Episode 008 - Dr. Kelly Kindscher, Prairie Ethnobotanist

Thanks for tuning in to the Wild Plant Culture Podcast! This episode features a conversation with ethnobotanist Kelly Kindscher. Kelly is an unusual combination, a skilled field ecologist deeply interested in the cultural uses of plants, historically and in contemporary application, spanning ethnobotany to chemical analysis. Kelly is a professor at University of Kansas, and Plant Ecologist for the Kansas Biological survey. He's a passionate advocate for native plants and wild places, and the author of several books, including Echinacea: Herbal Medicine with a Wild History, Medicinal Wild Plants of the Prairie: An Ethnobotanical Guide, and Edible Wild Plants of the Prairie: An Ethnobotanical Guide.

 We talk about Kansas prairies, long-lived forbs and grasses, Floristic Quality Assessment and remediation of damaged sites, the reciprocal relationship native peoples had with Tipsin (prairie turnip),as well as plants such as American plum, wild bergamot, and groundnut, about early ethnobotanist Melvin Gilmore, and lots about echinacea.

 This podcast is brought to you by Wild Ridge Plants. We started Wild Ridge to offer a toolkit for the restoration of native plant communities, including a native plant nursery, botanical surveys and stewardship planning, as well as classes, hikes, presentations and publications. Check us out online at wildridgeplants.com.

Music by Jared Rosenbaum