how did you get interested in rare plants and how long are you going to continue doing it?

Question: how did you get interested in rare plants and how long are you going to continue doing it?
- Keywords:
  rare
Asked by Ethan Petcher to Zarah on 4 Nov 2016.
- Zarah Pattison answered on 4 Nov 2016:
  
  Hi Ethan,
  
  Thanks for your question!
  
  Originally I wanted to study Cheetahs in Africa…but then I went to a plant lecture given by a professor during my undergraduate degree. The lecture was all about the special adaptations of plants and how they survive in harsh climates. He also talked about how plants use mycorrhizal fungi underground to enhance their nutrient uptake and produce toxins to defend themselves against predators.
  
  I remember sitting there thinking “wow!Plants can’t walk or talk but they can do all these awesome things”. From then I was hooked and changed all my courses from Zoology to Ecology. I plan to continue studying plants for a long time but I also have other interests too like bacteria and invertebrates.
  
  Sometimes you never know what your true passion is unless you try other things too 🙂
  
  Cheers,
  Z

Question: how did you get interested in rare plants and how long are you going to continue doing it?