Boston Flora

Tag: Ethnobotany

  • Thursday, January 27, 7:00 pm – Conversations with Great American Gardeners: Michael Balick, Online

    The American Horticultural Society is excited to launch a new virtual speaker series featuring current and past Great American Gardeners Award Winners and Book Award Winners. Since 1953, the AHS has been recognizing and celebrating horticultural champions that represent the best in American gardening. In a lively and engaging conversational format, speakers will share their knowledge and experience with our event host, Holly Shimizu, gardener to gardener. Holly Shimizu is a nationally recognized horticulturist with a rich background in public gardens and garden communication.

    On January 27 at 7 pm, Holly will speak with Michael Balick. A world renowned ethnobotanist at the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG), Michael J. Balick, Ph.D., works with indigenous cultures to document plant diversity, preserve knowledge about traditional uses for plants, and help these communities sustainably manage their resources. In the course of this work, he evaluates the potential of these botanical resources for broader medical or pharmaceutical applications. His most recent project focuses on the tropical Pacific Islands in Micronesia and Melanesia, where he is documenting the diversity, local use, and management of plant resources in support of a region-wide conservation plan. Balick is currently vice president for botanical science at NYBG, where he has worked since 1980. He is also director and senior philecology curator of the NYBG Institute of Economic Botany, which he cofounded in 1981. $10 for AHS members, $20 for nonmembers. Register at www.ahsgardening.org.

  • Thursday, December 1, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Historical Ethnobotany of Southern New England: Recovering and Repatriating Indigenous Plant Knowledge

    Even though most of the history and knowledge of the Native peoples of southern New England has been “lost”, a rich body of plant lore was preserved and has been passed down to their descendants. This New England Wild Flower Society class will focus on a preliminary analysis of biocultural diversity in New England, including information on 309 plant species gleaned from ethnographic, historical, and archaeological sources. The instructor is Manuel Lizarralde, Professor of Ethnobotany at Connecticut College, and the date is December 1 from 7 – 8:30 at Garden in the Woods in Framingham. $14 for NEWFS members, $16 for nonmembers. Register online at www.newenglandwild.org.

  • Saturday, October 1, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm – The Art and Science of Pickling

    Food preservation can be a challenge, and before refrigeration, pickling was an essential strategy for safe food storage. In this Berkshire Botanical Garden illustrated talk and demonstration on Saturday, October 1 from 1 – 4, participants will investigate the origins of vinegar, the alchemy of fermentation, and the anti-microbial properties of herbs and spices that are at the center of the art of pickling. Noted ethnobotanist and historian Judith Sumner will share modern pickling recipes and methods (and the science behind them), ranging from fresh pack dill pickles in crocks to bread and butter pickles processed in a hot water bath, and enjoy a tasting of pickle recipes and analysis of recipes from various historic sources. The workshop will also include making some quick pickled onions to be taken home by participants.

    Judith Sumner is a botanist who specializes in ethnobotany, flowering plants, plant adaptations, and garden history. She has taught extensively both at the college level and at botanical gardens, including the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University and Garden in the Woods. She has been a guest on the Martha Stewart Living television show, the PBS program Cultivating Life, the Annenberg Channel, and various other PBS and educational programs.  BBG members $30, nonmembers $35. Register online at https://berkshirebotanical.org/education/lectures-and-workshops/

  • Thursday, July 16, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Blending Herbal Teas

    Move beyond the commercial teabag and explore how to blend your own unique herbal teas. In this Massachusetts Horticultural Society class at Elm Bank on Thursday, July 16 from 7 – 8:30,you will learn how to create delicious, personal tea beverages and experience different techniques of making cold and hot water infusions. Steph Zabel, herbalist, ethnobotonist and educator, will review the art of choosing roots, leaves, flowers, and berries to make harmonious blends and will also discuss the health benefits of the herbs we use. Come prepared to sample lots of tea!

    Steph Zabel is an herbalist and educator based in Somerville, Massachusetts. For over a decade she has combined her passions for natural medicine, community outreach, and education. She holds a Master’s degree in ethnobotany and has completed several herbal apprenticeships including a three-year training in clinical herbalism. Prior to launching her herbal business, Steph began her professional career working in the botanical collections of the Harvard University Herbaria. Her current work focuses on teaching practical and inspiring herbal classes and offering dynamic wellness sessions for her clients. Steph is also the founder of HERBSTALK, Boston’s vibrant community herbal conference, through which she creates accessible educational opportunities for all plant enthusiasts! To learn more about Steph, visit her website http://www.flowerfolkherbs.com. 

    Mass Hort members $10, non-members $15. Register today using the following link to reserve your spot – space is limited: http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07eaw9weedbc6ae09b&llr=kzaorjcab Contact Hannah Traggis at htraggis@masshort.org or 617-933-4943 for more information. Phone Number: 617-933-4943.

  • Tuesday, April 14, 6:00 pm – Ethnobotany in the 21st Century

    For more than four decades, Michael J. Balick, Vice President for Botanical Science at the New York Botanical Garden, has studied the relationships between plants and people — the field known as ethnobotany — in the Amazon Valley, Central and South America, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and most recently in Micronesia and Melanesia. In this Tuesday, April 14 lecture beginning at 6 pm he will discuss the relevance of working with indigenous cultures to document their knowledge of medicinal plants and evaluate their potential for broader applications. He will also highlight some of the medicinal plants used by non-Western cultures, such as ashwagandha and maca, which are becoming available and popular in the West and are discussed in his most recent book, Rodale’s 21st Century Herbal: A Practical Guide for Healthy Living Using Nature’s Most Powerful Plants.

    This free Harvard Museum on Natural History lecture and book signing will be held at the Geological Lecture Hall, 24 Oxford Street. Free parking is available at the 52 Oxford Street Garage.

  • Thursday, August 22, 10:30 am – 12:00 noon – Creating Herbal Alchemy: An Introduction to Local Plants and Their Uses

    The Massachusetts Horticultural Society will present a lecture at Elm Bank on Wednesday, August 22, from 10:30 – noon featuring Steph Zabel. We are surrounded by an abundance of plants that are both food and medicine. Some of these plants are considered “weeds,” some are purposely garden-cultivated, some are wild natives, but all have unique gifts to offer.

    In this dynamic introductory class you will learn how many of the plants that grow all around us can be used in various ways to improve our health and add joy to our lives. We will discuss, taste, and create preparations such as herbal infusions, tinctures, oils, and wines. We will also identify some of the most under-appreciated yet prolific plants and learn how they can be used as nutritive teas, healing poultices or delicious wild edibles.

    Knowing our local plants connects us more deeply to the landscapes we inhabit and increases our awareness of the botanical world. Come learn what gifts the herbs that surround us have to offer!

    Steph Zabel is a community herbalist and educator based in Somerville, MA. She has always had an affinity for the plant world and studied horticulture, biology, and ethnobotany throughout her undergraduate and graduate years. Steph is a practicing herbalist and also works as a curatorial assistant at the Harvard University Herbaria. In addition to leading herbal classes, Steph offers individual holistic health consultations, hand-crafts herbal medicines, and runs her small business Flowerfolk Herbal Apothecary. She is also the founder and organizer of Herbstalk, a local educational event that teaches people about herbalism.

    Cost – $20.00 for members, $25.00 for non-members.  Register on line at www.masshort.org.

    http://www.flowerfolkherbs.com/uploads/1/2/9/5/12951262/7319720.jpg

  • Tuesday, May 14, 7:00 pm – Backyard Foraging: 65 Plants You Didn’t Know You Could Eat

    Porter Square Books, located in the Porter Square Shopping Center, 25 White Street in Cambridge, will host author Ellen Zachos, who will speak about her new book Backyard Foraging: 65 Plants You Didn’t Know You Could Eat, on Tuesday, May 14, beginning at 7 pm.  Following her talk she will sign copies of her book as well. Ideal for first-time foragers, this book features 70 (not 65 – who knew?) edible weeds, flowers, mushrooms, and ornamental plants typically found in urban or suburban neighborhoods. You’ll be amazed by how many of the plants you see each day are actually nutritious edibles.  Full-color photographs make identification easy, and tips on where certain plants are likely to be found, how to avoid pollution and pesticides, and how to recognize the plants you should never harvest make foraging as safe and simple as stepping into your own backyard.

    Zachos leads foraging walks and currently teaches at the New York Botanical Garden, where she received her certification in Commercial Horticulture and Ethnobotany. She writes two blogs, which can be found at “downanddirtygardening.com” and “gardenbytes.com” and has written numerous gardening books and contributed to publications including Horticulture and Better Homes & Gardens.

    http://img1.imagesbn.com/p/9781612120096_p0_v1_s260x420.JPG

  • Saturday, March 16, 10:00 am – 12:00 noon and 12:30 pm – 2:30 pm – Gardening is for the Birds, and Ethnobotany

    This Berkshire Botanical Garden morning class on Saturday, March 16 from 10 – 12 is for the gardener/naturalist and bird lover. Understand the unique relationship of our avian friends with plants, and how to provide birds with all they need to make the garden a welcoming home. Learn about the variety of song birds, their requirements for survival and the plants that attract them to the landscape, as well as the importance of structural elements in the garden to attract these welcomed guests. The ecological perspective in this lecture will help gardeners better understand essential plant/animal relationships. In the afternoon, from 12:30 – 2:30, learn about the many uses of plants growing in the fields and forests of New England. This lecture will look at the fascinating history of plants in North America from a human perspective and explore their role in the survival and development of society, as well as their importance today. The instructor will discuss some of the major figures in plant discovery and how plants were used for food, shelter, medicine, clothing, hunting and religious ceremonies.

    Drew Monthie is a horticulturalist, garden designer and ecologist working in upstate New York. He is committed to teaching about the importance of using native plants to provide beauty and preserve biodiversity in yards and gardens. The morning class costs $25 for BBG members, $30 for nonmembers, and the afternoon session is separately priced at $25/$30. However, if you enroll for both, you will receive a 20% discount. Visit www.berkshirebotanical.org for details.

  • Monday, March 26, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Tea Horse Road: China’s Ancient Trade with Tibet

    Ethnobotanist Dr. Selena Ahmed, co-author of the book Tea Horse Road, tackles the origins, culture and diversity of tea on Monday, March 26, from 7 – 8:30 at the Weld Hill Research Building at the Arnold Arboretum. Camellia sinensis is a species with a long history of cultivation, trade and consumption for well being. Hear about Selena’s discoveries of tea’s journey from the birthplace of the tea plant along the oldest tea trade road from a historical and contemporary perspective. Enjoy some of the beautiful photographs of southwest China by co-author, award-winning photographer and writer Michael Freeman. Sample a variety of teas traded along the ancient tea route, tea-infused gin, and tea candies presented in collaboration with botanist Rachel Meyer, Brooklyn Gin and Strawberry Hill Confectionery. Books will be available for purchase and signing. Read about Selena and view a slideshow of images by Michael Freeman. Free, but registration requested at www.arboretum.harvard.edu.

  • Sunday, November 8, 9 am – 4 pm – Natural History and Ethnobotony of Medicinal Plants

    Judith Sumner, Botanist and author of The Natural History of Medicinal Plants, will present a fascinating lecture on Sunday, November 8 beginning at 9 in the morning. Before the time of written records, early people used plants to relieve symptoms and cure disease, forming the basis of the modern study of ethnobotany and the starting point for the history of medicinal plants. During this one session intensive course on the history and current directions of medicinal botany, to be held at Garden in the Woods, we will track the knowledge of medicinal plants from prehistory through the spectacular work of the Renaissance herbalists, the Doctrine of Signatures, and the development of the European medical tradition. New World settlers carried the seeds of medicinal plants with them to North America, where European medical knowledge commingled with Native American lore. The class will consider herbal medicine in nineteenth century America, the field of zoopharmacognosy, and the current ethnobotanical approach to drug discovery. You will gain an understanding of human-plant interactions and botanical cures for human disease and the importance of preserving the diversity of medicinal plants.
    Fee $77 member of either the Arnold Arboretum of NEWFS, $91 nonmember
    Offered in collaboration with the New England Wild Flower Society. To register, log on to www.arboretum.harvard.edu.

    Medicinal plant by Khor Hui Min.