Roxanne Hastings: A Life Exploring Nature's Minute Marvels and Vast Horizons
1956 – 2016
Botanist, moss expert, and photographer who bridged science and art
A Legacy in Moss and Microscope
Roxanne Hastings (28 June 1956–2 June 2016) dedicated her life to deciphering nature's quietest stories—from the minute mosses clinging to desert rocks to the spiritual boundaries shaping human connection with land. Her career spanned 26 years at the Royal Alberta Museum, where she served as curator of botany and acting head of life sciences before retiring in 20151 . Hastings became a renowned North American expert on the taxonomy, systematics, and biogeography of the widespread desert moss genus Grimmia, contributing significantly to our understanding of these resilient yet overlooked organisms1 .
This tribute celebrates Hastings' dual legacy as both a meticulous scientist and creative spirit, whose work bridged the gap between specialized botanical research and the human experience of place and belonging.
Scientific Rigor
Expertise in moss taxonomy and ecology
Conservation Focus
Research with practical ecological applications
Artistic Vision
Bridging science and photography
The Scientific Pathfinder: From Museum Halls to Microscopic Worlds
Hastings' professional journey reflects a persistent curiosity about the living world and a commitment to sharing that knowledge with others. After earning both her BSc(Hons) in 1979 and MSc in 1984 from the University of Alberta1 , she embarked on a distinguished career with the Royal Alberta Museum that would span over a quarter-century.
1979
Earned BSc(Hons) from University of Alberta1
1984
Completed MSc from University of Alberta1
1989-2015
26-year career at Royal Alberta Museum, serving as curator of botany and acting head of life sciences1
2015
Retired from Royal Alberta Museum1
2015-2016
Continued work as visiting scholar with Cryptogamic Herbarium at University of Alberta1
Museum Contributions
During her tenure, she co-curated the Wild Alberta Gallery, helping to create exhibits that translated complex ecological relationships into engaging public experiences1 . As curator of botany, she oversaw the preservation and study of the museum's plant collections, ensuring these valuable scientific resources would remain available for future research.
Post-Retirement Work
Even after her retirement from the museum in 2015, Hastings continued her scientific work as a visiting scholar with the Cryptogamic Herbarium in the University of Alberta's Department of Biological Sciences, where she maintained her research on moss systematics1 . This dedication to her field demonstrates a lifelong commitment to scientific inquiry that extended well beyond conventional career boundaries.
Groundbreaking Research on Grimmia Moss
Hastings established herself as a North American expert on the genus Grimmia, a group of mosses particularly adapted to survive in harsh desert environments1 . Her specialized work focused on:
Taxonomy
Identifying and classifying different species within this challenging genus
Systematics
Understanding the evolutionary relationships between Grimmia species
Biogeography
Mapping the distribution patterns of these mosses across landscapes
Her expertise in these areas filled important gaps in our understanding of how these seemingly fragile organisms not only survive but thrive in some of North America's most demanding habitats.
In-Depth Look: A Key Experiment in Plant Ecology
While Hastings built her reputation on moss research, her scientific curiosity extended to broader ecological questions. Her collaborative work on plant competition, exemplified by a 2016 study published in Plant Ecology, provides a compelling case study of her rigorous approach to ecological investigation.
Methodology: Untangling Competition and Seed Limitation
The research addressed a fundamental question in ecology: why do native annual plants typically exhibit low abundances in grasslands invaded by exotic species? Hastings and her colleagues designed a sophisticated field experiment to test two competing hypotheses:
- Competition: Established exotic grasses directly suppress native annuals through resource competition
- Seed limitation: Native annual populations are limited by inadequate seed dispersal rather than competition
Experimental Design
The researchers established multiple experimental field plots where they manipulated both competition from exotic grasses and seed availability of native annuals.
Results and Analysis: Revealing Complex Ecological Interactions
The experiment yielded nuanced insights into grassland ecology. The key findings revealed:
| Treatment | Germination Rate | Survival to Reproduction | Seed Production |
|---|---|---|---|
| Control (no manipulation) | Low | Moderate | Low |
| Grass removal only | Moderate increase | Significant increase | Moderate increase |
| Seed addition only | Significant increase | No significant change | Moderate increase |
| Grass removal + seed addition | Highest increase | Highest increase | Highest increase |
The data demonstrated that both competition and seed limitation operate simultaneously to influence native annual populations. The most dramatic responses occurred in plots where both exotic grasses were removed and native seeds were added, suggesting these factors interact synergistically.
| Factor | Impact on Establishment | Impact on Reproduction | Overall Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Competition with exotics | High | Moderate | High |
| Seed availability | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
| Microsite suitability | Low | High | Moderate |
| Interaction of factors | Very high | Very high | Very high |
Hastings' analysis provided valuable insights for restoration ecology, suggesting that effective management requires addressing multiple constraints simultaneously. This research exemplified her ability to design experiments that captured ecological complexity while yielding practical conservation implications.
The Scientist's Toolkit: Essential Research Materials and Methods
Hastings' research, particularly on desert mosses, required specialized equipment and methodologies. The following toolkit represents essential materials she would have utilized throughout her scientific career.
| Item | Function | Application in Hastings' Research |
|---|---|---|
| Herbarium specimens | Reference collection of preserved plants | Critical for taxonomic comparisons and species identification of Grimmia mosses |
| Dissecting microscope | High-magnification viewing of small structures | Essential for examining minute morphological features of mosses for classification |
| Pollen and seed reference collection | Comparative material for identification | Used in palynological research to reconstruct past environments (as referenced in her museum work) |
| Field collection equipment | Gathering specimens in natural habitats | Enabled documentation of moss distributions across diverse landscapes, including harsh desert environments |
| Taxonomic keys | Identification guides based on morphological characteristics | Fundamental tools for determining species identities within the challenging Grimmia genus |
| Permanent microscope slides | Long-term preservation of specimens for study | Allowed detailed anatomical examination and created permanent research records |
Field Research
Hastings' work often took her to remote and challenging environments to study Grimmia mosses in their natural habitats. Her field research contributed significantly to understanding how these resilient organisms survive in extreme conditions.
Laboratory Analysis
Back in the laboratory, Hastings employed meticulous techniques to examine, classify, and document moss specimens. Her attention to detail established her as an authority in bryological research.
Beyond the Laboratory: The Photographic Journey
Perhaps less widely known but equally significant was Hastings' creative pursuit through photography. In her retirement, she embarked on an ambitious personal project titled "Boundaries and Borderlands," which examined spatial and spiritual boundaries in Europe and Asia1 .
This photographic exploration represented a natural extension of her scientific work, which had always concerned itself with how organisms inhabit and adapt to different environments, territories, and ecological niches. Where her scientific research mapped the distribution of moss species across physical landscapes, her photography sought to document the intangible boundaries that shape human existence and spiritual practice.
The project demonstrated Hastings' remarkable capacity to synthesize different ways of knowing, bridging the empirical precision of science with the expressive potential of art.
This interdisciplinary approach characterized her lifelong commitment to understanding the many ways life—both plant and human—inhabits, divides, and connects across spaces physical and conceptual.
A Lasting Legacy: Mosses, Museums, and Meaning
Roxanne Hastings' multifaceted career leaves behind a rich legacy that continues to inspire scientists, museum professionals, and artists alike. Her contributions to bryology advanced our understanding of some of the planet's most resilient yet understudied plants. Her museum leadership helped shape how countless visitors understand and appreciate Alberta's natural heritage. Her photographic explorations documented the intersection of place and spirit with a scientist's eye for detail and an artist's sensitivity to meaning.
Scientific Collections
Her research contributions preserved in herbaria and scientific literature
Public Education
Exhibits and programs that continue to educate museum visitors
Artistic Vision
Photographic work that explores boundaries and connections
Hastings exemplified how scientific rigor and creative expression can inform and enhance one another. Her work reminds us that the same curiosity that drives us to understand why a particular moss grows where it does might also lead us to contemplate why humans draw boundaries where we do, both on land and in our spiritual lives.
Though Hastings passed away on 2 June 2016, her legacy persists in the scientific collections she curated, the public exhibits she helped create, the research questions she pursued, and the artistic vision she expressed. She demonstrated throughout her life that careful attention to the smallest components of our world—whether mosses under a microscope or moments captured through a lens—can reveal profound truths about nature, culture, and the many boundaries we navigate between them.