February 17, 2025 to April 14, 2025
Nature Talks: Inspiring Ideas and Community Conversations
INDIVIDUAL SESSION: $15 MEMBERS | $20 NONMEMBERS
FULL SERIES: $30 MEMBERS | $40 NONMEMBERS
AVAILABLE VIA ZOOM OR IN-PERSON IN BOTANY HALL LECTURE
Phipps’ new virtual speaker series features leading voices from across the country to grow your understanding of our natural history and future vision for Pittsburgh.
Phipps’ new virtual speaker series features leading voices from across the country to grow your understanding of our natural history and future vision for Pittsburgh. Talks will bring the speakers virtually to Pittsburgh, and can be enjoyed in-person in our historic Botany Hall Lecture or online via Zoom.
Questions? Contact Dr. Maria Wheeler-Dubas, Science Education Outreach Manager, at mwheeler-dubas@phipps.conservatory.org.
Schedule
Nature’s Pharmacy with Dr. Quave, the Plant Hunter | Wed., Feb. 12; 7 p.m.
Have you ever taken an aspirin? Thank a willow tree for that. Do you have a loved one who has fought cancer? Many of our most important cancer medicines originated in the yew tree, mayapple and Madagascar periwinkle. Plants are the basis for a vast array of lifesaving and health-improving medicines. Ethnobotanist Dr. Cassandra L. Quave shows us how important studying plants is while sharing her own incredible journey as told in her memoir A Scientist’s Quest for Nature’s Next Medicines.
Cassandra Quave
Dr. Cassandra Quave is a writer, speaker, podcast creator/host, professor, mother, explorer and ethnobotanist. She is the herbarium curator and associate professor of dermatology and human health at Emory University, where she leads anti-infective drug discovery research initiatives and teaches courses on medicinal plants, food, and health. Dr. Quave is a Guggenheim fellow as well as fellow of the National Academy of Inventors and the Explorers Club. She is a former president of the Society for Economic Botany and a recipient of the Emory Williams Teaching Award and Charles Heiser, Jr. Mentor Award. Quave is the co-creator and host of Foodie Pharmacology, a podcast dedicated to exploring the links between food and medicine. A leader in the field of medical botany, she has authored more than 100 scientific publications and has been featured in the New York Times Magazine and BBC Focus, as well as on PBS, NPR, and the National Geographic Channel. And years ago, as a graduate student, she was a Botany in Action Fellow with Phipps Conservatory.
Gardening in a Changing Climate with Eric Toensmeier | Thurs., March 13; 7 p.m.
Climate change will impact the way we plan and manage our gardens. Review climate projections for the Pittsburgh area and what they mean for gardeners. Eric Toensmeier, author of Paradise Lot, Edible Forest Gardens and a contributor to Drawdown will introduce a palette of plants and practices that can be used to adapt to the new climate, including how to plan for periods of drought and intense rainfall. Participants will leave with a toolkit full of solutions.
Eric Toensmeier
Eric Toensmeier is the award-winning author of Paradise Lot and Perennial Vegetables, and the co-author of Edible Forest Gardens as well as a contributor for Drawdown. He is an appointed lecturer at Yale University, and an international trainer, presenting in English and Spanish in the US, Canada, Mexico, Guatemala, and the Caribbean. Eric has studied permaculture and useful plants of the world for over two decades. He managed an urban farm project for five years, ran a seed company, and co-developed a farm business training curriculum that is now used in eight US states and three Canadian provinces. Eric’s most recent book is The Carbon Farming: a Global Toolkit for Stabilizing the Climate with Tree Crops and Regenerative Agriculture Practices which was backed by supporters through a Kickstarter campaign.
Deer: Our Wild Neighbors with Erika Howsare | Wed., April 9; 7 p.m.
Deer are one of the only large wild animals that most Americans see in our daily lives. They’re our neighbors that bring both delight and irritation. The story of deer in their habitats and in our human spaces is very complex, and so is the quest to manage their numbers. How did we get here? This talk will explore the many facets of deer, particularly the history of their changing populations in the U.S.
Erika Howsare
Erika Howsare is the author of the acclaimed nonfiction book The Age of Deer: Trouble and Kinship with Our Wild Neighbors. She also hosted an award-winning companion podcast called If You See a Deer. She has worked in local journalism for more than twenty years and contributes reviews and essays to national outlets including The Atlantic, Orion, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and others. She is a native of the Pittsburgh area. These days she lives and gardens in Virginia, and teaches writing privately.
Upcoming Dates
- Monday, February 17 to Monday, April 14
- Monday, February 24 to Monday, April 21
- Monday, March 3 to Monday, April 28
- Monday, March 10 to Monday, May 5
- Monday, March 17 to Monday, May 12
- Monday, March 24 to Monday, May 19
- Monday, March 31 to Monday, May 26
- Monday, April 7 to Monday, June 2