From Plant Press, Vol. 23, No. 3, July 2020.
Since 1967, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival has celebrated the power of culture, creativity, and community on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Although this year’s plans were upended by the coronavirus global pandemic, the Smithsonian remains committed to making space for sharing ideas, food, and music.
The Folklife Festival went “Beyond the Mall” this year with digital programming on June 24 through July 5. Artisans and experts from the United Arab Emirates, Northeast Brazil, the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon, and the Smithsonian’s Conservation Commons were featured. Many of these sessions explored how communities draw upon their cultural practices to address and adapt to environmental challenges, foster empathy, and create a more equitable world. Programs on June 24, July 2, and July 5 highlighted the work that the Festival has been doing in conjunction with the Earth Optimism initiative. Archived versions of the programs are available for viewing at https://festival.si.edu/schedule/archived-events.
Digital programming began even before the two weeks of “Beyond the Mall.” On May 14, one program featured the research project, American Ginseng: Local Knowledge, Global Roots. The program brought together three women involved in ginseng conservation and can be viewed at https://youtu.be/p8h7evFzgCc. As the participants reported, American ginseng faces many threats such as encroaching suburban sprawl, extraction industries, and the environmental impact of global warming. Conservation efforts—protection by government agencies, education on good stewardship, cultivation in forest settings, and research into accelerating its propagation—help ensure American ginseng for future generations.
The blog, “Asian and American Ginseng: A Plant’s Migration Around the World,” written by project intern Shirly Chang, discusses how the research group headed by Jun Wen (Smithsonian’s Department of Botany) is exploring the mysteries of the disjunction of Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng) and American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius). Asian ginseng naturally occurs along the border of China, Russia, and North Korea while American ginseng is found in the wild in the Appalachian Mountains of North America. Among Wen's conclusions is that the ancestor of American ginseng dispersed from Asia approximately 14.65 Ma (million years before present) across the Bering Bridge. Wen’s research continues as she dives deeper into the evolutionary story of ginseng.
Other articles, videos, and activities centered around American ginseng can be found on the Festival’s blog. The project team is currently working on a web site with profiles of ginseng experts and a space for people to post their own experience with the plant. It is hoped that if the Smithsonian Folklife Festival is able to be presented in person on the Mall next summer, visitors will be able to learn even more about American ginseng through demonstrations, discussions, and hands-on activities directly from those with years of traditional knowledge about the many wonders of American ginseng.
Comments