Explore Ecology and Conservation
Fostering a love of learning and connecting you to resources that help make a difference.
Dedicated to the conservation of the natural world, HerbSpeak is an evolving hub of resources, stories, and materials curated to foster curiosity, while providing meaningful and actionable information. From habitats and ecological relationships to conservation stories and templates, there is always something to discover.
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Browse region-specific campaigns to learn more about local ecosystems.
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Who Is HerbSpeak For?
HerbSpeak is for two types of people.
It is for you, if you want to connect with nature and rekindle your sense of curiosity. You don’t need the vocabulary (you’ll get there) and you don’t need the understanding (you’ll get there, too.)
HerbSpeak is also for you, if you are in (or entering) conservation in any capacity. Whether you are going to school, volunteering, getting paid for it, or somewhere in-between.
It’s common for these two to overlap.
Both individuals are what HerbSpeak calls a Naturalist.
Depending on which category you fall into most right now, you will find different things useful here. Keep reading to find your way through the website. Keep scrolling to find what you’re interested in.
Image: Pieris virginiensis (Vulnerable) The West Viriginia White
Most Recent Publication:
“Am I a Naturalist?”
To be a naturalist, the barrier to entry is simply to be a student of nature, either formally or informally. Modern technology has a lot to offer for our health and comfort, but there is something that can’t replace the feeling of sitting outside in the breeze, watching two squirrels play around a tree, or watching as a butterfly probes the flowers that just bloomed the day before.
You can be someone who cares deeply. Someone who notices. Someone who performs science, or someone who creates art. You can be interested in history, in research, or in conservation. In birds, or insects, or plants, or the climate – or how they all fit together.
Whatever your interest is within an ecosystem, you are a Naturalist. The human connection to nature does not look the same for everyone.
Knowledge is Powerful
Knowledge is a large part of how you relate to the world. Experiences can shape your reality, and your understanding can shape your experiences. By taking control of your ability to learn, you allow yourself to look at the world in a different light.
Learning also expands your vocabulary and ability to express yourself. If you stop learning, you stop discovering new ways to express feelings, ideas, and insights.
With this understanding, it’s important to note that knowledge is not a destination. There is no true end. It is all about the process and about staying open to change and new possibilities. Learning keeps you curious, and changes how you relate to (and interact with) the world around you on a much deeper level.
Above: image from Why Do Leaves Change Color in the Fall?
Would you like to take a deep breath and look at a forest and say: “Pretty. It’s so green!”
Or, would you like to look at that same forest and say, “Pretty. A scrub-oak pine barren! I bet there are some interesting birds there. Maybe some Ruffed Grouse past that ridge. Since it’s late Spring, I wonder if the Bayberry flowers are blooming.” Take a breath (because you are hiking, and hills are tough to climb if you don’t breathe.)“I wonder if I’ll see anything I don’t know yet. That would be exciting.”
You can still appreciate the color green in the latter example, but one of these attitudes are much more engaged in the details, in discovery, and with curiosity. Suddenly, the world is full of individuals and communities, not just a wall of nameless foliage and animals.
Conservation Resources
While many of these resources focus on plants either as a sole topic or entry point, it is important to acknowledge that nothing exists in isolation; the ecosystem has many interactions and relationships, and plants are just one piece of that puzzle.
But, that can make things overwhelming. You are invited to explore the resources and topics that you are most interested in, or find most useful – and skip the ones you are not.
There is no claim for this to be a comprehensive resource, nor could it ever be. It is, however, an effort to create a better resource than what we have.
For the Beginner
The Roadmap to Nature page is for the beginning Naturalist, who is starting their journey but does not yet have an active involvement in conservation. These pieces are curated to be bite-sized educational pieces.
You don’t have to start at the deep end, and you don’t have to wade through anything you aren’t interested in. Chase your curiosity and see where you end up.
There is everything from resources on the basics of plant anatomy, to where to go to learn about nature local to you, or how to use identification apps. If you want to get involved in conservation, there are some ideas as well, depending on what suits your abilities.
For the Professional
If you are a more experienced Naturalist as a professional, student, or advocate who is actively involved in conservation, the type of content you are looking for may be different than what the above can provide you. This is where the Conservation Resources page holds the most potential.
Keep in mind that you can further your individual knowledge, or you can work towards furthering a collective knowledge. These differences are not officially distinguished, but there is a need for these acts to become more intentional. In working to un-do the silo’ing of many resources across conservation, you can find things like how to use an ID key, free downloads of field data plotting sheets, or places to apply for funding.
USFWS Feather Atlas
The feather atlas is an exceptional database of feather imagery, dedicated to identifying and studying flight feathers of the birds of North America.
How to Use GoBotany
Learn how to use GoBotany's simple/full and dichotomous key using two plant examples.
About GoBotany
A New England regional online database of 3,500+ plant taxa, including three searchable keys to help you identify your specimens.
Psst! Looking for something to read? Check out the Library.
Parts of a Plant and Their Functions: Introduction and Basic Terminology
Part one of an in-depth series. Getting your hands dirty in the garden or diving into botany can be a much richer experience when you understand the various parts of a plant and their functions.
Community Garden Benefits
There’s something special about a community garden. It’s a space where neighbors can come together to grow food, connect with the natural world, and build relationships. Community gardens are more than just a nice idea – they can actually be incredibly beneficial for both individuals and the local ecosystem.
Review: The Green Planet by BBC Earth
There is nothing not to love about the recent series from BBC Earth ‘The Green Planet’ narrated by David Attenborough. Originally airing in 2022, it was primarily celebrated in the UK as a groundbreaking series focused on the world from the perspective of plants. Unfortunately, it was not available in the United States, and as time went on, many of the potential audience forgot about this series. Now that it’s available in the US – is it any good? Let’s find out.
What Are The Benefits of a Garden?
For centuries, gardening has been apart of our lives. If it wasn’t to feed the household, it has been a hobby to bring the mind peace. Whether you are a seasoned gardener or are considering starting your own garden, you will gain a deeper appreciation for the many benefits of this relaxing activity.
How Do Ferns Reproduce?
Ferns have captured the imagination of many scientists’, with many aspects of these unique plants becoming a dissertation research subject. Some people have even dedicated their lives to studying the subject, always finding more questions than answers. Without diving too deep into the weeds with this subject, how exactly do ferns reproduce? Let’s find out…
What Is a Plant Sanctuary?
You’ve probably heard about wildlife sanctuaries, which are swaths of land dedicated to providing habitat for certain species of wildlife. Lesser known, however, are plant sanctuaries. These sanctuaries serve the same purpose, but on a more foundational scale.
Review: The Green Planet by BBC Earth
There is nothing not to love about the recent series from BBC Earth ‘The Green Planet’ narrated by David Attenborough. Originally airing in 2022, it was primarily celebrated in the UK as a groundbreaking series focused on the world from the perspective of plants. Unfortunately, it was not available in the United States, and as time went on, many of the potential audience forgot about this series. Now that it’s available in the US – is it any good? Let’s find out.
What Are The Benefits of a Garden?
For centuries, gardening has been apart of our lives. If it wasn’t to feed the household, it has been a hobby to bring the mind peace. Whether you are a seasoned gardener or are considering starting your own garden, you will gain a deeper appreciation for the many benefits of this relaxing activity.
How Do Ferns Reproduce?
Ferns have captured the imagination of many scientists’, with many aspects of these unique plants becoming a dissertation research subject. Some people have even dedicated their lives to studying the subject, always finding more questions than answers. Without diving too deep into the weeds with this subject, how exactly do ferns reproduce? Let’s find out…
About HerbSpeak
HerbSpeak first came online in April of 2015. Preceding that, the energy was directed towards authoring articles in informal formats, and before that, it has existed as a vague idea while searching for resources.
Every three years or so, HerbSpeak is re-structured and fine-tuned towards its next evolution. In these iterative improvements, the focus narrows, the aspirations grow, and it matures more completely into what it was always meant to be.
Authored by Destynnie K. Berard (D.K. Berard), who has a decade of experience working in marketing and communications, and working in conservation since 2021. Destynnie has a varied skillset and strives to put it to use for the greater collaboration of conservationists. This is a project of curiosity and passion, but also forged from a motivation and deep desire to make a difference. Learn more about HerbSpeak here.
This is a love letter to the world.
It is for the spiders tucked into their webs under mossy rocks, the trees that host caterpillars and birds and beetles, and the rolling clouds that relieve elephants of the heat during their migrations.
To the fox after a successful hunt, to the rabbit that narrowly escapes. To the plant that feeds that rabbit but seeks pollination from the beetle who cleans the forest floor. To the microbes that keep the soil healthy for the plant and feed the atmosphere for clean rain.
You and I are here to keep the balance. Let’s be good stewards.
Since
2015
Highlights
Highlights are charismatic species, relationships, or topics that have gotten specific attention on HerbSpeak throughout the years, and new articles or other publications are likely to appear in the future.
Ginseng
Ginseng (Panax spp.) is a particular plant of interest for its charisma, historical significance, and peculiar shape. Panax quinquefolius is the primary plant in focus, and while it is genetically distinct from its twin, Panax ginseng, it is related enough to be considered a disjunct species.
Today, the plant is vulnerable and critically imperiled across its range. Little is known about how many individuals remain on the landscape, and fields that were once rife with ginseng communities are now at risk of extinction through poaching and habitat fragmentation. As a cultural pasttime that brought communities together, it is now up to the very people who once foraged for it in search of wealth to keep this plant on the landscape for future generations.
Beech Leaf Disease (BLD)
Beech Leaf Disease is a research project studying the relationship between a recently discovered nematode subspecies (Litylenchus crenatae spp. mccanni) and Beech trees (Fagus spp.). This relationship research began as an effort to determine the nematodes’ method of travel throughout North America, which seems to be primarily via wind and bird migration.
Without effective treatment methods to inhibit the nematodes’ population, combined with the negative effect they have on the trees point to an unfortunate reality: beeches throughout southeastern Canada and Northeastern America are at risk of extinction. How do we bounce back, supporting specialist species that depended on beech trees as a source of shelter or food?
Consider Supporting
If you like HerbSpeak, please consider supporting. There are multiple ways you can do this, including volunteering if you are an experienced professional or have a skillset that could help create a new resource.
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If would like to support monetarily, you can donate any amount that you feel comfortable with. As a one-person project, everything you see here comes out of the energy, time, and pocketbook of a passionate individual. You can donate via PayPal or Venmo on this page.
How Old is a 4-Prong Ginseng Plant?
A lot of states have regulated the harvest of ginseng plants to specific seasons,...
Does Ginseng Come Up Every Year?
As a steward or grower of ginseng, it’s important to look toward the future and know...
Where is Ginseng Most Commonly Found?
American ginseng has captivated the imagination of people for centuries, inextricably...
Garden in the Woods: Botanical Garden Spotlight
In this spotlight, you’ll learn about a wonderful outdoor botanical garden focused on...
Does Ginseng Have Thorns?
When you’re first learning how to identify ginseng, you’ll hear a lot about ‘prongs,’ It...
What Climate Does Ginseng Grow In?
When you are cultivating a new crop of ginseng, it’s important to do your research not...
Nasami Farm: Native Plant Nursery Spotlight
Tucked neatly at the base of the Berkshire mountains of western Massachusetts, Nasami...
Guide to Using Go Botany
This article has been updated. See these resources instead:There are many plant...
What Is Native Plant Trust?
Native Plant Trust is becoming a household name in New England, making a positive impact...
Why is Picking Ginseng Illegal?
American ginseng is an unassuming plant native to the deciduous forests of the United...