Events

Workshops:

Wicked Brews & Witchy Potions – Dr. Joshua Kellogg

Thursday, October 26th  7 pm (in person + virtual option)

The ability of plants to ensnare our senses and bewitch our minds has positioned them at the intersection of science and magic for some time. There are many plants and fungi that are well known to affect our heath, for better or worse, and those plants have become interwoven with the mythology of witchcraft and magic for hundreds of years. From witch’s brews and flying ointments to werewolves and warding off  spirits, join us as we take a look at how plants we associate with Halloween, witchcraft and legend have come to be and what we can learn from them.

Solidagos as keystone species for specialist wild bees – Sarah Kania

Saturday, November 11th, 2-4 pm (in person + virtual option)

Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center, Hamer Classroom

Join Sarah Kania from the López-Uribe Pollinator Lab for a look at goldenrods (Solidago) and their wild pollinators! As a late blooming native plant, goldenrods are a keystone species for many pollinators, specifically pollen specialist bees. This talk will discuss the natural history of Pennsylvania wild bees as well as highlight the importance of goldenrod for wild bee survival. We’ll also learn the salient characters needed to identify different common goldenrods and, weather permitting, take a walk on one of the nature trails at Shaver’s Creek to look for goldenrods and other late blooming plants.

Common Sedges of Pennsylvania

Thursday, December 14th 7 pm (in person + virtual option)

In this workshop, we’ll take a look at an often overlooked group of plants – the sedges. Using herbarium specimens, we’ll learn the characters needed to identify each genus as well as emphasize how to tell the genera apart. We’ll also take a look at uncommon sedges that make the Commonwealth their home. Finally, we’ll give you an opportunity to test your skills in a fun quiz! If you think all sedges have edges, this workshop may surprise you!

 

Other Events:

Be A Volunteer Transcripter for the PAC Herbarium

The PAC is imaging, transcribing, and georeferencing it’s entire Mid-Atlantic collection as part of the Mid-Atlantic Megalopolis Project. To augment our efforts, we are inviting faculty, staff, students and the interested community to participate in transcribing herbarium labels from our imaged specimens.

If you’d like to be a volunteer transcriber, please watch the following training video. It will walk you through the process of setting up an account and get you on your way!

If you have any questions, please don’t hesistate to contact Sarah Chamberlain, Curator at sjm20@psu.edu.

We appreciate your help!