Archives: Events

This lecture by 2018-2019 Curtis Gates Lloyd Fellow, Cole Imperi, introduces attendees to the concept of thanabotany, the intersection of ethnobotany (the relationship betwen plants and people) and thanatology (the study of death and dying).

Pioneered at the Lloyd Library in 2018, thanabotanists research burial objects, old medical texts and the symbolism depicted in ancient art.

Free and open to the public. Doors open at 6:30. Registration required.

Wouldn’t it be neat to blend the ancestry of your family and city with permaculture, native plants and horticultural therapy? You can! Thanabotany, an emerging subfield located somewhere between botany and horticulture, focuses on how people have used plants to deal with death and dying.

One application of Thanabotany is a tool called Grief Gardens. This approach to a garden factors in more than just gardening methodologies, it’s a multi-layered system that provides ways for you to honor your roots while embracing the present. Things like plant selection, permaculture, rituals, ancestry, honoring vs. appropriating and therapeutic benefits will be touched on. Attendees can expect to learn about a new approach to their local garden and their roots.

Free and open to the public. Reservations required.

One of the most fragrant spices of the New World, vanilla (Vanilla planifolia) has been the delight of food lovers for thousands of years. From the ancient Maya to the chefs of Fifth Avenue, this colorful orchid has warmed the palates and added savory accents to menu items around the world. Please join us for a discussion for the origins of this wonderful plant, how it became a domesticated crop and how it made its way into the hearts and palates of consumers across the globe. Presented by Dr. David Lentz.

Free and open to the public. Registration Required. Door open at 6:30.

Spice up your writing with prompts and techniques to add variety and pop to your words. During this workshop, presented by Annette Januzzi Wick participants will be given access to rare works, including illustrations and historical accounts dating back to the 1600s featured in the exhibition Ingredients that Warm the Season.

Co-sponsored by Women Writing for (a) Change.

Reservations required Tuition: $35; limit 15. www.womenwriting.org or call (513)272-1171.

Join University of Cincinnati’s Drs Maria Paz Moreno and Eric Tepe for a talk on the fascinating topic of Theobroma cacao, i.e. the chocolate tree, exploring both the botanical and historical aspects of chocolate, as well as its cultural significance throughout the centuries. From its role in the sacred ceremonies of the Maya and Aztec peoples to becoming a rare treat for 17th century European nobility and the widely available commodity that it is today, the history of this “dark gold” and the tree that produces it will not leave you indifferent.  

Reservations Required. Free and open to the public. Doors open with refreshments at 6 p.m., lecture begins at 7 p.m.

Join Harriet Matthey of Soup Cycle Cincy, food writer Bryn Mooth of Edible Ohio Valley, and Duy Nguyen of the Lang Thang Group as they share their favorite ingredients, soup making techniques and the broader importance and impact of soup. Soup tasting starts at 6 p.m., panel discussion starts at 7 p.m.

Reservations Required.