🎧 Saving Earth's Treasures: The Significance of Herbaria
I offer an inside perspective on why we need to do more to save herbaria.
This week on Foodie Pharmacology, host Dr. Cassandra Quave explores the importance of herbaria, focusing on their critical role in research, biodiversity conservation, and education. Dr. Quave, who became the curator of the Emory University Herbarium in 2012, discusses the challenges herbaria face, including funding and space, as illustrated by the recent closure of Duke University's herbarium. Through her experience and excerpts from relevant publications, Quave emphasizes the indispensable utility of herbaria in documenting plant species, contributing to climate change research, and supporting the discovery of new foods and medicines. She also makes a strong case for the preservation of herbaria, calling for support from the public and emphasizing the potential loss of invaluable resources for future generations if these collections continue to be undervalued and neglected.
More resources
Dr. Quave has written about the Emory Herbarium in recent posts. In case you missed them, you can catch up here:
Listen to the show
Listen to the podcast on any of your favorite podcast streaming services. Subscribe to Foodie Pharmacology to access new episodes weekly! If you enjoy this and other episodes, let me know! Give is a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts so others can find it and enjoy!
Watch the video
Available exclusively on the Teach Ethnobotany YouTube Channel, you can catch the full video version of this episode and others! Enjoy!
Want to help?
The Emory Herbarium aims to establish an endowment to secure the collection into the future. If you would like to support this initiative, you can make a monetary donation here on the Emory University giving page or contact the Emory Advancement officer, Phillip Brooks, by email at phillip.brooks@emory.edu
Yours in health, Dr. Quave
Cassandra L. Quave, Ph.D. is a scientist, author, speaker, podcast host, wife, mother, explorer, and professor at Emory University School of Medicine. She teaches college courses and leads a group of research scientists studying medicinal plants to find new life-saving drugs from nature. She hosts the Foodie Pharmacology podcast and writes the Nature’s Pharmacy newsletter to share the science behind natural medicines. To support her effort, consider a paid or founding subscription, with founding members receiving an autographed 1st edition hardcover copy of her book, The Plant Hunter.
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