Volunteers will work alongside researchers at the National Museum of Natural History
Earthwatch Institute, Maynard, MA, 20 February 2006-For 35 years, intrepid Earthwatch volunteers have helped scientists conduct vital field research all around the world, from Australia to Zimbabwe. Now they have the opportunity to explore closer to home, delving into the historic uses of plants, through a partnership with the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.
"Although Earthwatch believes that engaging people in science is a crucial step toward environmental sustainability, not everyone is prepared to track elephants in the wild or wade into wetlands to sample tiny invertebrates," said Dr. Marie Studer, chief science officer at Earthwatch Institute. "On these expeditions, located at one of the world's most pre-eminent natural history museums, volunteers will have the chance to make a valuable contribution to research while staying relatively clean and dry and close to home."
Two new Earthwatch projects will bring volunteers to quarters of the National Museum of Natural History normally closed to the public. On Plants and People through the Ages, Earthwatch teams starting in April will explore 200 years of plant samples from around the globe at the National Herbarium, one of the largest herbaria in the world with an unrivaled collection. Sorting through some of the herbarium's nearly 5 million precious plant specimens, volunteers will look for notations about their use and add this valuable information to the Smithsonian's 900,000-entry database.
"Plants are referenced throughout the literature on human history," said Rusty Russell, collections manager at the National Herbarium and principal investigator of Plants and People through the Ages along with Dr. John Kress. "But there is a distinct difference between reading about how a plant was used and actually seeing the plant that was used. In many instances, the information recorded with each specimen about usage may never have been reported."
The National Herbarium has a long history of collaboration with anthropologists in the Smithsonian and the former Bureau of American Ethnology, resulting in tens of thousands of plant specimens documenting the critically sustaining connection between plants and people.
On Medicinal Plants of Antiquity, volunteers will work in the offices of the National Museum of Natural History to compile materials collected from precious "herbals" of the Italian Renaissance. Earthwatch teams have been helping principal investigator Dr. Alain Touwaide (Smithsonian Institution) collect these data in the libraries of Rome and Padua, and Washington D.C. teams will archive the information into a valuable internet resource.
Both of these fascinating projects give an insider's perspective of the history of plant uses and cutting-edge research to make traditional knowledge available to modern medicine. Five-day teams give participants time to plan visits to Washington D.C.'s countless cultural and historical attraction, including Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, National Air and Space Museum, American Art Museum, and others.
"The Smithsonian Institution is renowned for educating the public about science, something that Earthwatch has played a vital role in for 35 years," said Studer. "Our projects at the National Museum of Natural History represent a powerful new venue for bringing science and sustainability within reach for citizens of the world."
Earthwatch Institute is a global volunteer organization that supports scientific field research by offering members of the public unique opportunities to work alongside leading field scientists and researchers. Earthwatch's mission is to engage people worldwide in scientific field research and education to promote the understanding and action necessary for a sustainable environment. The year 2006 marks Earthwatch's 35th anniversary.
For more information on Earthwatch's projects at the Smithsonian Institution, go to Plants and People through the Ages or Medicinal Plants of Antiquity.