Description
A Webinar Series with Joey Santore
Classes are available for viewing now with purchase.
A 4-part virtual class with modern-day plant explorer Joey Santore of Crime Pays but Botany Doesn’t
- Part 1: Flower Anatomy for Identification Purposes
- Part 2: Plant Naming (Taxonomy) and Classification (Systematics)
- Part 3: Plant Ecology and Evolution
- Part 4: Plant Ecology and Evolution
The first two parts of this series you will learn flower anatomy and plant naming systems to help you identify plants. The second two parts will focus on plant ecology and evolution to help you understand WHY you find what you do WHERE you do.
All classes are available for viewing for 90 days with purchase. Need more time? Just be in touch and we’ll hook you up.
What is Blue Collar Botany?
In Joey’s own words, he offers “A low-brow, crass approach to botany muttered by a misanthropic Chicago Italian.”
In our words, it’s an approachable, digestible, equitable, and entertaining way to teach Botany. Joey’s enthusiasm and curiosity are infectious and totally takes the pretense of inaccessibility out of potentially intimidating scientific language and concepts. He makes this kind of knowledge accessible to all, and “lights the fire of curiosity under your ass.”
About Joey Santore
He’s a brilliant self-taught Botanist who started down this track by growing native plants (and planting them renegade-fashion in a city near you), gained a greater appreciation for plant communities as he piloted diesel trains across the West, and is driven by his passion. He is a modern-day plant explorer–seeking out fascinating plants around the globe in places wild and pristine and those that are heavily trampled by humans.
Joey’s mission to understand plant evolution has taken him to New Caledonia, South America, Australia, Mexico and to just about every botanically unique nook across the U.S. He will draw from his rich bank of stories and photos to bring the content of these four classes to life. He’ll take you on a botanical tour to some far out, oddball places, and help you better understand the plants that grow in your own neighborhood in the process.
Not familiar with Joey?
Check out his “Crime Pays But Botany Doesn’t” YouTube channel and Instagram account for a good look at what he’s all about.
dstakelum (verified owner) –
Joey Santore is a hero amongst the botany community. His videos are extremely informative as well as entertaining. He’s a real character, and his level of knowledge is always immediately evident. The class was great; thanks a ton to Allison for organizing this, and a huge thanks to Joey Santore for taking the time to teach us.
kyle.schoneman (verified owner) –
Great webinar series, gotta give a round of applause to mr. Joey Santore. Very detailed descriptions and fantastic photos of plants from around the world. 10/10 💚
V –
I could not be happier after watching all 4 webinars! Joey is a treasure–so knowledgable and down to earth, he makes it really easy to stay focused on the lesson & get excited about plants and geology. His breakdown over these four sessions really stuck in my brain more than most of the books I’ve read, and he mentions so many wonderful botanists as well! Tons of info and advice from him, and Allison was a wonderful host 🙂 so bummed it’s over. MORE than worth the money–but of course, I knew it would be 😉
Nathan Marmon (verified owner) –
I honestly could not believe the amount of knowledge that Joey can retain and his passion is equally impressive. Thank you for stoking my interest in botany Joey! Joey has inspired me on a whole new level with his love and interest in plants. Given that his foundation is all self interest and research I can now see the value of my own interest in the field. There simply are not enough people who care and it just so happens that I do. I never fed my interest because of the demands of early fatherhood and the career I chose but after taking this class I am excited to continue to build my knowledge and I hope that someday I will inspire others with my knowledge and keep the interest growing. Botany doesn’t pay but it doesn’t matter because it is important.
mitra (verified owner) –
Joey is a great teacher, if you like his videos then these classes are absolutely worth the purchase. These were even better than the first couple he did over zoom a while back. Support the dude so he can keep doing his thing!
Wily (verified owner) –
This class was amazing. Joey is great, and I got so much out of this class. It was exactly what I was looking for as I’m just starting my journey into the plant world.
teri.chace (verified owner) –
Thrilled, blown away, jazzed, fascinated, challenged, inspired, amused, grateful.
Joey is fucking brilliant, and I thought so before I tuned into the classes. (I listened to his interview with Peter Raven with my hair on fire!) He doesn’t just retain and synthesize botanical and ecological information like a boss…he’s got the big picture in view as well: LIFE! on this beleaguered planet!
I’ve been studying botany as long as I can remember. I bought field guides with my babysitting money starting when I was, like, 12 years old. I grew up to work in horticulture and nature writing. I’ve written over 35 books, including one on flowers organized by plant families. I don’t know shit compared to this guy.
I did not get my botanical education from college. I’m self-taught and had amazing mentors along the way, some I met and some I never met but corresponded with. The internet exploded the possibilities in this regard, of course. I suspect Joey had a similar path…but he’s far past me (holy shit he’s even been to New Caledonia), and I LEARN from him, and consider him another great teacher I’ve been fortunate to tap into.
Rock on, dude. World of wonders!
PS Charge more next time, Backcountry. My god this course was the bargain of the freaking century!
Spooner (verified owner) –
Joey is responsible for me falling into this rabbit hole of botany. I hope the next class is very soon!
Raul –
Academic snobbery and being condescended to have often made it extra challenging for me to learn more about things I am interested in and care deeply about—not the case here. If you like the sound of learning about plants from a coyote that got stuck 1/4 of the way shapeshifting into Al Pacino, then pour yourself a nice glass of marinara sauce and savor the complimentary spicy tang of botanical knowledge dished right into your cranium.
nobodylovesscience (verified owner) –
The Blue-Collar Botany series was very informative, and it helped focus intended botanizing on the most rudimentary and critical aspects of the science. Baja is a place worth visiting for an isolated and endemic plant population – thanks for that. The pictures and drawings were informative and drew interest.
Giggled at Joey’s comparison of invasive plants to COVID aptly demonstrating the absurdity of the all-too prevalent defense that “they just want to live”.
A provocative question was asked regarding poached plants. In attempting to be properly addressed, he danced around incitement on a recorded lecture, with open registration to the public, associated with another business. Personally, don’t give a flying shit, but I want to be able to learn more about plants from Joey.
Technical glitches were too frequent, some unavoidable, some a direct result of misuse. Those can be fixed.
The Plant Ecology and Evolution session re-iterated much of high school biology, loosely referencing authors of in-depth scientific studies. The loose references didn’t give confidence in the veracity of the iteration.
Joey’s existence in the botanical world is proof that someone distinctive, who went through it, is capable of both learning, teaching, and attracting similar folk to something inherently good – science.
Laurie (verified owner) –
Really enjoyed getting into the deep botany with Joey’s knowledge and humor. Inspiring and understandable to us lay people. Thanks to Backcountry Press!
Karen Orso (verified owner) –
What a great world tour via Joey’s photos of all the diverse and sometimes extreme adaptations plants have engineered to meet the challenges of surviving on our dynamic earth! Joey’s presentation made the miracle of life and evolution all the more meaningful and exciting. His enthusiasm is super-infectious and that he is self-taught I find inspiring. Hopefully his webinars will encourage others to spend more time in marvel at the real world and perhaps make an effort to protect and preserve biodiversity. I also enjoyed hearing his common-sense commentary on subjects ranging from attitudes towards invasive species to attacks on our current scientific nomenclature.
Darren McClelland (verified owner) –
An excellent class. Covers a lot of ground and presents things in a novel, entertaining manner.
Leslie F Lewis (verified owner) –
Strongest point in the class was the presentation of Mr Santore’s field work. The photos of plants and various ecologists was a plus.
However, the basic lecture tended to be rambling and off point at times. Trying to get cohesive info was sometimes a chore. Trying to cram taxonomy, ecology, and botany into a four part class is TMI for the time allotted. I’d like to see Mr Santore do a series on
plant ecology. There are better programs on taxonomy and botany. However, the plant photos and lectures were spot on. And the class was entertaining at times.