The story of how plants evolved and humans adapted them with Greg Morter

This is a day school in two halves. In the morning we explore the extraordinary 450 million year evolution of plants and the inventive ways they solved the many problems arising from the move on to dry land – gravity, nutrition, desiccation and the particularly intractable and surprising issue of reproduction. In the afternoon the focus shifts to how humans have adapted this bountiful heritage. We discover why, where and how agriculture was invented, and why this step has been described as ‘the worst mistake in history’. We continue with an overview of the key discoveries and different approaches to food growing in places as diverse as China, the Americas, the Islamic World and Britain. We culminate with the revolutionary changes of the 20th century and the challenges and possibilities of the future.

£30 (free places available – conditions apply)

Enrol online at wea.org.uk or call 0300 303 3464, course reference C3530654.