I am a PhD candidate working in Ethnobotany with a focus on Indigenous and local knowledge of edible plants, agrobiodiversity, stewardship and foodways. My work aims to understand how socio-ecological changes are impacting these systems in communities around the world. I obtained my B.S. from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and M.A. from Columbia University before starting at Naturalis.
Keywords
Ethnobotany, Agrobiodiversity, Traditional Stewardship Practices, Indigenous and Local Knowledge, Smallholder Farmers, Food Sovereignty, Socio-Ecological Changes, Foodways, Conservation, Revitalization of Traditions
Researchinterest
My research interest aim to examine how socio-ecological changes such as colonization and climate change impact traditional plant knowledge, agrobiodiversity and stewardship practices by cultures with the goal of conserving and revitalizing practices related to plants.
My current research focuses on tracing the change of wild and cultivated food plants of the Mariana Islands over time as a result of colonization through ancient and modern herbarium collections, historical documents and interviews with local communities. This research is in conjunction with the Marie Curie Doctoral Network project, PacificPeopleForest. My past research at New York Botanical Garden investigated the traditional management of soil enhancing wild leguminous shrubs in milpa systems by Wixárika communities of Western Central Mexico.
Currenttopics
A selection of the topics I am working on currently.
PhDsupervision
My PhD advisors
- Tinde van Andel (Naturalis & University of Leiden)
- Angelica Cibrian Jaramillo (Naturalis)
- Eric Schranz (Wageningen University PERC)
Teachingactivities
- Ethnobotany (University of Leiden)