As ethnobotanists, we study the interactions between people and plants. This may mean studying a culture's health system, testing plants for their chemical constituents, monitoring the impacts of climate change on traditional lifestyles, or working with communities to ensure that their useful plant species stay abundant in neighboring forests for generations to come.
We work around the globe, from coasts to mountaintops. Colleagues at our research sites are the stewards of ancient and evolving ecological knowledge. They are in charge of their own destinies, and they hold in their hands the destinies of their useful plant species and ecosystems. Whenever applicable, we engage our local counterpart communities in creating thorough documentation and beneficial programs that enable us to learn from each other and create pragmatic lasting outcomes for conservation.