The nutraceutical industry runs in no small part on plant power, and the herbariums where we preserve botanicals are key to helping us both understand their history and further their science.
Duke University hosts the second-largest herbarium in the nation—an iconic 100-year-old facility housing more than 825,000 plant specimens—and yet the university is considering closing this cornerstone of botanical knowledge.
If Duke does so, its herbarium will be the largest in US history to be abandoned by its host institution. Considering that the meticulously preserved samples under its care represent a vast storehouse of information about plant diversity, evolution and medicinal properties, its loss would represent a significant blow not only to current research efforts but to future scientific and medical discoveries, as well.
Please consider signing the Change.org petition found here: https://www.change.org/p/urge-duke-university-to-reconsider-closing-their-herbarium
We at WIN know better than many what we owe the future, and we stand proud on our efforts to uplift the budding leaders and young women who give our industry so much promise. But we know we’d have no ground to stand upon if it weren’t for the efforts of those who preceded us. And it’s to them—and to you, our members—whom we owe the biggest debt of gratitude.
