The white mulberry (Morus alba) is a common tree in the Lower Susquehanna Riverlands. But that very prevalence is the source of mixed feelings. 

For some, mulberry’s weedy and untidy personality warrant distaste. For others, fond feelings surface for a brief time each spring, when the snackable, honey-sweet berries ripen. Whether we perceive the mulberry as mundane or a menace, it’s easy to overlook the remarkable stories this  tree has to tell. 

Blending foraging education from the Horn Farm Center and historical insights from the Wrights Ferry Mansion, this presentation will enrich your understanding of the ubiquitous white mulberry. We'll explore questions like: how did it get here? Why is so pervasive? And what did Benjamin Franklin think of it? 

From ancient roots in Asian agroforestry to nation-building dreams along the Lower Susquehanna, we’ll see how mulberry has traversed time and continents, influencing history, industry, ecology, and agriculture right here in the Mid-Atlantic.

Join us to see the white mulberry anew! Key topics covereed during this talk include:

• Mulberry identification, ecology, and natural history.
• Differences between white mulberry and the native red mulberry (Morus rubra).
• Historic uses of mulberry in agriculture, wildcrafting, and foraging.
• Mulberry's role in local history, from the colonial era through the early twentieth century. 

Happening Tuesday, April 28th, 6:00PM - 7:30PM ET

Program Notes:

Accessing the Webinar:

Register here to receive the link for this webinar. The link will be included in a follow-up email confirming your registration.

Audience & Format: 

This program is designed for adult audiences. The presentation will begin shortly after 6PM and conclude between 7 and 7:15PM. Remaining time will be set aside for a live audience Q&A. 

To support community-building, this webinar will be hosted in Zoom's regular meeting format. While cameras may be on or off, note that other audience members will be visible in the meeting. 

Cost: 

The Horn Farm Center requests a minimum registration fee of $5 to join this program. Proceeds support the Horn Farm's mission to foster ecological learning through land stewardship, community partnership, and hands-on experiences. If you are able, we encourage you to contribute extra at registration. 

Cancellation: 

All programs are subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances. Participants will receive an email in the days preceding the program for any changes or cancellations. You can review our current Cancellation and Refund Policy here. 

About the Presenters:

Andrew Leahy

Education & Outreach Specialist, Horn Farm Center

Growing up in a rural town called Sweet Valley, just south of Ricketts Glen, Andrew spent his life fostering a love for the PA wilds. He attended Muhlenberg College in Allentown and majored in English Literature and Music Composition while exploring regional ecology, slow food, composting, gardening, and foraging in the spaces between. This eventually led him to the staff of the Horn Farm Center, where, as the Education & Outreach Specialist, he leads and coordinates classes, engages volunteers, and oversees communications and outreach. 

Andrew is an avid forager and student of wild spaces, interested in rekindling ways of living on the landscape that are place-sourced and mutually nurturing. Valuable learning experiences for him include the Horn Farm's Regenerative Grower, Ecological Gardener, and former Land Steward Training Programs and the Northern Appalachia School's Foundations of Bioregional Herbalism course. Presently, he co-teaches the Horn Farm's 10-week Forager Training Program in addition to monthly and plant-specific wild foods classes.

Tess Wilson

Curatorial Assistant, Wrights Ferry Mansion

Tess Wilson is a Curatorial Assistant at Wright's Ferry Mansion in Columbia PA, a historical house museum largely focused on the life of Susanna Wright, a poet, scholar and pioneer of the American silk industry. Raised in Lancaster county, Tess earned her bachelor's degree in Maine at College of the Atlantic, where she studied Human Ecology with a focus on philosophy, ecology, and museum education. She has a passion for sharing local history and exploring the ways in which that history overlaps with the region’s natural history.