NOTICE: Due to current guidance from public health officials, the Library is canceling all programs, events, meeting room bookings, and outreach activities during the month of March. At this time, all branch locations continue to operate with normal hours. Find out more about our response to COVID-19 and how to access library services online at wcls.org.

Tea comes in thousands of different forms, from the ground green matcha of Japan to the dark aged teas of Yunnan. This presentation explores the variations of world tea and tea cultures, focusing on the six families of orthodox teas as known in Chinese tea culture. This presentation is accompanied by a tasting of these teas in traditional gongfu cha style.

Laurie and Charles Dawson are the owners of Traditional Teas, a tea retail, education, and consulting business, as well as being the founders of the Whatcom Tea Enthusiasts Association, a North Sound tea education club based in Everson, Washington. Charles and Laurie started Traditional Teas to share their love of traditional tea culture and to grow the local tea community. They are constantly seeking out new variations of traditional tea culture to learn from and share. They are regular presenters at a number of tea festivals and industry trade shows in the U.S. and Canada, with Charles also being a competitor in the 2012 Tea Infusion Challenge at the World Tea Expo. They are also on the board of the award winning NW Tea Festival held in Seattle and can be found running the Tea Bar there.