IEK-CHANGES Ethics Workshop with Prof. Jerome Lewis
From May 22–24, 2025, the IEK-CHANGES team was delighted to welcome Dr. Jerome Lewis (University College London, UK), the project’s appointed Ethics Advisor, for a dedicated workshop held at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB). The visit provided an invaluable opportunity to review the project’s ethical approach, discuss progress to date, and ensure that all […]
Preparing for the unexpected: first aid and safety training
Before heading into the forests of the Bolivian Amazon, our team took part in an intensive first aid and field safety course led by the excellent professionals of the Institut d’Estudis Mèdics (IEM) in Barcelona. Fieldwork in remote environments requires not only strong research skills, but also the ability to respond calmly and effectively when […]
Research permit granted by the Bolivian Ministry of the Environment and Water
We are thrilled to share that the Dirección General de Biodiversidad y Áreas Protegidas of the Ministry of the Environment and Water of the Plurinational State of Bolivia has officially authorized the IEK-CHANGES project to conduct research in the country. This permit allows us to carry out ethnobiological research and to collect plant specimens in […]
Approaching gender relations in our research with the Tsimane’
One of the most powerful moments of our kick-off workshop was a session devoted to “Approaching gender relations in our research with the Tsimane’.” Understanding how knowledge, responsibilities, and opportunities are shaped by gender is essential for conducting research that is both rigorous and respectful. In this session, we reflected together on how to meaningfully […]
IEK-CHANGES kick-off workshop in Barcelona
In April 2025, we officially launched the IEK-CHANGES project with a two-day workshop, including some of the key partners and collaborators of the project. The workshop “Understanding biocultural changes in the ancestral homelands of the Tsimane’ people, Beni Department, Bolivia” provided a forum to share different perspectives and insights on the biocultural changes taking place […]
Welcoming Professor Mónica Moraes to ICTA-UAB
We were delighted to host Professor Mónica Moraes R., from Bolivia’s National Herbarium and the Instituto de Ecología at the Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, during her recent visit to ICTA-UAB. She delivered an inspiring talk titled “Conducting ethnobotanical research in Bolivia: practical experiences in the field and lessons learned”, sharing insights grounded in a […]
PI of the IEK-CHANGES project visits Bolivia to strengthen partnerships
Álvaro Fernández-Llamazares, Principal Investigator of the IEK-CHANGES project, recently traveled to Bolivia to engage in a series of key conversations with our institutional partners and collaborators. During his visit, he met with representatives from the Centro Boliviano de Investigación y Desarrollo Socio Integral (CBIDSI), the Instituto de Ecología a the Universidad Mayor de San Andrés […]
Our first Amazonian expedition… in Barcelona
Today we enjoyed one of our very first team-building activities together: a visit to the exhibition “Amazonias. El futuro ancestral” at the Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (CCCB). Before setting foot together in the forests of the Bolivian Amazon, we decided to embark on a different kind of expedition, one that brought us closer […]
Introducing the IEK-CHANGES project logo
We are delighted to share the new visual identity of the IEK-CHANGES project. Our logo was beautifully designed by environmental scientist and illustrator Mar Cartró-Sabaté, who translated the spirit of our research into an image that captures what lies at the heart of this project. The illustration depicts a quiet yet powerful moment: a Tsimane’ […]
First Day of Work for the IEK-CHANGES Team at ICTA-UAB
Today marks the official first day of work for the IEK-CHANGES team! Mireia, Robin, Clara, and Jorge will be based at ICTA-UAB over the next seven months as they prepare for their upcoming fieldwork in the Bolivian Amazon. We’re excited to kick off this new phase of the project and thrilled to have such a […]
