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 Golden Gate Park. 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. We’ll start and end at the western entrance of the AIDS Memorial Grove on Nancy Pelosi Drive (on Google Maps it's at the intersection of "5th Ave & Nancy Pelosi Dr," though 5th Ave there is simply the name of a walking path) and make a loop of about 1 mile on mostly flat and paved surfaces.

The Cal Academy 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 available on Nancy Pelosi Drive, and the Music Concourse Parking Garage is a 10 to 15-minute walk away.