Fall 2026 OLLI Digital Catalog

WALKING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE BOTANIST DARWIN (P206)

P – Life Sciences

Charles Darwin through his theory of evolution proposed that all living things were “netted together” by a common ancestry. Few people appreciate that Darwin was also a preeminent botanist. Darwin’s study of the plant kingdom was his lifelong passion, and botany was the center of each stage of his life. In this course we walk in the footsteps of Darwin in the Galapagos to look at the plants that helped inform his theory of evolution. We look at Ecuador and the Galapagos as one system to begin with and then cover his theory of adaptive evolution, through the native and exotic plants and mangroves of Ecuador and the Galapagos.

This offering meets for a total of 5 session(s).

INSTRUCTOR: Tom Evans

EVANS, THOMAS — B.S., M.S., botany, Cal Poly, Pomona; Ph.D., botany, plant pathology, Michigan State University. Emeritus UD professor of botany and plant pathology, serving 37 years. Research group focused on etiology, epidemiology and control of lima bean diseases, important for Delaware agriculture. Led 10 study abroad trips to Ecuador and the Galapagos, as well as USAID-funded programs in Ecuador, Morocco, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic for sustainable vegetable crop production.

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