Over the years, Potter produced hundreds of scientifically accurate drawings of various types of fungi, and developed a specific interest in the mushroom reproductive cycle, which was not well understood at the time. She was so captivated that she leveraged her family connections to gain access to the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew, and quickly began experimenting with her own spores. After a period of hard work and consultation with other botanists, Potter wrote a paper in 1896 entitled “On the Germination of the Spores of Agaricineae.” Unfortunately, her attempt to breach the world of academia garnered a familiar response – William Thiselton-Dyer, the Director of the Royal Gardens, called her ideas “mares’ nests” and insulted her ability to understand a subject as “profound” as mycology. A year later, one of the botanists at the Gardens, George Massee, was given permissison to present Potter’s paper to the Linnean Society of London (despite the fact that women were not allowed to be members of the Society and Potter was unable to be there). The Society also refused to take her work seriously; her paper was never published and has subsequently been lost to time. Still undaunted, Potter channeled her creative energy and artistic talents into a different project, and five years later, The Tale of Peter Rabbit was born.

Although Potter is recognized as one of the most beloved children’s authors of all time, not enough is said about her dedication to mycology and her contributions to the scientific community – in fact, many of her drawings are still used to identify fungi today. The subjects of science and art are commonly percieved to be incompatible, but Potter proved that’s just not true. In her case, as in many cases, her artistic talent and her interest in science combined to create work that was both aesthetically pleasing and scientifically accurate. 

The dismissive treatment that Potter received as a woman trying to enter academia was widespread while she was alive, and continues to be pervasive in the present day: studies show that women in STEM need to work harder to prove themselves in the workplace and constantly fight harmful gender stereotypes on the job. Potter’s life and legacy should inspire us to find wonder in our everyday lives, to pursue our passions relentlessly, and most of all, to build a dialogue around how we can best support and encourage women in STEM. 

You can find out more about the life of Beatrix Potter here, and more about her research here. Also, make sure to check out our list of women in STEM to follow on social media - see what these incredible women are up to and get inspired!