100 Holdsworth Way, Amherst, MA
United States
THE GINGKO TREE: A talk by Sir Peter Crane
Tuesday, October 7, 7 p.m., Bowker Auditorium
General admission advance: $10; At the door: $15. Free to Five College & GCC students.
Perhaps the world’s most distinctive tree, Ginkgo has remained stubbornly unchanged for more than two hundred million years. A living link to the age of dinosaurs, it survived the great ice ages as a relic in China, but it earned its reprieve when people first found it useful about a thousand years ago. Today Ginkgo is beloved for the elegance of its leaves, prized for its edible nuts, and revered for its longevity. Renowned botanist Peter Crane explores the history of the ginkgo from its mysterious origin through its proliferation, drastic decline, and ultimate resurgence. Crane also highlights the cultural and social significance of the ginkgo: its medicinal and nutritional uses, its power as a source of artistic and religious inspiration, and its importance as one of the world’s most popular street trees.