Up the Maniqui river once more
After days of anticipation, our final field journey for this year is finally underway. A nationwide fuel shortage had delayed our departure, but now, with the engines ready, we are setting off at last. For most of our team, this marks our fourth expedition; for Júlia, it is the very first. Over the next two […]
Advancing a forward-looking approach to ethnobiology
We are delighted to share the publication of a new article that lays out part of the conceptual foundations of the IEK-CHANGES project. In a paper published in the Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine, Álvaro Fernández-Llamazares and Irene Teixidor-Toneu introduce the idea of forward-looking ethnobiology, an approach that brings Futures Thinking into the study of […]
IEK-CHANGES featured in a keynote lecture in Armenia
The IEK-CHANGES project was recently presented at the international conference “Biological Sciences and Environmental Solutions for the Achievement of Sustainable Development Goals”, held from 24–26 September 2025 at Yerevan State University (Armenia). The project’s Principal Investigator, Álvaro Fernández-Llamazares, was invited by the Embassy of Spain in Armenia to deliver a Keynote Plenary Lecture entitled “The […]
Sven Kock has successfully defended his MSc thesis!
We are delighted to share that Sven Kock has successfully defended his MSc thesis “Characterizing Tree Diversity Patterns in Indigenous Peoples’ Lands: Addressing Often-Overlooked Data Limitations and Biases”, developed within the framework of the IEK-CHANGES project and co-supervised by Jorge C. Llopis and Álvaro Fernández-Llamazares. A student in the MSc programme in Interdisciplinary Studies in […]
The house of the IEK-CHANGES Project is now built!
We are thrilled to share that the IEK-CHANGES project now has its home in the heart of the Bolivian Amazon! Built by our Tsimane’ friends using locally-sourced materials such as Geonoma deversa leaves for the roof and Gynerium sagittatum culms for the walls, this house is more than a shelter: it is a space of […]
Pilot-testing research, honouring knowledge
The IEK-CHANGES team is now deeply immersed in the Amazon, working hand in hand with our extraordinary Tsimane’ co-researchers to pilot-test our research protocols. Every method is carefully crafted to be culturally appropriate, ensuring that each and every question is fully understandable in Tsimane’ language, and that the research we do truly reflects local perspectives. […]
Advancing our botanical collections
In August 2025, the IEK-CHANGES team visited the Estación Biológica del Beni to launch the next stage of our botanical collections. Plant samples are now being carefully prepared in the field and sent to the National Herbarium of Bolivia for taxonomic identification. This work is a cornerstone of our analysis of Tsimane’ ethnobotanical knowledge systems, […]
A special encounter in the Bolivian Amazon
During our time in the Bolivian Amazon, we had the unexpected pleasure of meeting Dr. Ricardo Godoy, one of the anthropologists who has worked the longest with the Tsimane’ people. For decades, his research has provided invaluable insights into the social transformations experienced by Tsimane’ communities over the last three decades. Spending time together was […]
PI of the IEK-CHANGES Project Visits the Team in the Bolivian Amazon
Álvaro Fernández-Llamazares, Principal Investigator of the IEK-CHANGES project, recently visited the team in the Bolivian Amazon. His visit was an opportunity to assess the progress of the ongoing fieldwork, meet with all team members on the ground, and provide support during this critical phase of the project. Drawing on over a decade of experience conducting […]
Field Course on Tropical Botany with Professor Mónica Moraes
We had the immense privilege of being joined in the field by Professor Mónica Moraes, from the Herbario Nacional de Bolivia, for a two-day field course on tropical botany. Held within the breathtaking landscapes of the Pilón Lajas Biosphere Reserve and Communal Lands and Madidi National Park, the course offered an extraordinary opportunity to learn […]
