Join Mission Garden in collaboration with the American Philosophical Society for a conversation about the histories and legacies of botanical gardens throughout the continent. The program brings together examples from the Bartram family’s 18th-century garden in Philadelphia, the Jardín Etnobiológico in Oaxaca, and Mission Garden’s connections to the greater Tucson region to consider the importance of ethnobotanical knowledge across time and space. Together, participants will reflect on topics including the impact of colonialism on plant cultivation and exchange, the relationship between botanical gardens and Indigenous food sovereignty, and the material challenges and practical considerations involved with stewarding gardens as sites for scientific and public engagement.

The program features Dr. Alejandro de Ávila (APS 2025), founding director of the Jardín Etnobiológico de Oaxaca, in dialogue with Dr. Jacelle Ramon-Sauberan, adjunct instructor in the Tohono O’odham Studies Program at Tohono O’odham Community College. They will be joined by Dr. Patrick Spero, CEO of the American Philosophical Society, and Dr. Gary Nabhan, Research Social Scientist Emeritus at the University of Arizona.

This conversation is part of “America’s Scientific Revolutionaries,” a two-year initiative funded by the Richard Lounsbery Foundation highlighting the work of lesser-known scientists and physicians active during the Revolutionary era.

The program will be followed by a reception featuring local foods and tea prepared by San Xavier Cooperative Farm.

This event is free and open to the public. Please register to attend, as seating is limited.