Plants, People, Medicine, and the Ecosystem: Neotropical Ethnobotany Field
Course in Nicaragua
Dr. Mark Merlin & Laura Shiels, MS Botany ([email protected])
July 22-August 16, 2011
What are you doing this summer?How does a 3 ½ week long field ethnobotany
course
on a lush beautiful island in Nicaragua sound?
Here are some details about this safe, fun, interesting, exhilarating learning
and research opportunity in an ethnobiologists’s and outdoor adventurer’s
paradise:
* Location: Maderas Field Station, Ometepe Island, Nicaragua(an
enchanting 276
km2 island located inside of Lake Nicaragua dominated by two majestic forested
volcanoes, inhabited by incredible wildlife, and full of fun outdoor adventure
activities)
* Undergraduate and graduate college credit can be arranged
* Gain real hands-on ethnobotany experience interviewing local people
about the
plants they use and interact with under the guidance of professional
ethnobotanists
* Learn about plants, people, herbal medicine and the ecosystem
hands-on from
multidisciplinary perspectives
* Hike lush volcanoes, swim in gorgeous waterfall-fed streams and
beautiful
beaches, kayak, bike, interact with monkeys, birds, and other enchanting
wildlife
* Course Instructors: Dr. Mark Merlin, Professor of Botany, University
of
Hawai`i ([email protected]), Laura Shiels, MS Botany, Herbalist,
Ethnobotanist,
and Instructor University of Hawai’i ([email protected],
www.herbalmagik.com)
For more information and a full course description, please visit:
http://www.maderasrfc.org/Maderas_Rainforest_Conservancy/Neotropical_ethnobotany.html
E-Mail: [email protected]; Telephone: 305-666-9932 (9am - 5pm EST); Fax:
305-666-7581
US $2095.00 includes:
Registration fee, program/station fee, three meals a day, room and board,
transportation to and from the airport. Airfare and Credits are not included.
Thank you for helping us spread the word. Education and conservation shapes
the
future of our tropical forests!
Further information
Major Topics:
· Overview of the science of ethnobotany
· Comparison of natural history and ecology of the “old” and “new”
world
tropics
· Land management, the environment, and health
· Natural history, volcanism, botany, and ecology of Ometepe, a world
heritage site
· The cultural history of Ometepe
· Ethnobotanical research ethics, methods/techniques, and project design
· Major tenets and comparison of different types of healing systems in
the world which incorporate plants
· Botanical history of medicine
· How plant medicines work in the body
· Herbal medicine making and medicinal specimen collecting workshops
· The food-medicine-poison continuum and food/herb-drug interactions
· Psychoactive plants
· Conduct original ethnobotanical research in a unique cultural and
ecological environment
Pre-requisites/Preparation
This course requires motivation, a positive attitude, and an inquisitive, open
mind. There are no pre-requisites for this course and it is suitable for
students of any educational background and level. Hands-on activities and
research opportunities will be tailored to the preparation and goals of
individual students. We will engage in several outdoor excursions and hikes in
the beautiful environment of Ometepe as part of the class.
Course Objectives
* Gain a deeper knowledge and appreciation for the relationship between
people
and plants, diverse cultures and ecosystems, knowledge transmission and the
role
of globalization
* Learn how plants have contributed to society as we know it and how
our
relationship with plants shapes the future to come
* Develop a conceptual framework for finding solutions to social and
environmental challenges
* Learn how and why people have utilized plants as medicine, for
material
culture, for spiritual enlightenment
* Learn how people shape environments and the associated consequences
for
health and the environment
* Learn to conduct ethnobotanical research/improve research skills
* Contribute beneficially to the community and environment of Ometepe
* Develop meaningful friendships with people with similar interests
* Optional: Publish original research results
