Exploring the Organic Chemistry of Medicinal Plants: From Field to Laboratory

This course is designed to provide students with a unique and hands-on experience that combines ecology, ethnobotany, and organic chemistry, offering a comprehensive exploration of medicinal plants. Students will have the opportunity to visit Schulenberg Prairie at the Morton Arboretum to explore indigenous and folkloric medicinal plants, identify their medicinal properties, and then delve into the chemical structures that make these plants effective.

The course will culminate in a lab component where students will utilize the knowledge gained to create their own herbal salve/balm, with a strong focus on the organic chemistry involved. The course will emphasize an exploration of the chemical basis of medicinal plants along with the significance of ecological restoration and sustainability in traditional medicinal plant harvesting and utilization.