Collaborating with Tsimane’ leaders
Our partnership with Tsimane’ leaders continues to thrive. On our most recent upriver journey, we spent four days with Justina Canchi, coordinator of the “Red de Mujeres del Río Maniqui Zona Alta.” Justina regularly convenes women from villages along the river, fostering a space where knowledge, crafts, and mutual support flourish. In a region where […]
Honoring Tsimane’ Language and Culture
We are once again taking Tsimane’ language classes with Professor Manuel Hiza from the Instituto de Lengua y Cultura Tsimane’. Learning the local language is essential for effective communication. It is a sign of respect and appreciation for the culture, and a demonstration of our commitment to bridging gaps and building deeper connections with the […]
Welcoming two new MSc students to the team
We are truly delighted to welcome two new MSc students, Alexandra Florence Gilbert and Nathaniel Rugh, to the IEK-CHANGES project. Alex and Nate join us at a particularly meaningful moment in our journey, as our work continues to grow alongside the Tsimane’ people and their deeply rooted, precious knowledge systems. Over the coming months, they […]
Celebrating International Women’s Day 2026
This year, for International Women’s Day, we couldn’t join the global demonstrations advocating for equal rights and an end to sexual violence, as we were back in the field. Instead, we marked the day by inviting the women of the village for coffee and beignets—prepared by Salomón—and a conversation about what they would change in […]
Starting a new field campaign!
Our team has officially begun a new field campaign in the Bolivian Amazon. After a couple of intense days in San Borja gathering supplies and preparing equipment, the team is now heading upriver and into the forest to begin the next phase of fieldwork. Over the coming weeks, the team will work hand in hand […]
Behind the scenes: coordinating fieldwork across continents
While much of our work unfolds in forests and communities in the Bolivian Amazon, a great deal of preparation happens behind the scenes. Over the past months, our team has been meeting regularly online to carefully fine-tune research instruments, review protocols, and coordinate the many logistical details that make fieldwork possible. These conversations (often bridging […]
Joining forces to explore the deep history of the Bolivian Amazon
We are very happy to begin a new collaboration with our wonderful colleagues Umberto Lombardo and Kate Dudgeon, from the DEMODRIVERS project, based like us at ICTA-UAB. Over the years, many conversations about our shared fascination and deep affection for Bolivia have gradually grown into a meaningful scientific collaboration. While the DEMODRIVERS team works in […]
Our research with the Tsimane’ featured in El País
Our research with the Tsimane’ people of the Bolivian Amazon has recently been featured in the Spanish newspaper El País in a beautiful article written by the journalist Noor Mahtani. The piece highlights and discusses the findings of one of our recent scientific studies, which reveals a striking ecological pattern: across many regions of the […]
Júlia Orrit has successfully defended her MSc thesis!
We are delighted to share that our dear Júlia Orrit successfully defended her MSc thesis “Biocultural vulnerability of Cultural Keystone Species: implications for biodiversity conservation” at the University of Barcelona. This is a wonderful milestone and a well-deserved achievement that reflects Júlia’s dedication, and hard work throughout the project. We are deeply grateful for all […]
From a river conversation to a Nature Ecology & Evolution perspective
Sometimes ideas for scientific papers begin in the most unexpected places. While navigating the waters of the Beni River in the Bolivian Amazon, our team members Mónica Moraes and Álvaro Fernández-Llamazares found themselves immersed in a long and thoughtful conversation about the profound conservation challenges that Bolivia is currently facing. Surrounded by the forests and […]
