Associate Curator at the University of Michigan
About
Dr. David C. Michener is the associate curator at the University of Michigan (U-M) Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum. In 2014 he was awarded the national Professional Citation Award from the American Public Garden Association for his public service, in large part on work with living collections management and inclusion. David co-teaches in 'Onji-akiing' a pre-college summer residential program managed by the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission. He is an active member of the U-M Museum Studies Steering Committee, and is best known for overseeing the restoration of the U-M Peony Garden - which has a complex social history.
Current Work:
1. David is currently the PI on 'Heritage Seeds', which engages University of Michigan (U-M) faculty and staff, three First Nations' community representatives (all Anishinaabe), the lead seed genomics expert for the USDA, and selected others to develop guidelines for the sharing / rematriation of First Nations' originated seeds in ethnobotanical collections - and their curated information. From this working document they anticipate a funded pilot project for a (literally) ground-breaking project.
2. A team of the above is working with FN representatives on parallel cultural interpretation of Great Lakes plants and environments at the U-M Botanical Gardens.
3. David was part of the team that developed 'A cloth of Earth and Sky - the healing power of nature through the eyes of Africa-American quilters'. http://www.lsa.umich.edu/mbg/happening/quilt-exhibit.asp
Research Area Keyword(s):
Museum, First Nation, African-American, Landscape, Place
