Wednesday, January 29 • 11:00am – Noon
Udall Building • 2nd Floor Conference
725 Camino Lejo, 87505

First talk of the Plants and People Program

People and plants have a complex shared evolutionary history spanning millions of years.

Yet it wasn’t until about 12,000 years ago that human populations domesticated local plant species by selecting individuals for desirable traits and cultivating them as reliable sources of food and other products. The “Plants and People Program” at Santa Fe Botanical Garden will explore the many facets and complex relationships between plants and people. The program will include lectures, seminars, book clubs, field trips, and hands-on activities. The program will kick-off with a presentation by Dr. David A. Young on the ethnobotany of Rhus (Sumacs – Anacardiaceae).

Dr. Young will discuss the many ways that species of Rhus (Sumacs – Anacardiaceae) have been used by humans for thousands of years as medicines, dyes, fibers, and other applications.

Dr. Young received his BA and MA in biology from California State University, Fullerton and his Ph.D. in Botany from Claremont Graduate University. He retired from Arizona State University in 2017 after a professional career of over 40 years in higher education. He has served as Executive Director of the Santa Fe Botanical Garden since September 2022.