Latest news with #BrynMawrCollege
Boston Globe
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
To Harvard (the town), with love
Kathryn Croyle graduated from Bryn Mawr College in May 2011, and had planned to spend the summer on Nantucket with her parents and two girlfriends. But after Kathryn — who goes by Katie — got into the Stanislavsky Summer School, an acting intensive led by Moscow Art Theatre instructors in Harvard Square, she changed her mind. ' And I wanted to hang out with this guy. ...' She decided to stay at home in Harvard, sending her friends off to Nantucket with her parents. (Spoiler: both friends would end up being Katie's bridesmaids.) Related : Before their Sunday wedding, the Memorial Day weekend festivities stretched from candlepin bowling at Harvard Lanes and Korean takeout from Woo Jung in Ayer on Thursday and a rehearsal dinner and s'mores welcome party on Saturday in the Croyles' backyard wetland garden (pictured). 'They've been working on it for 40 years,' says Katie. Henry & Mac The guy was Stephen Hayward, her former classmate from The Bromfield School, the public school in Harvard, where they both grew up. Stephen, who goes by Steve, was living with his parents while studying comparative literature at Harvard Extension School in Cambridge, and working at the They hadn't been friends at Bromfield, but they had shared the stage in British verse dramas; Steve had the lead while Katie — now a working actor — played the 'lowly, bar maiden,' she says. Steve doesn't recall any meaningful exchanges with Katie then, but by 2011, he found her impossible to forget: 'She was just a world-class beauty,' he says. Advertisement The pair had begun to notice each other during college breaks, and a kinship blossomed over Beckett and Bulgakov. That summer, Katie would stop in for iced lattes and to see the 'bad boy' from high school. Advertisement 'He was a tortured poet,' she explains. 'He had Recounting the start of the couple's romance, their friend and officiant Evan Horwitz told wedding guests: 'They did something only people in love are foolish enough to do: they sat down in the middle of the road and talked about how beautiful the moon was, that it was a 'Peter Pan' moon, and they kissed." Henry & Mac They'd carpool to class in Cambridge, grabbing dinner after, before heading home. On Katie's 22nd birthday that July, Steve left her party after an argument with a friend. He was walking home, heated, when he heard her running behind him. 'Don't leave!' she cried after him. 'Why are you leaving?' He stopped in his tracks: 'I can't actually remember how I felt [in that moment], but I'm sure I was head over heels for Katie.' Related : It was after midnight, and 'my road doesn't have any streetlights,' explains Steve, 'so it's dark, pitch black.' They sat beneath what they now refer to as the 'Peter Pan moon' and had their first kiss. The following years sent the couple to new stages and cities as Katie pursued her art. They spent four years in South Philadelphia, where she studied at the Headlong Performance Institute, before heading back north in 2016, when she got into Brown University's Trinity MFA Program. The brief march to the reception after the ceremony featured a brass band and the couple's dog, Josie, who wore a flower crown made by Katie Henry of Rumphius Flowers. "[Josie] had one shining moment when we paraded down from the church to the General Store," says Steve. Henry & Mac Steve greeted her at home with a sheet cake. Written in icing: 'Providence, here we come!' His content marketing job was remote, meaning he could write and have joy-filled days, no matter the location. 'I've never laughed harder than with Katie,' he says. 'She says things that constantly amaze me.' 'This is my person. I couldn't live without her.' For Katie, acting was a challenging career choice, but Steve's support kept her afloat: 'It's a hard life, you face a lot of rejection.... you have to actively choose not to be jaded. We grew up together and figured that out together.' Advertisement The Covid-19 pandemic As part of her "Little Women" vision for the reception, Katie had been inspired by celebratory scenes in the film, in particular a Christmas scene where the sisters make garland from dried fruit. As a nod to the source, Molly O'Rourke used tiny marzipan fruits and vegetables to serve as escort card holders and dotted the tables with colorful mushrooms, corn, and cornichons. Henry & Mac In March 2020, they moved back to work at the store alongside Steve's younger brother, Danny, also a displaced actor from New York. Steve was the general manager. Katie did marketing and got inventory online so residents could order curbside pickup. As restrictions loosened, they began food service on the patio where Danny was head chef. 'We fell into a life that was very nice, but we were like, at some point, we have to go home,' says Katie. Home, they agreed, was Brooklyn, where they returned in summer 2022 and currently reside. (The store in Harvard remains in Scott's hands.) In 2024, Steve planned to propose on 'the first beautiful day in May' at Belvedere Castle in Central Park, which he'd read about in a Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child thriller. When Katie noticed Steve was flustered by the flood of sunbathing New Yorkers and deduced his intentions for the castle under a blazing sun, she said, 'We're not gonna do that there.' She redirected them to a quiet, shaded area, where Steve proposed instead. 'I can go off a cliff,' says Steve, 'and Kate is really, really good at talking me off that cliff.' The couple hired a DJ from Dart Collective to play in the General Store's upstairs "disco"; late night snacks and karaoke were served while an ice cream cart served scoops downstairs. Henry & Mac Katie and Steve, now both 37, wed on May 25 at Harvard Unitarian Universalist Church. Advertisement Katie had made her 'acting debut' as the Baby Jesus in the church's 1989 nativity play, and they agreed there was no better homage to their love story than their hometown. Their close friend, Evan Horwitz, officiated their Sunday ceremony. Afterwards, Wedding planner Molly O'Rourke of Dinner was from Chef Danny Newberg's The couple chose May 25, 2025, as their wedding date because "it was a palindrome." When their officiant pointed out the date was not technically a palindrome, the couple shut him down with an expletive we will not print here. Henry & Mac Upon their return from their Croatia-Italy honeymoon, the newlyweds headed to a YMCA camp in New Hampshire for Katie's summer job running programming for grades 5-6. They spoke with the Globe from their cabin, where Steve works remotely for a nonprofit devoted to ending food insecurity. There are weeks of malfunctioning bugles, gaggles of campers, and their bernedoodle, Josie. But, amidst the unpredictability, the newlyweds say they're more in love than ever. 'We talked a lot about [how] it's so weird, planning this wedding, when it feels like things are falling apart around us,' says Katie. 'We came to the conclusion that having a wedding is like betting on the future in a time when it feels really dark to do so. We have the privilege to choose joy every day and getting married felt like betting on that.' Advertisement Read more from , The Boston Globe's new weddings column. Rachel Kim Raczka is a writer and editor in Boston. She can be reached at
The Star
03-07-2025
- Health
- The Star
An expert chemist's guide to brewing the perfect cup of tea
When it comes to crafting the perfect cup of tea, lovers of the brew know it's as much about flavour and ritual as it is about comfort and connection. From black to green, oolong to herbal, every cup tells a story. But what if we told you that behind the soothing steam and fragrant leaves lies a world of chemistry – one that can actually help you brew a better, more flavourful cup? According to Michelle Francl, professor of chemistry at Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania, USA and author of Steeped: The Chemistry of Tea , brewing tea is a rich chemical process involving hundreds of compounds that influence the colour, aroma, taste and even health benefits of every cup. 'Tea is the world's most popular beverage. What many people don't realise is how complex the chemistry behind it truly is,' she said. While most South Africans reach for red Rooibos, the green, unfermented version actually has higher antioxidant levels. 'Fermented Rooibos has fewer antioxidants, because the fermentation process is essentially an oxidation process. Antioxidants act like little sponges soaking up oxygen. Once they've reacted, they can't function as antioxidants anymore,' Francl,added. Green Rooibos retains more aspalathin, a rare and potent antioxidant unique to the plant, but one that degrades with time and oxygen. Her advice? 'Drink it fresh.' Francl also cautions against using mineral-heavy water. In teas made from Camellia sinensis, it can result in 'tea scum' – a layer of compounds floating on top of your brew. She suspects something similar may occur with Rooibos if the water is particularly hard. 'These mineral-polyphenol interactions can dull flavour, while filtered water can help preserve the taste profile.' Many Rooibos drinkers report that longer steeping enhances sweetness. Though there's no formal analysis to confirm this, Francl says it's plausible. 'Longer steep times increase the presence of maltol, a natural flavour enhancer and vanillin, the same compound that gives vanilla its signature sweetness.' To brew the ultimate cup of Rooibos, Francl recommends the following: Use green Rooibos if your goal is to maximise antioxidant intake Choose fresh Rooibos to retain aspalathin content Use boiling water (100°C) Steep for 10 minutes If possible, opt for filtered water to avoid flavour-dulling minerals Whether you're sipping Rooibos to unwind after a long day or seeking its health benefits, knowing the science behind the steep can elevate your tea ritual. As Francl so elegantly puts it, 'Brewing tea is not just an art. It's a beautifully balanced act of chemistry.' So next time you brew a cup, give it the full ten minutes and let science do the rest.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
New Research and Teaching Initiative to Map the Religious and Spiritual Infrastructure of the Future
Made possible by a $3.9 million grant from the Templeton Religion Trust, this three-year, multi-faceted initiative aims to map the religious and spiritual infrastructure of the future. BRYN MAWR, Pa., May 30, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- A $3.9 million grant from the Templeton Religion Trust to Bryn Mawr College will support a three-year, multi-faceted initiative to map the religious and spiritual infrastructure of the future. The project focuses on three interlocking arms in research, public engagement, and professional pipeline development. New research will focus on religious change related to congregational closures, spiritual innovation, and changes in religious leadership in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and a fourth city to be named soon. "Sir John Templeton was intensely interested in the dynamics of religious innovation and change," said Templeton Foundation Chief Grants Officer W. Christopher Stewart, Ph.D. "This project is the first major attempt to map these emerging spiritual infrastructures, expanding the possibilities for discovery, growth, and human flourishing." Alongside several research projects, the project team will facilitate media and public education on the topic. In partnership with the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS), the project will also provide fellowships for Ph.D. students in relevant fields across the country, building institutional partnerships that create a pipeline of new leaders knowledgeable about the rapidly changing American religious landscape. Designed by Wendy Cadge, President and Professor of Sociology at Bryn Mawr College, the project will be led by Cadge in collaboration with Jonathan Anjaria, Professor of Anthropology at Brandeis University, Kraig Beyerlein, Associate Professor of Sociology and Director of the Center for the Study of Religion and Society, University of Notre Dame; Penny Edgell, Professor of Sociology, University of Minnesota; Amy Lawton, Researcher of Religion and Society, Bryn Mawr College; Diane Winston, Professor of Journalism and Communication and Knight Chair in Media and Religion, University of Southern California; and Robert Wuthnow, Professor of Sociology Emeritus and former director of the Princeton University Center for the Study of Religion at Princeton University. Edgell will also edit a new volume to serve as a complement to Wuthnow's The Restructuring of American Religion: Society and Faith Since World War II (1989, Princeton University Press). "I'm thrilled to partner with so many amazing colleagues and institutions to bring this project to life," said Cadge. "So much is changing in American religious and spiritual life so quickly that it is essential for scholars and the broader American public to keep up and to continue to educate the next generation to understand these important transitions." In partnership with the Religion News Service (RNS) the project will also raise public awareness about innovation and the "spiritual infrastructure" emerging in communities today, countering media focuses on religious decline and disaffiliation. "American news media tells two stories about religion: it's in decline and it's all about politics," said Diane Winston. "But our research will tell a different story: Americans are experiencing new ways to serve, celebrate, and come together--and religion is far from dead." "American news media tells two stories about religion: it's in decline and it's all about politics," said Diane Winston. "But our research will tell a different story: Americans are experiencing new ways to serve, celebrate, and come together--and religion is far from dead." The project will also focus on building a strong pipeline of leaders prepared to continue work in the changing religious and spiritual infrastructures inside and outside of the academy. In November 2025, ACLS will launch the first of two national fellowship competitions for Ph.D. students working in related fields across the country. Jonathan Anjaria, Professor of Anthropology and Faculty Director of Professional Development at the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences at Brandeis University, will work closely with ACLS in developing this fellowship. Up to 20 fellowships will be awarded in 2026 and 2027 based on a highly competitive, peer-reviewed process. Fellows will be placed with a partner organization and be part of a year-long cohort that includes in-person and virtual workshops and educational events featuring some of the researchers and journalists involved in the other arms of this project. These fellows will gain practical experience in how their research skills can be applied outside of academia. "While PhD students' scholarly activities have the potential to make an impact in the world, most doctoral programs do not offer students the opportunity for internships," said Anjaria. "This unique program will enable students to use their research and communication skills to address practical problems, while showing potential future careers related to the study of religion." "ACLS is excited to partner with the Templeton Religion Trust and ACLS members Brandeis University and Bryn Mawr College on this important project," said ACLS Senior Program Officer Desiree Barron-Callaci. "This work is a wonderful example of how doctoral studies can support important research about growth and change in communities, facilitate positive, socially impactful work based on this learning, and make this valuable research visible to the field as well as to our communities." For more information about Identifying and Advancing the Spiritual Infrastructure of the Future visit About Templeton Religion Trust Templeton Religion Trust (TRT) is a global charitable trust chartered by Sir John Templeton in 1984 with headquarters in Nassau, The Bahamas. TRT has been active since 2012 and supports projects as well as storytelling related to projects seeking to enrich the conversation about religion. TRT is always seeking more spiritual information, more "benefits of religion," and more spiritual growth. About Bryn Mawr College Since its founding in 1885, Bryn Mawr College has been the preeminent college for women interested in the pursuit of wisdom necessary to challenge the world's expectations. The Bryn Mawr College community has repeatedly broken barriers to achieve greater equity through exceptional academics and a deep dedication to learning. Its more than 35 undergraduate majors span the humanities, sciences, social sciences, and arts. Two co-educational graduate schools offer selective master's and Ph.D. programs across the Arts, Sciences, and Social Work, and the Postbaccalaureate Premedical Program is one of the most successful in the nation for placing students into medical school. Bryn Mawr is dedicated to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, which serve as the engine for excellence and innovation, helping pave the way for gender equity and inspiring brilliant minds who find life-long community as part of the college. About the American Council of Learned Societies Formed a century ago, the [American Council of L earned Societies (ACLS) __title__ American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS)] is a nonprofit federation of 81 scholarly organizations. As the leading representative of American scholarship in the humanities and interpretive social sciences, ACLS upholds the core principle that knowledge is a public good. In supporting its member organizations, ACLS expands the forms, content, and flow of scholarly knowledge, reflecting its commitment to diversity of identity and experience. ACLS collaborates with institutions, associations, and individuals to strengthen the evolving infrastructure for scholarship. About Brandeis University Brandeis University is a top-tier private research university with a focus on undergraduate education. The university was founded in 1948 by the American Jewish community as a nonsectarian institution at a time when exclusionary practices prevented equal access to some of the nation's best universities. Named for Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis, the university embraces the values of academic excellence, critical thinking, openness to all and a commitment to making the world a better place. Located just west of Boston in Waltham, Massachusetts, Brandeis is a member of the Association of American Universities, which represents the leading research universities in the United States and Canada. Brandeis' distinguished faculty are dedicated to the education and support of about 3,600 undergraduates and more than 2,000 graduate students. Media Contact Heather Mangrum, American Council of Learned Societies, 2126971505, hmangrum@ Matt Gray, Bryn Mawr College, 610.526.6528, mgray@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE American Council of Learned Societies Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
CT legend Katharine Hepburn springs to life in ‘Tea at Five' at Ivoryton Playhouse
Carlyn Connolly knows the challenge she accepted by starring in 'Tea at Five' at the Ivoryton Playhouse as Hollywood icon Katharine Hepburn in the same part of Connecticut where the legendary actress grew up and lived for most of her life. Connolly is appearing as Hepburn in the one-woman play by Wethersfield native Matthew Lombardo at the Ivoryton Playhouse on the same stage where Hepburn performed in 1931. The legend is that Hepburn, who became an actress while at Bryn Mawr College, came home for the summer and convinced Milton Stiefel, who opened the Ivoryton Playhouse just a year before in a former union meeting house in the Ivoryton section of Essex, to let her be in one of her productions. With characteristic chutzpah, Hepburn angled for larger roles than she would otherwise be considered for by arguing that her friends and family would fill the auditorium. 'Tea at Five' takes place in Hepburn's Connecticut home, the Fenwick estate in Old Saybrook. The same town that now boasts the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, which also houses a museum of Hepburn memorabilia. 'Tea at Five' has other local roots. It had its world premiere in 2002 at Hartford Stage starring Kate Mulgrew as Hepburn and later came to The Bushnell in Hartford on tour. Other Lombardo works that premiered in Connecticut include 'High,' which starred Valerie Harper at TheaterWorks Hartford in 2010 and the original one-act done by TheaterWorks in the early years of its 'Christmas on the Rocks' holiday show that became the Dr. Seuss parody 'Who's Holiday.' Connolly has done two previous shows at the Ivoryton Playhouse, 'The Great Gatsby' and 'Cabaret.' She feels the aura of the historic venue, a summer stock theater where stars from Marlon Brando to Groucho Marx to Ethel Waters appeared in plays and musicals from the 1930s into the '70s. In the '80s and '90s the theater was run by a summer repertory company, the River Rep. It became a year-round theater around 25 years ago under the leadership of Jacqueline Hubbard, who is directing 'Tea at Five.' 'I come to this area two to four times a year,' Connolly said, describing both Hepburn and the playhouse as iconic. 'She actually performed on the Ivoryton stage. She was part of this community. She described Fenwick, her home, as her paradise. This is an intrinsically Connecticut story.' While the play takes place entirely at Fenwick, its two acts take place over 40 years apart. In the first act, a young Hepburn has retreated to Connecticut after the failure of several back-to-back films. She wonders if she still has a career. In the second act, Hepburn is a bonafide Hollywood legend but is also presented as a survivor of a difficult relationship with her longtime romantic partner and frequent co-star Spencer Tracy, of countless struggles to assert herself when dealing with producers and others in the movie industry and of a recent traffic car crash which requires her to wear a cast on her leg. Connolly also notes that 'a hurricane has come through in the interim' between the acts. Connolly said she and Hubbard agreed not to do a close impersonation of Hepburn — the subject of countless impressions by stand-up comedians throughout her long career. Instead, they decided to go with 'an embodiment of the flavor' of the singular Hepburn, capturing her attitude without resorting to mimicry. The costume for the second act 'will exemplify her later-in-life style,' Connolly said. There'll be 'some make-up to show how she's aged, but we don't want to force it, just suggest it.' Connolly studied for the role by seeing every one of Hepburn's 43 films and reading several major biographies about her. She watched the films out of order, starting with one of Hepburn's biggest hits 'The Philadelphia Story' and 'working backward' toward her earliest work. In those early films, Connolly saw evidence of Hepburn's real-life rebelliousness. 'Being buried in an ensemble piece, even one like 'Stage Door,' was something she fought against. Her move to more distinctive roles that stood out from the others was by her own design.' Connolly said watching two 1935 Hepburn releases, 'Sylvia Scarlett' and 'Alice Adams,' on the same day was revelatory. ''Sylvia Scarlett' was the last film where she was really leaning into her boyish side, while in 'Alice Adams' she's playing this stereotypical beautiful young woman. Both these movies were flops. I really enjoyed watching them back to back.' Later in Hepburn's long career, 'she goes from playing a marriageable leading lady to a series of spinsters. You see that as well as how the cinema changes over the years' from colorful comedies like 'The Madwoman of Chaillot' to grittily realistic adventures like 'The African Queen,' which Hepburn insisted be filmed on location, Connolly said. Connolly furthered her research into Hepburn's life by getting to know the Old Saybrook area and visiting The Kate. 'I loved seeing those items of hers and reading actual letters she wrote.' The curator of the Hepburn exhibits at The Kate will be doing some talkback events following certain performances of 'Tea at Five.' Outside of her embodiment of Hepburn, Connolly has been developing a one-woman show of her own, a 50-minute musical called 'Thursdays at 4:15,' written by Andre Catrini, that has been presented at some cabaret theater spaces. This summer, she will appear in the world premiere of the musical 'Edvard' about the artist Edvard Munch at the Vineyard Playhouse in Massachusetts. But for now, Connolly is Katharine Hepburn. 'This is a once in a lifetime thing for me,' she said. 'It's a great challenge. There are people around here who knew her. I want to really do it well. I want to do her proud. She looked for challenges, too.' 'Tea at Five' by Matthew Lombardo, directed by Jacqueline Hubbard, runs May 15 through June 8 at the Ivoryton Playhouse, 103 Main St., Ivoryton. Performances are Wednesdays at 2 p.m., Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 2 and 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. $60, $55 seniors, $25 students.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Where does vanilla flavoring come from? Probably not beaver butts.
Are there beaver secretions in your vanilla ice cream? News articles or food influencers on social media might have you believe that castoreum, a yellow, syrupy substance from the castor sacs near a beaver's anus, is used as everyday vanilla flavoring, disguised as 'natural.' According to some of these sources, beaver castor is an ingredient in everything from vanilla ice cream to strawberry-flavored oatmeal. But experts say this couldn't be further from the truth. While people have used castoreum for medicinal purposes and, yes, to flavor perfumes and foods since ancient times, there's almost nothing in the grocery store today that contains castoreum. 'It turns out that the stuff is incredibly expensive, because it's rare; there's no way it's in your ice cream,' says Michelle Francl, a chemist at Bryn Mawr College who studies the science of food. According to Francl, in 2020 about 16 million pounds of vanilla extract —collected from vanilla orchids, a large group of flowering plants—was produced worldwide, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization. That said, castoreum still exists in niche products such as bäversnaps, a Swedish liquor, according to the 2022 book Beavers: Ecology, Behaviour, Conservation, and Management by Frank Rosell and Róisín Campbell-Palmer. In total, the U.S. consumes less than 292 pounds a year of castoreum, castoreum extract, and castoreum liquid, according to the latest edition of Fenaroli's Handbook of Flavor Ingredients. To harvest castoreum, trappers kill beavers and remove their castor glands, which are dried and crushed. They then use alcohol to extract castoreum, similar to how vanilla is removed from the plant to make your vanilla ice cream, Francl says. Read more about the history of vanilla. For over 2,000 years, people have turned to castoreum to cure all sorts of maladies, including fevers, stomach issues, and mental illnesses. The secretions were also used in soaps and creams, and at one point was added to cigarettes to enhance the scent. Hippocrates even wrote about castoreum's healing properties in 500 B.C. 'By the Roman period, it was a stock part of people's pharmacopeia,' says Francl. Castoreum's popularity as medicine likely has something to do with its chemical makeup. According to the 2022 book, castoreum can contain more than 75 different chemical compounds—an unusually high diversity. The molasses-like material also contains salicylic acid, or aspirin, which can alleviate pain. Castoreum also has fatty acids like those in expensive skin creams. And some of its molecules are structurally similar to vanillin, the compound in vanilla orchids that's responsible for the trademark vanilla taste. Learn more about how vanilla is produced in São Tomé and Príncipe. Unfortunately, the demand for castoreum came at a cost. It was a byproduct of the centuries-long fur trade, which decimated North American and Eurasian beaver populations, nearly rendering both species extinct by the 16th century in Europe and the 19th century in North America. Castoreum plays a vital role in beavers' everyday lives. To mark their territory, both beaver species deposit mud piles on the ground and excrete castoreum on top. This serves the threefold purpose of elevating the odor, adding moisture to the scent to make it more potent, and protecting the smell from rising water levels, according to Dietland Müller-Schwarze in his 2011 book The Beaver: Natural History of a Wetlands Engineer. While both males and females have castor sacs, adult males in a family are most likely to leave scent markings in strategic locations—like the pathways of other beavers—to send the message that this land is taken. Indeed, when Campbell Palmer smells castoreum in her research in Great Britain, she knows right away 'there's probably two families here, and they're telling each other, 'This is the line. This is my boundary,'' says Campbell-Palmer, head of restoration at Beaver Trust, a U.K.-based organization dedicated to increasing Eurasian beaver populations. Read how beavers are bouncing back in Sweden. 'It's a very distinctive smell, castoreum…it's kind of musky, but sweet,' says Campbell-Palmer. 'Even if you don't see beavers about, you know they're there.' Related beavers can also recognize their family members' individual castoreum scents, which is also a useful tool for Campbell-Palmer. When she wants to trap and relocate a family of beavers, she can extract one animal's castoreum and put it in a humane trap to attract its relatives. 'They're doing very well in Britain,' Campbell-Palmer adds. 'They're adapting readily.' The North American species is also rebounding, thanks to habitat preservation and hunting controls. If castoreum were ever to appear in something you ate, Francl says not to worry. 'When we're thinking about food, what really matters is the structures of the molecules,' says Francl. 'It doesn't matter whether it comes from bear or it comes from beaver, it's the same molecule—it does the same thing.' The U.S. Food and Drug Administration classifies castoreum as 'generally regarded as safe,' and a 2007 safety assessment published in the International Journal of Toxicology concluded that 'a long historical use of castoreum extract as a flavoring and fragrance ingredient has resulted in no reports of human adverse reactions.' 'I would try it,' Francl says. But 'probably not in ice cream.' This story was originally published on October 1, 2013. It has since been updated.
