Sedges. This wonderfully diverse group of grass-like plants can be quite intimidating to those who are new to the world of plant identification. Sedges are to botanists as shore birds are to birders. Because of this, sedges are often glazed over as yet another gramminoid for amateurs and ecologists alike. This is not a good thing as sedges are incredibly important components of healthy ecosystems around the globe. In fact, many sedge species are the backbone of some very sensitive habitats. Join me for a discussion with botanist Paul Marcum who has a special affinity for this family of plants. Hopefully by the end of this conversation we will have inspired you to take a closer look at the sedges in your neighborhood. This episode was produced in part by Gregory, Mark, Allen, Bryan, Desiree, Troy, Margie, and Laura.