No Place for Plants: What’s Left When Plants are Gone? With Dr. Kelly Ablard

In this episode of Essential Aromatica, Amy converses with Dr. Kelly Ablard from the Airmid Institute about the complex interplay between ecology, the crucial role medicinal and aromatic plants play in sustaining eco-cultural-systems and what the essential oil community can do to support global and local ecologies and the Earth overall.

Episode Highlights:

The Unique Relationship Between Biology, Aromatherapy, and Chemical Ecology. Explore how the chemicals that facilitate interactions among species are found in essential oils. (Pheromones, Allomones!)

The Importance of Ethnobotany via Philology and Biology. Sustaining cultural ecology by preserving indigenous wisdom through recording the oral records of medicinal and aromatic plants.

This relates to Plants Shaping Our Lives by Creating Our Environment. From the oxygen we breathe to the food we eat and the clothes we wear, this deep connection to plants underscores their fundamental role in our culture and daily lives.

If we don’t Preserve Plant Life and Support Ecosystems, More Enviroments will Experience Rosewood’s Dire Situation seen in Peru. Its pivotal role in maintaining ecological balance was the reason Dr. Ablard started the Airmid Institute. To understand the ripple effect on an ecosystem of losing key species such as Rosewood proves the necessity to preserve these plants to ensure ecosystem health (inclusive of humans, plants, animals and insects.) Something similar may be happening in Southern California with White Sage, which is over-harvested and illegally harvested to supply a widespread appetite for smudge sticks and other White Sage applications.

How Can We Help?

Find Analogs. We don’t have to work with Sandalwood from India, White Sage from California or even Tea Tree from Australia. Find analogs that you can grow in your backyard, community garden or source locally. Some examples we talk about are Rosemary, Eastern Red Cedar and Yarrow.

Think Locally While Supporting Sustainable Global Trade when buying aromatic plants, herbs and essential oils. (Yes, think local and global!) Appreciate the value of sourcing medicinal plants locally and supporting indigenous programs across the world that use ancestral cultivation techniques. Balance local plant use with sustainable global trade to support communities tied to these aromatic plants.

Be mindful of Conservation Status and International Trade: The IUCN Red List and CITES activity help protect endangered plant species. As a consumer, understanding the importance of asking about CITES permits and sustainable sourcing when purchasing essential oil is critical.

Understand Pharmaceutical and Clinical Research Impact on Plant Ecology and Survival. Pharmaceutical and clinical research contributes to the extinction of some plant species such as Sandalwood and Spikenard; the importance of quality control, safety, and conservation statuses should be noted and accounted for.

Foster a Child's Understanding of Ecology by nurturing a love for plants and a sense of place. Support education programs in schools, encourage learning from elders, and involve them in gardening, community gardens, and nature-based activities like hiking.

Through the book, “No Place for Plants,” Dr. Kelly Ablard and Frauke Galia highlight the impact of urban development on ecosystems and cultures. The narrative focuses on the vital role of community gardens in urban areas and emphasizes the need for children to connect with nature and advocate for green spaces.

Mandatory Curriculum on Ecology and Sustainability for Aromatherapists, which is underway thanks to the Airmid Institute partnering with aromatherapy organizations such as IFPA, CAOA, AIA, NAHA.

Learn more:

Website: www.airmidinstitute.org

Email: kablard@airmidinstitute.org

Facebook: @airmidinstitute

Instagram: @airmid_institute

LinkedIn: Airmid Institute

Dasgupta Review: ⁠Final Report - The Economics of Biodiversity: The Dasgupta Review - GOV.UK⁠