May 13th, 2019
AMES, Iowa — A film showcasing the science and beauty of seeds, produced by an Iowa State University seed scientist, is set for a public viewing at Reiman Gardens.
“Seeds! Diversity of Wonder,” will be screened at 6 p.m. June 16 at the gardens, located at 1407 University Blvd., in Ames. The viewing is open to the public at no charge.
The film’s purpose is to make seed science accessible to a wide audience and inspire a new generation to take an interest, said Manjit Misra, director of Iowa State’s Seed Science Center. Misra will be available for questions following the film viewing.
“Seeds are not just the beginning, but the renewal of agriculture, of all life and civilization. With this film, we wanted to communicate that value and beauty of seeds to the world,” Misra said. “I think we’ve been able to capture that.”
The film takes viewers to locations including India and Africa as well as the Iowa State campus, the World Food Prize in Des Moines and Iowa farms.
The film can be viewed as a single, hour-long presentation or as a series of six segments of roughly 10 minutes each. The segments cover a range of seed-related topics, including the role seeds play in everyday life, how seed technology can lead to more nutritious food and how the genetic material contained in seeds is stored in a global network of seed banks.
Misra said he wants the film to be available to the widest audience possible to inspire a sense of wonder in a topic many take for granted.
“We want this film to inspire the public, particularly students, and tell them that the world needs more research and more resources put toward the seeds and agriculture to feed, clothe, fuel and heal the world,” he said.
Since the film debuted in March at the Environmental Film Festival in Washington, D.C., more than 800 DVD copies have been requested.
More information about “Seeds! Diversity of Wonder” is available at seeds.iastate.edu.
About the Seed Science Center
The Seed Science Center at Iowa State is a center of excellence nationally and internationally in seed research, education, technology transfer and international seed programs.
Contacts:
Manjit Misra, Seed Science Center, 515-294-6821, mkmisra@iastate.edu
Cindy Hicks, Seed Science Center, 515-296-5386, cghicks@iastate.edu
Ed Adcock, Agriculture and Life Sciences Communications Service, 515-294-2314, edadcock@iastate.edu