On August 20, 2018, Tony Harris will offer a presentation called “If Plants Could Talk – A Cherokee Relationship”. Whether you actively garden for medicinal purposes or just enjoy a good plant story, an hour with Mr. Harris is a delightful and informative exploration of both nature and history.
A citizen of the Cherokee Nation, Mr. Harris is passionate about preserving his heritage and as a result, offers a vast knowledge of native plants and how they were appreciated by his ancestors. Thanks to Mr. Harris’ work, The Cherokee Garden at Green Meadows Preserve in Cobb County contains many of the plants used by these native people for food, medicine, weapons, tools, and ceremonies. The garden offers such a compelling story of the relationship the Cherokee had with plants that it has been designated as an Interpretive Site on The Trail of Tears National Historic Trail.
In addition to maintaining The Cherokee Garden, Mr. Harris is active with the Cobb County Master Gardeners, Georgia Native Plant Society, and he’s also President of the Georgia Trail of Tears Association. He was one of two keynote speakers at the 2012 National Cherokee Ethnobotany Conference in Tahlequah, Oklahoma and in 2013, Mr. Harris received the Conservation Award from the Daughters of the American Revolution. For more information about Tony Harris’ work (and to share the stories of more than a few native plants!), he offers an educational website at mycherokeegarden.com.
Gwinnett County Master Gardeners’ Association meets on the third Monday of each month at the Bethesda Senior Center, 225 Bethesda Church Road, Lawrenceville, GA 30044. The public is welcome at no charge – bring a covered dish to share and join us for dinner at 6:30, or just come for the program beginning promptly at 7 p.m.
