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Plants and People Through the Ages

People have always used plants for medicines, spiritual ceremonies, traditional cultural practices, construction materials, clothing, and, of course, food. Today, traditional knowledge of plants is disappearing, but is not yet lost. Two hundred years of plant samples from around the world and information about their uses exist at the United States National Herbarium of the Smithsonian Institution. Join researchers Dr. John Kress and Rusty Russell in a rare glimpse behind the scenes at the Smithsonian to help them sort through an immense number of precious plant specimens. more

Plants and People Through the Ages

People have always used plants for medicines, spiritual ceremonies, traditional cultural practices, construction materials, clothing, and, of course, food. Today, traditional knowledge of plants is disappearing, but is not yet lost. Two hundred years of plant samples from around the world and information about their uses exist at the United States National Herbarium of the Smithsonian Institution. Join researchers Dr.… more

Trip at-a-glance

Price: From $849* per person
When: May, August, September
Number of days: 5
Group size: 6

This trip is offered by:

Earthwatch Institute

Call them at 800-776-0188 about this trip and mention you saw it at TravelDragon, or contact them.

Trip details

You will examine historical plant samples and notations, looking for details about their use and adding that information to the Smithsonian’s 900,000 entry database. Your efforts will help recover rapidly disappearing plant lore, as well as contribute to snapshots of plant life at different times in our history. In your free evenings, you can enjoy all the cultural, historical, and epicurean delights the city has to offer.

Volunteers arrange their own accommodations in Washington, D.C., which offers everything from inexpensive hostels to five-star hotels. After breakfasting on your own, you will meet your team daily at the world famous National Museum of Natural History. You will join researchers in the museum’s staff cafeteria for lunches, which are included in the project, and consist mainly of soups, sandwiches, salads, and pastas. On your first and last days, you will eat dinner together and will have your other evenings free to forage and explore on your own.

As an Eons member, you'll get a free, 1 year membership to Earthwatch — a $35 value — when you sign up on any expedition. And members pay $100 less on their expedition contribution — so you save $135! Just put code EONS2007 in the comment field on the signup form, or, if you call, tell the Expedition Coordinator that you found us on Eons.

Earthwatch expedition-related costs may be tax-deductible in the US as volunteer expenses. Please check with your tax adviser.

*TRAVEL INFORMATION DISCLAIMER: Travel product and pricing information are the travel provider’s base estimates, published here as a convenience to TravelDragon users without verification by TravelDragon. Your actual price will vary depending upon length of trip, travel dates, number of traveling guests, transportation (e.g. airfare, rail passes, etc.), and optional service features such as room categories or individualized food requirements. This base price estimate may or may not include all necessary fees, taxes, government-imposed surcharges. Be sure to confirm availability, total price and trip details with the travel provider using the contact information provided here.

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