Rick Welshiemer
InstantPride.com

It’s 200 years in the future and Earth is in ruins. Humans have made home on a distant moon called Pandora. The only problem is the Na’vi, (the natives) who already reside there. James Cameron’s latest film Avatar, follows the clash between futuristic-miners who are looking to raid the moon of its desirable mineral, and the soldiers and scientists trying to get the Na’vi to cooperate with them.

When Cameron needed someone to advise Sigourney Weaver on how to be a botanist, his crew researched Universities with botany departments and came across University of Riverside’s botanist Jodie Holt (pictured below). According to Holt, she was found with “a little bit of looking and a little bit of luck.”

After Holt worked with Weaver, she was then asked to write the descriptions of the plants seen in the movie, specifically on the fictional landscape of Pandora. She was asked to look at the images and, use real Biology to give them names, describe them, and to make the plants seem credible. Her descriptions were used in a recently released book describing Pandora and the Avatar video game, where when you roll over the plant– her description will pop up.

Holt says she was extremely pleased with the way the movie turned out. “The movie was fantastic,” she said. She liked how the movie is not only a scientific, but also a nature movie. “The plants have their own role and are really great to watch,” said Holt. “The movie has a little bit for everyone,” Holt says.

USC Professor Paul Frommer created a fictional language for Avatar.

Click here to learn more about the storyline behind the movie Avatar.

Avatar was released to theaters nationwide Friday. On Saturday Dec. 19 Holt will be present for a Q&A at 6:30 p.m., at the Edwards Ontario Palace Stadium 22 & IMAX, 4900 East Fourth Street in Ontario.