The Future of Ginseng and Forest Botanicals Symposium

This 3-day symposium provided a forum to bring together a diverse array of stakeholders involved in the management and regulation of forest botanicals in Appalachia, including federal and state agencies, tribal representatives, academics, landowners, collectors, and the herbal products industry.

Spearheaded by United Plant Savers and in collaboration with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), this symposium was a forum for presenting current research and documenting critical new information about the conservation, cultivation, and commerce of American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) and other Appalachian forest botanicals. The symposium also included a poster session.

For anyone who is interested, download a FREE PDF of The Future of Ginseng & Forest Botanicals Symposium Proceedings (also available in paperback through the UpS store).

OVERVIEW

The symposium will primarily focus on species of Appalachian forest botanicals that are on the United Plant Savers At-Risk list and To-Watch list (www.unitedplantsavers.org/species-at-risk). Specifically, we hope to have presentations on native plants active in commerce such as, but not limited to: American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius), black cohosh (Actaea racemosa), bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis), blue cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides), goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis), mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum), slippery elm (Ulmus rubra), wild yam root (Dioscorea villosa), false unicorn root (Chamaelirium luteum), ramps (Allium tricoccum), and witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana).

In 2014, United Plant Savers held a Ginseng Summit of Key Stakeholders that identified issues and obstacles to sustainable American ginseng markets and management in the Appalachian Region. This 2017 symposium will focus on current research on American ginseng and other forest botanicals, regulations and policy, and will foster key connections between those engaged in conservation, cultivation, and commerce of forest botanicals at private, state, tribal, and federal land ownership levels.

The symposium will include a mix of those agencies/organizations/ academics working on forest botanicals as well as landowners and the herbal industry. It will also cover multi-stakeholder sustainable sourcing medicinal plant economic development initiatives in Appalachia and the lessons learned from these projects. Collaborators include USFWS, USDA/Forest Service, NatureServe, US Geological Survey, Medicinal Plant Working Group, IUCN-Medicinal Plant Specialists Group, and TRAFFIC/FairWild.

United Plant Savers is one of several organizations involved in a three-year USDA grant awarded to the Appalachian Beginning Forest Farming (ABFF) Coalition (www.appalachianforestfarmers.org). The Appalachian Beginning Forest Farmer Coalition is a network of forestland owners, universities, and governmental and non-governmental organizations that share a common goal of improving agroforestry production opportunities and farming capabilities among forest farmers. Our collective aim is to increase awareness of forest-grown medicinal plants through education and relationship building, and support conservation efforts through stewardship of existing plant populations and forest farming of these native botanicals. The 2017 symposium will also seek to create markets and build capacity for this unique forest farming coalition and address policy-related issues. A track specific to those in the ABFF Coalition will be developed addressing important objectives of the grant’s second-year objectives.

The cost for registration is $200, which includes dinner on Wednesday evening, lunch on Wednesday and Thursday, box lunches provided with selected field trips, as well as snacks and coffee breaks during the symposium. Speakers, poster presenters, and students can register at a discounted rate of $100.

SYMPOSIUM SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Click here to DOWNLOAD the FINAL EVENT SCHEDULE (as of 7/9/17).
* Please note that the schedule is still subject to change.

July 12, Wednesday: American Ginseng

HIGHLIGHTS

WELCOME AND OPENING KEYNOTE: “Taking the Broad View: How Are Wild Ginseng Populations Faring and When Does Conservation Policy Need to Change?” – Jim McGraw, West VA University
PRESENTATIONS: CURRENT RESEARCH ON AMERICAN GINSENG
Topics include:
- Management of wild populations, wild harvest, and policy
- Multi-stakeholder sustainable-sourcing medicinal plant
- Economic development initiatives in Appalachia – lessons learned from various projects
PANEL DISCUSSION ON CONSERVATION, MANAGEMENT, AND POLICY
PANEL DISCUSSION ON LAW ENFORCEMENT
EVENING DINNER AT HOTEL AND SPEAKER: “Ginseng in Appalachian Folk Medicine” – Phyllis Light

July 13, Thursday: Appalachian Forest Botanicals

HIGHLIGHTS

PRESENTATIONS: CURRENT RESEARCH ON APPALACHIAN FOREST BOTANICALS AND CONSERVATION/MANAGEMENT OF WILD POPULATIONS
Topics include:
- Current research on Appalachian forest botanicals
- Conservation/management of wild populations
- Sourcing/cultivation/forest farming presentations
- Market/trade and roundtable discussion
- Policy input/next steps/recommendations
HERBALIST PANEL: PAST AND PRESENT USES AND ANALOGS AND SOURCING – Kathleen Maier, Mimi Hernandez, Phyllis Light, Steven Yeager
SOCIAL MIXER: POSTER SESSION WITH MUSIC AND LOCAL PRODUCTS
DINNER ON YOUR OWN — participants are free to explore Morgantown.

July 14, Friday: Forest Farming – Growing the Network by Supporting the Cultivation

HIGHLIGHTS

APPALACHIAN BEGINNERS FOREST FARMERS BREAKFAST MIXER
MORE GREAT PRESENTATIONS!
FOREST FARMING PANEL DISCUSSION ON RESOURCES, GRANTS AND OPPORTUNITIES
FIELD TRIP: FOUNDATIONS OF FOREST FARMING AT HARDING’S GINSENG FARM
(Must register separately as space is limited.)

Thank you to our sponsors!