H. Jochen Schenk

Fungus roots: How trees connect to the soil The discovery of a mutually beneficial relationship between fungi and plants

New post about the discovery of mycorrhizae on the Plant Connection Substack. The latest entry to my plant science history series. Check it out!
open.substack.com/pub/theplant...

You are probably right, but I never liked Led Zep. I must be the only one in the world who prefers Homeward Through The Haze to Kashmir.

Horses by Patty Smith, Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen, and Young Americans by David Bowie. I paid no attention to those back then. Shame on me! The one I listened to and still consider perfect was Wind on the Water by Crosby & Nash.

Welcome to The Plant Connection A new name for the River to the Sky Substack

Announcing a name change for my Substack to better reflect what it is all about. Plant lovers, check it out!
open.substack.com/pub/rivertot...

Here comes the sun The sun and plants in ancient creation myths

A new entry for my series on the subject of plants and light in history. This one is about the sun and plants in ancient creation myths. Check it it out!

open.substack.com/pub/rivertot...

Title page of the paper "How lipids suppress cavitation in biological fluids"

New paper out on how polar lipids protect plant xylem against cavitation. Based on molecular dynamics simulations of hydrophobic interfaces under negative pressure. Plant biologists check it out!

doi.org/10.1016/j.jc...

At the ccolorful No Kings rally in Pasadena
#NoKingsPasadenaCA

What transpired? A visit with John Woodward to discuss leaf transpiration

Time-travel to the year 1700 to learn about leaf transpiration and about the challenges of time travel. New post on the River to the Sky Substack.
open.substack.com/pub/rivertot...

Trees are made out of air A song about connections to plants, global warming, and other things

A different kind of post on this week's River to the Sky Substack. A song about trees, global warming, and some other things. Check it out!

open.substack.com/pub/rivertot...

River to the sky | H. Jochen Schenk | Substack Stories about (re)discovering our connections with plants and with the biosphere. Click to read River to the sky, by H. Jochen Schenk, a Substack publication. Launched 3 months ago.

One way to do that is to use story-telling about science history. Van Helmont and his willow tree, Joseph Priestly and his mouse and mint experiment, Eunice Foote and her discovery of the greenhouse gas effect. That’s what I do on the River to the Sky Substack.
rivertothesky.substack.com

In the US, our current vicious VP got away with referring to climate change science as “weird science” in the VP debate, implying that it is controversial and difficult to understand. In fact, the root causes of global warming are very easy to understand and can be taught even in elementary school.

I teach global change biology, so educating about the climate crisis is my day job. But I’d argue that we don’t all have to provide fodder for doom-scrolling. Some of us write about root causes of the climate crisis. In my case, the general ignorance of the very basic science behind global warming.

Why write about ancient science history when the planet is literally on fire and authoritarian governments and invading armies threaten the safety and well-being of a large part of humanity? Shouldn’t we all be worrying and writing about those pressing issues?

This plant is trying to tell you something The doctrine of signatures and our connections with plants

My new post on the River to the Sky Substack channel, among other things, features a recipe for using a banana to combat erectile dysfunction. Do I have your attention? Also featured are the big bang, rhinos, and the book of Genesis.
open.substack.com/pub/rivertot...

That plants breathe the air! Thoughts on the breath and soul of plants by Guy de la Brosse (17th Century)

My new Substack post on River to the Sky introduces Guy de la Brosse, a largely forgotten 17th century French scholar who had some amazing insights into plants. And made some epic blunders. Check it out and consider subscribing.

open.substack.com/pub/rivertot...

Oh, Leonardo! How da Vinci was both right and also very wrong about plants

Check out my new post from the River to the Sky Substack.

open.substack.com/pub/rivertot...

Hildegard von Bingen: Plant Science in the Middle Ages A purpose-driven view of plants

More plant science history from the River to the Sky Substack.

open.substack.com/pub/rivertot...

'About Plants' – A 2,000-year-old text explains how plants use water It is still a common belief that plants acquire most of their mass by taking up nutrients from the soil.

Check out my new Substack post about what people thought about plant water use and leaf transpiration >2,000 years ago. They had pretty much figured it out!
open.substack.com/pub/rivertot...

Where do plants come from? A conversation with the poet Lucretius

Here is a new science history post about plants and the carbon cycle from my River to the Sky Substack. Check it out and consider subscribing.
open.substack.com/pub/rivertot...

A time-traveler’s conversation with Aristotle about plants and air Ancient thoughts about the river to the sky

My new Substack post features a rare conversation with Aristotle about plants and the nature of air. Check it out and consider subscribing. It's free!

open.substack.com/pub/rivertot...

Picture yourself on a boat on a river Introduction to the River to the Sky Substack, part II

New River to the Sky Substack post. Check it out, and please subscribe. It's free!

open.substack.com/pub/rivertot...

What does anyone know about the carbon cycle? A new literature review has some answers

rivertothesky.substack.com/p/what-does-...

A conversation Introducing the river to the sky

Check out my new 'River to the Sky' Substack at rivertothesky.substack.com/p/a-conversa...

Bruce Chatwin "The Songlines"

Celebrating the arrival of Marion Boisseaux for a year in our lab, the end of the semester, an amazing team, wonderful friends/mentors, and @rivertothesky.bsky.social ' European adventure next semester 🎉

For a presentation on plant water transport, I managed for the first time to get images out of ChatGPT that looked like what I wanted. Either AI is getting better, or I am.

I am looking for 1-2 new master's students in the summer/fall 2025 or spring 2026. Research can either tie to our current work on phloem physiology or plant phenology. Please email me if you want to know more!

Photos of students from Cal State Fullerton engaged in public outreach projects about plants and climate.

"What plants do for us and for the climate" Public outreach projects of students in my Global Change Biology class at the Arboretum and Botanic Garden at Cal State Fullerton. I am so proud of them all!

Please let me know if you are looking for a postdoc who is great at doing anything related to plant water relations besides being a professional drummer and ukulele player. I know just the guy! (not me, I play guitar and keyboards)

Whow, it is so cool to meet all you plant scientists who are freshly arriving in the blue skies! Welcome! The more we are, the more we'll like it. Let's cultivate our garden!