Botany Photo of the Day is an educational outreach project coordinated by the staff at the University of British Columbia Botanical Garden and Centre for Plant Research, located in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Its slogan is “In science, beauty. In beauty, science. Daily.” The inspiration for Botany Photo of the Day comes from NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day.

On a near-daily basis, a photograph of botanical interest and accompanying write-up are published. A pool of photograph contributors from around the world permits Botany Photo of the Day to have a global approach instead of being restricted to what can grow in UBC Botanical Garden or the surrounding region. Series of photographs on a focused topic are highlighted occasionally, including an annual series promoting research at the University of British Columbia for Celebrate Research Week.

In addition to the photograph and accompanying write-up, a community of commenters from around the world add to each entry with additional facts, personal stories, poetry, or other contributions.

Image Submissions and Image Usage

Please see the Photographs of Botany of Photo of the Day page for details on photograph submissions, usage, and technical specifications.

Origin

The idea for Botany Photo of the Day emerged out of a technology discussion with Tim Bray and Lauren Wood. You can read more about that day and discussion at ongoing (Tim Bray's weblog) and the first Botany Photo of the Day entry, Melliodendron xylocarpum.

Botany Photo of the Day In the News

Selected sites that have featured Botany Photo of the Day:

• Metafilter - June 2, 2005
• Refdesk - added to daily photo links in early June, 2005
• Yahoo! Pick of the Day - June 10, 2005
• Internet Scout Project - June 17, 2005
• Science - Netwatch for July 1, 2005
• Cited as a “hot link” in a North American public library information portal, reaching hundreds of libraries across North America - mid-September, 2005
• Boing Boing - October 17, 2005
• “In Science, Beauty. In Beauty, Science” article in Canada's National Post newspaper - November 16, 2005
• Small Business Blog of the Day - April 6, 2006
• Online Tech Tip's 7 Best Image RSS Feeds - February 15, 2010