Nearly 40% of tree species on Earth are threatened with extinction and need preserved. Our urban forests demand new material to better function. Gardeners constantly crave novel new plants. And, let’s face it, there is still so much more to learn about our ever-changing natural world. Plant exploration – documenting and collecting wild plant diversity – is an important part of all these activities.
In this presentation, veteran plant explorer Michael Dosmann uses examples from his own expeditions in Asia and North America to compare and contrast the historic and modern plant hunter. He places these endeavors in the context of scholarship, global change, preservation of rarities, and the search for improved garden plants.
Virtual attendance option
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This program will be presented in-person at the Linda Hall Library. If you would prefer to watch this program virtually, please follow this link to register:
Dr. Michael Dosmann is the Keeper of the Living Collections at the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, where he curates one of Earth’s finest collections of temperate woody plants.
As a scholar, his main areas of interest lie at the intersection of the exploration, conservation, and horticultural improvement of woody plants. He lectures and writes frequently about these topics, particularly in the Arboretum’s magazine Arnoldia.
Michael is the recipient of the David Fairchild Medal for Plant Exploration, an Honorary Member of the Garden Club of America, and a past Director-at-Large of the American Public Gardens Association.
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