Guided Walk — Plants and Civilization

Plants played a remarkable role in the history of civilization, but in many cases, these stories are neglected in history textbooks. Some of these history-making plants can be found in the San Francisco Botanical Garden. During a 2+ hour walk with Nikita Yakubovich, you’ll learn about a mistake made by famous British “scientist” Winnie the Pooh and discover what was the secret ingredient of Scottish hallucinogenic beer, why witches “fly,” how Circe poisoned Odysseus’ crewmates, what tree facilitated the most famous seduction of all time, which plant was used in the first chemical warfare, and other interesting stories.

Dr. Yakubovich is a molecular biologist and a Friends of the Urban Forest volunteer who recently retired from UCSF.

We recommend you wear comfortable shoes and bring water (to stay hydrated). Note that our Guided Walks happen rain or shine, and tickets cannot be exchanged or refunded.

This rare weekday evening walk takes advantage of the later sunset at this time of year – and because it occurs on the second Tuesday of the month, admission to the San Francisco Botanical Garden is free. We’ll start and end at the North Entrance (Friend Gate) of the Garden, and make a loop of about 1.5 miles through the eastern part of the Garden on flat and mostly paved surfaces. The de Young / Tea Garden stop on the (free) Golden Gate Park Shuttle route is just a 10-minute walk away. Muni Bus #44 also stops there. If you’re driving, street parking is possible around Blue Heron (formerly Stow) Lake, and the Music Concourse Parking Garage is a 10-minute walk away.