Our first field campaign is completed!
Our first field campaign has now come to a close. After five months of intense fieldwork among the Tsimane’ people in the Bolivian Amazon, the team returns with a deep sense of gratitude for the time spent in communities and the many conversations, reflections, and shared experiences that shaped these months in the field. Together […]
Our botanical collection continues to grow!
Our botanical collection continue to grow, strengthening the foundations for the long-term study of ethnobotanical knowledge systems in the Bolivian Amazon. In close collaboration with the National Herbarium of Bolivia (LPB) and our long-term research partner Dr. Mónica Moraes, our team has established a carefully curated reference collection that links ethnobotanical knowledge with rigorously identified […]
On the Tsimane’ road
Although probably less known than the Maniqui River, the area between Yucumo and Rurrenabaque is one of the core centres of the ancestral lands of the Tsimane’ people. On the western side of the road connecting the two towns lies the TCO and Biosphere Reserve Pilón Lajas, one of the most important protected areas in […]
With gratitude to our Tsimane’ partners
Much of our work in the Bolivian Amazon would simply not be possible without the generosity, patience, and wisdom of the Tsimane’ people. Every day in the field reminds us that research is not something we do alone, but something we build together through conversations, shared walks in the forest, and moments of learning that […]
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 […]
Seeds, gardens and community engagement
After several months looking for women-led movements in the Tsimane’ territory we work, we had the honor to meet a wonderful Tsimane’ leader, J. Canchi. Together, we discussed our projects, interests and hopes. We realized many of our research-based needs and expectations are aligned, so we started planting the first seeds of our collaboration. Quite […]
Weaving knowledge: a women’s workshop on Tsimane’ biocultural practices
We coordinated a second workshop with a lovely group of women in a community near San Borja. This reunion was a continuation of our first one (in August 2025), in which they enumerated the multiple changes that impact Tsimane’ peoples’ land and culture. From the women’s perspective, we discussed such changes—from the decrease of (native) […]
We’re back at the Estación Biológica del Beni!
We’re back at the Estación Biológica del Beni (EBB)! Three months ago, we began our collaboration with the Puerto Belén community, and we are delighted to return and keep building these growing relationships.Together, we talked about plants, fungi, animals, songs, and the beautiful saraij’, the handmade cotton bags woven by women with remarkable skill and […]
Our team keeps growing!
We are thrilled to welcome our new master’s student, Júlia, to our team! She has just arrived in San Borja, and together we’ve already had the chance to visit two Tsimane’ communities, i.e. Puerto Belén and Arenales, where we carried out ethno-biological transects and interviews. These days, we’re preparing the logistics for our next journey […]
