UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Eric Burkhart, plant science program director at Penn State’s Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center, will give a talk, “Pharmacy in the Forest: Cultivating and Conserving Native Medicinal Plants” at the third Research Unplugged event of the semester at 12:30 p.m. March 31 in Schlow Centre Region Library in downtown State College.
When you picture a farmer harvesting a cash crop, you probably don’t envision herbs and roots growing in shady forests. Yet the woods of the eastern U.S. are a rich source of native medicinal plants such as American ginseng, goldenseal and blue cohosh, valued for their reputed medicinal properties.
Burkhart will explore how forest landowners generate income from native medicinal plants, while also conserving forest lands and addressing challenges such as quality control, profitability and sustainability.
Research Unplugged is in its 12th year of bringing together a broad range of Penn State researchers and the State College community for informal conversations.
All Research Unplugged events are held from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. and are free and open to the public, with complimentary light refreshments.