Everyday Botany

Posted in Adult Education on September 19 2013, by Matt Newman

At its core, botany revolves around the study of plants and how they function, all in order to appreciate the massive role they play in our lives. Maybe that causes your brain to jump to associations with greenhouses and laboratories. But, just for a second, step away from the thought of picking your way through a hothouse or leaning over a microscope and consider the industries and passions that rely on plant knowledge to exist. Without some understanding of botany under the brewer’s belt, your go-to dive bar would like as not be non-existent. And the organic lotions, infusions, and supplements sold for a premium in body boutiques around the city wouldn’t be an issue, either. Not many people understand this quite so well as our Adult Education staff.

You can even relate this to your favorite stories. A famous if apocryphal anecdote attributed to the writer Vladimir Nabokov tells of a student who declares, in Nabokov’s office, that he wants to be a writer. Nabokov glances up and points out the window. “What kind of tree is that?” he asks. “I don’t know,” says the student. “Then you’ll never be a writer.”

A harsh lesson, maybe, but the fact stands that botany influences our lives more often than we give it credit for, be it tangibly or in the small, creative details that make up the world around us. Thankfully, our instructors aren’t nearly so brutal as Nabokov, and our botany courses offer fun, down-to-earth routes to engage the immense importance of plants.

If you’re hurting for help when it comes to supplements, picking up some knowledge of botanical pharmaceuticals can go a long way to freeing up time in the health food store. Our “Nature’s Pharmacy” course, beginning Saturday, September 28, puts you under the tutelage of Andrea Candee. From herbs to spices and the long, involved history surrounding them, she’ll educate you on the medicinal properties of plants long used to treat the effects of asthma, insomnia, sinusitis, bronchitis, colds, the flu, and more.

For the beer aficionados among you, none other than Phil Clarke will be here on Sunday, December 1, for a Home-Brewing Workshop, an enlightening look at the craft brewing revolution and the plants that it’s built on. Clarke, an active member and past president of the NYC Home Brewers Guild and founding president of The Westchester Homebrewers Organization, will guide you through the art and science of fermentation, starting with a brief rundown of America’s rich beer-brewing history. While sampling craft and commercial varities of beer, you’ll also have the opportunity to learn about the equipment and botanical ingredients now easily found in homebrew shops around the country.

Oh, and for the Y.A. fans among you amped for the release of the second Hunger Games film, we’ve got a nifty treat in the works at our Midtown Center. On Tuesday, November 5, Leda Meredith leads an in-depth exploration of this blockbuster fiction by delving into some of its non-fiction elements with “Botany of The Hunger Games.” Specifically, she’ll discuss the dozens of plant species (real and inspired) found in its pages. She’ll explore the leaves, stems, blooms, and berries that inform much of the action in the trilogy, as well as the plants that inspire character names and other aspects of Suzanne Collins’ story. Plan to learn some botanical survival tips along the way, and even pick up on the deadly origins of the infamous “nightlock.”

Whether you join our botany courses for a certificate on in-depth studies, or you’re just looking to garner some everyday knowledge on homebrewing, herbal medicine, mushroom foraging, or cultural influences, we’ll almost certainly have you covered. Just have a look at our regularly updated Adult Ed course catalogue. We’ll have more for you in the coming weeks, too, as we dig into hands-on horticulture, nature writing and photography, floral design, and all sorts of new fall and winter programs. If you’ve forgotten how easy learning can be when you’re in love with the subject matter, now’s the time to reacquaint yourself.