Marya C. Roddis, Botanical Illustrator and Educator
Marya Roddis uses her talents as a botanical illustrator to inspire enthusiasm for the natural world. The granddaughter of an ethnobotanist—that is, someone who studies how people use plants—Ms. Roddis was taught to see the value and importance of all living things. Through workshops and after-school activities with local children, Ms. Roddis encourages her students to observe their environment and communicate what they learn. Whether through these educational efforts or her professional guidebook illustrations, Ms. Roddis's goal is to use art as a tool to help students who do not learn well in traditional settings.
“Illustration is a natural part of biology study. The detailed work required to create drawings can lead to success in all areas of scientific work.”
Choose a topic that you have studied so far in biology (such as ecology, cells, or evolution) and explain how illustrations helped you understand the material.