Driftwood Public Library will host an event from University of Oregon and The Center for the Study of Women in Society's "Road Scholars" program on Wednesday, April 2nd as part of this year's gardening series.  Anthropologist Kathryn Lynch will be giving a presentation entitled "Women Foragers, Wildcrafters and Artisans." CSWS describes
the presentation as follows: 

"Whether it be the springtime gathering of ramps in Appalachia, summertime
gathering of berries in the West, or the fall mushroom harvests throughout the Pacific Northwest, wild plant gathering is valued by many people in the United States. Yet these gathering traditions hold a marginal place within forest management decisions, which can have serious environmental and social repercussions. In this presentation, we will explore why.

"Lynch will take you 'on the road' as she shares the stories of women harvesters from around the country. These stories of wild foragers, wildcrafters, and artisans were collected during a one-year, cross-country trek designed to document the perspectives of contemporary gatherers. Drawing heavily from interviews, this presentation will examine opportunities to promote economic diversification and biodiversity conservation through active management of wild foods, medicines, and other culturally important species.

"We'll explore how such integration can enhance public forest management and stewardship as well as increase community representation in forest management. And we'll look at how economically and politically marginalized people can organize to have
a voice in public lands management. We will conclude by examining some of the challenges of working with diverse populations of harvesters and integrating local and traditional ecological knowledge into forest management." 

Lynch is an environmental anthropologist who has worked in Peru, Ecuador, Indonesia, and the United States, examining issues of community-based natural resource management. As a fellow of the Tropical Conservation and Development Program, she explored the linkages between gender, medicinal plants, and conservation. She
lived with midwives and healers in the northern Peruvian Amazon who illustrated the critical need for women and intact forest ecosystems to meet local health care needs in remote rural communities. She has also researched the potential for engaged environmental education to promote conservation and, before joining the University of Oregon in fall 2005, she was based at the Institute for Culture and Ecology, where her research focused on the relationships between forest policy and management, conservation of biodiversity, and cultural gathering traditions in the United States.

Kathryn Lynch's appearance is sponsored both by CSWS and The Chinook
Winds Casino and Resort.

Questions about this or any other library event can be directed to Ken Hobson at 541 996-1242 or khobson@driftwoodlib.org.  Driftwood Public Library is located at 801 SW Highway 101 in Lincoln City, on the second floor of the City Hall building.  This and all
library-sponsored events are free-of-charge and open to the public.