Plant Family ID Workshop with Marc Williams at Woodson Branch Nature School

Plant family patterns can greatly aid in demystifying the “green wall” of species around us. The scientific community has identified close to 400,000 plant species in the world. These species have been grouped into over 400 plant families. Around 200 flowering plant families grow in the places where it annually frosts and or freezes. You will know something significant about the majority of plants that you see in such locales if you learn the top 30 families around you. It is often possible to guess whether a plant is edible, medicinal, or poisonous simply by the family it occupies. However, some exceptions are important to know as well. We will engage in a walk and talk around the Woodson Branch grounds where we will delve into some of the major plant families of the Southern USA. Students will hone identification skills by observing family patterns such as leaf, flower and fruit types. Uses including edibility, medicinality, craft, wildlife promotion and landscape beauty will be discussed. Participants will gain a basic understanding of the major plants in the Southern US and their potential ecological and ethnobotanical applications.

Ethnobiologist Marc Williams has taught hundreds of classes to thousands of people about plants, humans, other life forms and their interfaces. His training includes a B.A. in Environmental Studies/Sustainable Agriculture from Warren Wilson College with a minor in Business and a M.A. in Appalachian Studies/Sustainable Development from Appalachian State University with a minor in Planning/Geography. He has over 25 years of experiences working at various restaurants, farms, and travels throughout 30 countries in Central/North/South America, Europe and all 50 states in the USA. More information can be found at www.botanyeveryday.com and www.plantsandhealers.org.