David Gapp
Photo courtesy of David Gapp
Plant Derived Medicines: The Good, Bad and In Between
David Gapp, Professor Emeritus of Biology, Hamilton College
September 10, 2026, at 1:00 P.M.
Birch Bay Retirement Village
25 Village Inn Road, Bar Harbor
The Bar Harbor Garden Club is pleased to commence its 2026-27 schedule of monthly meetings with David Gapp as the guest speaker for its September meeting on Thursday, September 10th at Birch Bay Retirement Village, Bar Harbor. David’s presentation will be an interesting discussion about plants and how they have contributed to our present-day health and well-being.
Plant-derived medicines have an ancient history. Developed through animal observation, cultural memory, and trial-and-error, humans assembled a wide variety of plant-based remedies to treat diseases, wounds and to promote overall health. Many of these plants (e.g., foxglove, mullein, mayapple, valerian, sweet clover, wormwood, barberry, etc.) are today found in our gardens and yards or in surrounding woods and fields. Several herbal medicine plants used years ago are now no longer a source for drugs but still have fascinating stories to tell. Mr. Gapp will examine a few of the plant-derived medicinal compounds and explore historical and cultural impacts as many of these plants and compounds have also found a place in literature, music, and folklore.
David earned a B.S. and M.A. in Biology from the College of William and Mary and a Ph.D. from Boston University, then completed postdoctoral research at The Jackson Laboratory. He taught in the Hamilton College Biology Department for 40 years, offering introductory and advanced courses for majors and non-majors. He has continued to teach and is currently an instructor at Acadia Senior College.
Mr. Gapp’s presentation will begin at 1:00 P.M. and will include time for questions. Due to limited seating all members and guests must register for the event by emailing or calling Pam Bowie at [email protected] or 207-244-3436.
This informative presentation is one of the monthly programs offered by the Bar Harbor Garden Club that is open to the public.
The Bar Harbor Garden Club is a member of the Garden Club Federation of Maine, New England Garden Clubs, Inc. and National Garden Clubs, Inc.