Damian is a graduate student in Michigan State University's Department of Plant Biology. I invited him to write this post after hearing his plant-related Miley Cyrus lamentations... and am absolutely thrilled with the outcome. Enjoy. -Anna

​[Damian writes...] Ok, so I’m about to get REAL petty– and yes, this is going to sound totally inconsequential, but hear me out.
 
I get it, there are far greater perils facing humanity at the current moment (read: the US federal government just walked away from the world’s first and, at the moment, best global initiative to combat CO2 emissions– one of only three nations to do so on Earth). Regardless, since she’s recently careened back into the limelight, I need to take a moment to acknowledge the country-born, tongue-flailing, cultural-appropriating elephant in the room… that is, our very own Saturday-morning-starlet-turned-wrecking-ball, Miley Cyrus. Yet, despite what initially appears trivial, in reality, may be a matter that threatens the well-being of plant communities EVERYWHERE!