past that prairie, I’m reminded that nature, like science, is at its most beautiful when it is allowed to be diverse, complex, and free.