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Remembering Pearl Harbor Day is crucial as it marks a pivotal moment in history that shook the world and profoundly influenced global events. This day stands as a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made and the lives lost during the surprise attack on December 7, 1941, a moment that thrust the United States into World War II. Reflecting on this solemn occasion honors the bravery of those who served, acknowledges the impact of war on nations and individuals, and reinforces the importance of vigilance, preparedness, and peacekeeping efforts to prevent such tragedies from occurring again. It serves as a testament to the resilience of a nation and underscores the significance of learning from the past to build a more peaceful future. ... See MoreSee Less
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Help the American Heritage Museum grow even more in 2024 with a donation for #GivingTuesday! Through the generosity of a group of donors, all donations made now through Midnight on Tuesday, November 28th will be matched, dollar for dollar, up to $25,000. That means, by making your donation over the next two days, your impact on our mission WILL be doubled! Please make your year-end gift and donate online at: ahmus.me/GT2023 ... See MoreSee Less
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Speaker Series: Plants Go to War: A Botanical History of World War II

October 22, 2021 @ 1:00 pm, ending 3:00 pm

Join us for a fascinating discussion on the use of plants in the military. A presentation by
botanist Judith Sumner.

We will look at military history from a botanical perspective, from victory gardens and agriculture to timber, rubber, coal, and cotton, the many plant products that supplied the military and the home front during a time of intense need and high demand.  The talk will include a special look at medicinal plants, including their use in the Pacific war, the County herb Committees in England, and the development of penicillin as a critical wartime drug. Join us for a unique view of World War II through a botanical lens. In short, we would not have won the war without plants!

About the speaker:

Judith Sumner is a botanist who specializes in flowering plants, plant adaptations, garden history, medicinal plants, and ethnobotany. She is a graduate of Vassar College and earned her Ph.D. in botany at the University of Massachusetts.

Judith 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 studied at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and at the British Museum (Natural History) and did extensive field work in the Pacific region on the genus Pittosporum, including monographs in several publications. She contributed family revisions to Flora Vitiensis Nova, published by the National Tropical Botanical Garden. Her other projects and areas of interest have included field studies in the Great Smoky Mountains, work with AID/Santo Domingo on developing petroleum-rich plants, and a commitment to science education. She has recently completed Plants Go to War: A Botanical History of World War II, which includes victory gardens and agriculture, as well as timber, fibers, rubber, medicinal plants, camouflage, survival practices, and botanical gardens in wartime, which was published by McFarland in August 2019. Her other books include The Natural History of Medicinal Plants and American Household Botany: A History of Useful Plants 1620-1900, both published by Timber Press; the latter title won the American Horticultural Society book award.

Judith is a frequent invited lecturer for botanical and horticultural organizations and symposia, including the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, the New York Botanical Garden, Mohonk Mountain Reserve, Cornell University, Kykuit/The Rockefeller Estate, Polly Hill Arboretum, the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, Tower Hill Botanic Garden, Old Sturbridge Village, and Strawbery Banke.  Judith has been the lecturer-in-residence at the Star Island Natural History Conference, and she has been a guest on the Martha Stewart Living television show, the PBS program “Cultivating Life” with Sean Conway, and various other PBS and educational programs. Judith is the recipient of the Gertrude B. Foster Award for Excellence in Herbal Literature by the Herb Society of America.   During the summers, she has served as a visiting scientist in the LEAP program at the Arnold Arboretum and has led workshops for the Museum Institutes for Teaching Science. She has also served as a National Public Radio STEM mentor and is a frequent educational consultant on science writing, inquiry-based learning, and classroom science using plants.

Details

Date:
October 22, 2021
Time:
1:00 pm, ending 3:00 pm
Event Category:
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Open Friday, November 24th!

The American Heritage Museum is open Friday, November 24th, the day after Thanksgiving, from 10am to 5pm and will also be open Saturday and Sunday. Bring your family and friends who are in town for the holiday weekend!