WASHINGTON, DC – [Photos by GreeceInUSA]
Dr. Yota Batsaki, Executive Director of Dumbarton Oaks—a Harvard University research institute, museum, and historic garden in Washington, DC—delivered a captivating lecture titled “Green Treasures: Plants in the Greek Tradition” at the Embassy of Greece on October 1.
The event drew a diverse and engaged audience, as Dr. Batsaki explored Greece’s extraordinary botanical heritage, leaving attendees with a deep appreciation of the enduring connections between Greece’s natural and cultural histories.
As highlighted in a post by the Embassy of Greece, the country is home to a remarkable wealth of plant life, where natural abundance meets centuries of cultural meaning. From antiquity to the present, plants have shaped medicine, diet, ritual, and imagination.
In her lecture, Dr. Yota Batsaki traced the enduring significance of Greek flora through the centuries—examining their presence in ancient literature and daily life, the transmission of botanical knowledge into early modern Europe, and the explorations of travelers drawn to Greece’s rare plant species.
She also emphasized the contemporary importance of preserving Greece’s biodiversity, underscoring the profound and lasting connection between the country’s natural landscape and its cultural heritage.
Ambassador Katerina Nasika of Greece warmly welcomed Dr. Yota Batsaki and all the attendees.
