Cycads with Dr. Dennis Stevenson
From Plant People by New York Botanical Garden
May 25, 2026 · 23 min · Season 3 · Episode 9
About this episode
The episode explores the history and conservation challenges of cycads with Dr. Dennis Stevenson.
On this episode of Plant People , host Jennifer Bernstein—CEO and The William C. Steere Senior President of NYBG—joins Dr. Dennis Stevenson, previously NYBG’s Vice President for Botanical Science, to explore some of our planet’s oldest plants. At least as far back as 200 million years ago, cycads grew in abundance—and at the peak of their distribution, they even fed the dinosaurs. These so-called “living fossils” have changed little since then, yet today, they face their greatest threats in poaching, habitat destruction, and climate change. To preserve their future will require a team effort.
People in this episode
Host: Jennifer Bernstein
Guest: Dr. Dennis Stevenson
Topics covered
- cycads
- botanical science
- plant conservation
- climate change
- habitat destruction
- poaching
Keywords
- cycads
- living fossils
- plant conservation
- climate change
- habitat destruction
- poaching
- botanical science
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: New York Botanical Garden
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