The Secret Life of Dead Plants
The Emory Herbarium is featured in the December issue of Atlanta Magazine: The Best of ATL!
Hot off the shelf! The Emory Herbarium is featured in this month’s new issue of Atlanta Magazine in an article titled “The Secret Life of Dead Plants” by Virginie Kippelen. In this article, Virginie writes about the value of herbaria to the public and our mission to save this precious resource.
Does the word herbarium bring up the image of a lush garden filled with luxuriant plants? Think again. An herbarium actually serves as a type of natural history museum, an archive of preserved plant specimens depended on by scientists, researchers, and amateur botanists for a plethora of scientific information about the natural world. Herbaria are an essential resource for researching climate change, environmental pollution, biodiversity, and even the discovery of new foods and drugs.
I’ve previously written about the challenges facing herbaria across the globe. Check out my article in the Washington Post, “Scientists Depend on These for Research. Let’s Preserve Them,” and this newsletter issue in February:
This year, we celebrate 75 years of the Emory Herbarium—our diamond jubilee! But, the looming question is whether the collection will be here for the next 75 years. Funded through philanthropy and grants, we struggle each year to keep the doors open. We have set an ambitious goal of raising $2M USD to establish an endowment, which would secure the annual budget of operating the museum into perpetuity. We urgently need stability and support.
“These specimens offer us clues for the future. To fuel the innovations of tomorrow, we must start today.” - Dr. Quave
If you would like to support our mission we have several means of accepting donations. You can make small contributions on this Emory Giving website or contact our development officer, Philip Brooks by email at philip.brooks@emory.edu or phone 678.801.5909.
Thanks so much for your support!
Yours in health, Dr. Quave
Cassandra L. Quave, Ph.D. is a Guggenheim Fellow, CNN Champion for Change, Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, recipient of The National Academies Award for Excellence in Science Communication, and award-winning author of The Plant Hunter. Her day job is as professor and herbarium curator at Emory University School of Medicine, where she 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 to Nature’s Pharmacy or donation to her lab research.
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