Join us at the Ozark Mountain Smokehouse as we celebrate 150 years of botanical exploration at the University of Arkansas Herbarium (UARK), the oldest and largest plant biodiversity collection in Arkansas! Enjoy local music followed by dinner while learning about our rich history and future goals.

This event is free and open to the public, but space is limited so registration is required! The deadline to RSVP is October 30 at 12 noon.

SPEAKERS:

Maribeth Latvis, PhD, Assistant Professor and UARK Herbarium Director - "Past, Present, and Future of UARK"

Theo Witsell, co-founder and Chief Conservation Officer for the Southeastern Grasslands Institute - Keynote: "The Botanical Time Machine"

Presentation Description: For thirteen months between December 1818 and January 1820, naturalist Thomas Nuttall explored the Arkansas Territory (present day Arkansas and Oklahoma). He was deeply immersed in the natural heritage of the region and documented its biodiversity, with a focus on the flora, before it was forever altered by human progress. Two hundred years later, guided by Nuttall’s journal, published papers, letters, and herbarium specimens, Witsell retraced Nuttall’s entire journey as precisely as possible, revisiting the same sites and documenting the areas today. As part of this research, Witsell found nearly 1,050 of Nuttall’s specimens in some of the world’s oldest herbaria. This presentation will explore Nuttall’s trip, and his botanical discoveries, through his surviving herbarium specimens. These are the oldest specimens from the region and provide a fascinating look into what the landscape was like more than two centuries ago.

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This event is the first of a series of public events that will be held November 6-8 in celebration of UARK's 150th anniversary. Visit the UA's Community Calendar and the @uarkherbarium Facebook page for the full events calendar.