Winter Lecture Series: Studying the Flora of the Mid-Atlantic Megalopolis—One Plant Specimen at a Time

In light of the increasingly urban future of our planet, a thorough understanding of the biological processes at work in urban areas is necessary for the continued survival of Earth’s inhabitants. The first step is to know what is thriving, surviving or perishing in cities now—and what has done so in the past. Funded by the National Science Foundation, the Mid-Atlantic Megalopolis (MAM) Project has begun this study with the digitization of nearly one million plant specimens from13 herbaria in the urban corridor from New York City to Washington, D.C. As the country’s largest and oldest urban corridor, this area and its flora present a unique opportunity to study urbanization.

Cindy Skema is a botanist at the Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania and the lead principal investigator of the MAM Project. When not digitizing specimens, she studies the evolution of plants in the field, herbarium and lab. She earned a Ph.D. from Cornell University, a M.Sc. from the University of Edinburgh, and a B.A. from Bryn Mawr College.

Walk-ins welcome as space allows.

Punch Cards
Purchase a Winter Lecture Series punch card, good for one admission to each of the eight lectures, and save 20%. Punch cards may be purchased at the Visitor Center only. Call 215.862.2924 for additional information.

Winter Weather
If we must cancel or postpone a program, we will disseminate the message via Facebook, our website and email. Please check those sources before venturing out in poor weather conditions.