We are an interdisciplinary team of ethnobiologists, anthropologists, botanists and conservation scientists with a strong commitment to collaborative, supportive, inclusive and equity-based research ethics
We are an interdisciplinary team of Tsimane’, Bolivian, and international researchers working hand in hand to strengthen Indigenous knowledge systems. Our partnership is rooted in trust, reciprocity, and respect, recognizing that knowledge lives in, and is nurtured through, relationships, rather than in data alone.
The IEK-CHANGES project is part of our shared journey toward more equitable and decolonizing research practices. We seek to open space for Tsimane’ collaborators to shape how knowledge is documented and shared, in ways that support their long-term cultural aspirations. By listening deeply, standing in solidarity, and nurturing intergenerational transmission, we strive to build research that is both scientifically rigorous and profoundly meaningful to the communities with whom we walk this path.
Álvaro Fernández-Llamazares is an ethnobiologist with an established research trajectory on the study of Indigenous Peoples’ land-based stewardship systems. He is currently a Ramón y Cajal research fellow based the Botany Unit of the Department of Animal Biology, Plant Biology and Ecology (BABVE) and at the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology (ICTA-UAB) of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. He holds a PhD in Environmental Sciences (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 2015) and seven years of postdoctoral experience at the University of Helsinki (Finland). He has more than 32 months of in-depth ethnographic field-based engagement with different Indigenous communities in the Global South (e.g., the Tsimane’ people of the Bolivian Amazon, Maasai and Daasanach people of the Kenyan Rift Valley). He has published more than a hundred scientific articles, and his research has received several awards, such as Olli’s Prize from the University of Helsinki or the Catalan Research Prize on Environmental Science.
Plants embody meaningful stories on how people connect with their environment, which in turn, reflects the knowledge we share with the land. This powerful connection inspires my research. Unfairly, these relationships are often disrupted by extractive and capital-pursuit actions rooted in colonialism and the neoliberalist policies that sustain it. Within the IEK-Changes Project I aim to understand how Tsimane’s oral histories and other historical sources, such as photographs, inform us about changes and continuities in their plant knowledge and practices and how the Tsimane’ people have been affected by those processes, as well as their relationship with their territory. I previously engaged in diverse projects at the intersection of botany, history, linguistics, and art (Brazil, Colombia, Curaçao, Colombia, and the Netherlands). Additionally, I am intrigued about plant lore related to other-than-human beings in rural areas (e.g., Aragon Pyrenees) and the role they have played in the territory over time.
I am a land system and conservation social scientist, and a postdoctoral researcher within the ERC project IEK-Changes. I have a penchant for maps, impact evaluation and unexpected outcomes of forest conservation interventions. During most of my career I have focused on tropical forest landscapes, particularly in Madagascar, where I have worked for over 10 years. My research integrates extensive field-based social data collection with participatory mapping, geospatial analysis, impact evaluation and evidence synthesis, to understand the social and environmental impacts of forest conservation interventions. My work at the IEK-Changes project focuses on understanding how changes in Indigenous environmental knowledge affects biodiversity outcomes in the Tsimane’ Territory in the Bolivian Amazon. For this, I will be working on reconstructing the history of forest cover change in these territories and using impact evaluation to understand what are the factors supporting the Tsimane’ people in protecting their forest resources.
I’m a PhD student in ethnobotany, with a passion for conserving biodiversity and improving human livelihoods. I am part of the IEK-Changes team and together with the Tsimane’ people in Bolivia we are researching how Indigenous knowledge of plants is changing and what effect this has on local environmental management and biodiversity conservation. I hold two MSc degrees: one in Forest and Nature Conservation and one in Ethnobotany, both from Wageningen University, the Netherlands. My previous research is varied but has always been focussed on Indigenous and local environmental knowledge – the nexus of human culture and biology. I have studied agroforestry systems of the Kichwa people in the Ecuadorian Amazon, worked with the Taruma people in Guyana to retrace their past through linguistics and plant knowledge, and advised botanical gardens on the topic of decolonisation.
Ecologist investigating how changes in Indigenous environmental knowledge affect biodiversity conservation. I am a PhD researcher at ICTA-UAB, working with the IEK-CHANGES team, which focuses on understanding the dynamics of Indigenous Environmental Knowledge (IEK) and its role in biodiversity conservation. In the past, I studied non-human primate behaviour and conservation, which gave me a unique perspective on the vital role of Indigenous peoples in primate conservation. This experience led me to shift my focus toward exploring the value of Indigenous knowledge in conservation efforts. Understanding and incorporating Indigenous knowledge into biodiversity conservation strategies can play a key role in protecting ecosystems while respecting and promoting the rights of Indigenous communities. It is this intersection of environmental justice, conservation, and human rights that deeply motivates my research.
Prof. Mónica Moraes R. is a Bolivian botanist and one of the world’s foremost experts on tropical palms. She studied biology at the Universidad Mayor de San Andrés (UMSA) in La Paz and obtained her MSc (1989) and PhD (1996) at the University of Aarhus (Denmark). She has been a full Professor at UMSA since 1990 and has been in charge of the palm collection at the National Herbarium of Bolivia since 1984. She has been an author of two IPBES assessments of the United Nations and the Panel of Scientists for the Amazon. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the International Foundation for Science (IFS, Stockholm, Sweden) and the World Academy of Sciences (TWAS, Trieste, Italy). Prof. Moraes was appointed full member of the Bolivian Academy of Sciences in 2008 and since June 2021 she has the honour of being the first-ever woman to serve as its President. She is also a member of the Multidisciplinary Expert Science Advisory Group to UNEPs GEO-7 Assessment (2023-2026), where she also serves as an observer at the Local and Indigenous Knowledge Taskforce.
Tomás Huanca has a PhD in Anthropology from the University of Florida, in the United States. Since 2009 he has been executive director of the Centro Boliviano de Investigación y Desarrollo Socio Integral (CBIDSI), and is an associate researcher at the Center for International Development at Brandeis University, in the United States. He has been a consultant for the American Indian Museum of the Smithsonian Institution of the United States and for UNICEF. He has been working continuously with the Tsimane’ people since 1999. With his extraordinary knowledge of the Tsimane’ language (which he has carefully studied and documented over almost three decades), he is widely recognized as one of the leading ethnographers of Tsimane’ culture and society.
Esther Conde has an undergraduate degree in Biology from the Universidad Mayor de San Andrés (UMSA), in Bolivia. Born in La Paz, she has worked continuously among Amazonian Indigenous communities in Bolivia since 2000. Specifically, she has worked for 24 consecutive years in the Tsimane’ territory, frequently visiting the communities and creating ties of trust and mutual respect with the Tsimane’ people and their legitimate authorities. She currently works as a field researcher and executive secretary of the Centro Boliviano de Investigación y Desarrollo Socio Integral (CBIDSI), in charge of accounting and database maintenance. With her extensive knowledge of the Tsimane’ language, she has participated in numerous international projects such as COMBIOSERVE (funded by the European Commission FP7; 2012-2015) or the LICCI project (funded by the European Research Council; 2018-2023). She was the second field coordinator of the Tsimane’ Amazonian Panel Study (2002-2010).
Isabel Virginia Sánchez is a biologist by training. She completed her undergraduate thesis titled “Biodiversity of small terrestrial mammals across two transitional periods (wet–dry and dry–wet) in riparian and foothill forests of the Tsimane’ community of Cuchisama, Beni, Bolivia.” This research was conducted as part of the project “The Adaptive Nature of Culture: A cross-cultural analysis of the returns of Local Environmental Knowledge (LEK)”, where she worked as a field assistant. Through her field experience and the opportunity to live in Tsimane’ communities, she developed a strong interest in supporting productive and artisanal associations as alternative pathways for conservation among Indigenous peoples. This led her to pursue a master’s degree in Agribusiness and Sustainable Markets at CATIE (Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center), an international institution focused on research and postgraduate education in sustainable agriculture and natural resource management. She has extensive professional experience as an environmental specialist, as a technician in the Epidemiology Unit of the Ministry of Health of Bolivia, and as a biology teacher at Amerinst Obrajes school in La Paz. Her current work focuses on contributing, through scientific research, to the development of organic enterprises and non-timber forest product value chains. She is also committed to strengthening environmental and financial education as key tools to promote conservation models that are environmentally sustainable, socially just, and economically viable.
Carola is a Tsimane’ woman who holds a high school degree and is currently studying at the Technical School of Health. Her main motivation is to help the chätydie’ (i.e., the endonym that the Tsimane’ use to identify themselves) and to serve her community. Through her role as a researcher and translator in this project, she seeks to deepen her knowledge of Tsimane’ communities and their history. In the future, Carola aspires to preserve and share that history by teaching it to both children and adults. She feels deeply proud of her Tsimane’ identity and is committed to strengthening it for future generations.
Manuel is a Tsimane’ researcher with nearly 30 years of experience working in the Tsimane’ Indigenous Territory and across other ancestral Tsimane’ lands. Over the course of his career, he has collaborated on more than 15 research projects with universities and institutions from Spain, Bolivia, the United States, and Germany. His areas of expertise include forest and agricultural land use, hunting techniques, and traditional Tsimane’ music. Manuel brings to the project a wealth of knowledge, extensive field experience, and a strong commitment to the preservation and promotion of Tsimane’ culture and ways of life.
Nely is a Tsimane’ woman who works in the project as a Tsimane’ co-researcher and translator. Before joining, she worked for three years as a schoolteacher for children in the communities of El Dorado, Maraca, and Chimal. This is her first experience working as a translator in a research project, a role that she embraces with great enthusiasm. Nely values the opportunity to contribute to intercultural dialogue and is excited to learn new skills that will allow her to support both her people and the broader scientific community.
Dario Cari Vie is a Tsimane’ community member with training in agricultural technology. He began working as a translator out of a deep interest in learning more about the plants used by his people, and he has since developed extensive knowledge of local ethnobotanical traditions. Dario is committed to preserving Tsimane’ ecological knowledge and cultural histories, and he hopes to one day share this heritage by teaching both children and adults. For now, he continues his work as a translator, deepening his understanding of plants and mushrooms. He takes great pride in his Tsimane’ identity and the wisdom of his ancestors.
Isidoro is a Tsimane’ translator who lives in the Tsimane’ Territory. He completed his high school education in 2018 and began working with the Centro Boliviano de Investigación y Desarrollo Socio Integral (CBIDSI) that same year as a translator. He is interested in learning more about nature and the history of the Tsimane’ people, and in deepening his knowledge of his community. Isidoro is also a father of four children: two sons and two daughters.
Martin is Tsimane’. He is currently studying health in order to support the Chätidye’ (the Tsimane’ people) in their communities. He is interested in working as a translator with the NGO “Solidaridad Médica”, and he also works as a canoe driver with the Centro Boliviano de Investigación y Desarrollo Socio Integral (CBIDSI). He is happy to contribute to the IEK-CHANGES project in his role as a translator.
Salomón is Tsimane’ and works as a translator with the IEK-CHANGES team. He has been collaborating with the Centro Boliviano de Investigación y Desarrollo Socio Integral (CBIDSI) since 2011. He worked as a primary school teacher in the community of Corte, in Pilón Lajas, from 2018 to 2021. Salomón has a strong interest in understanding, learning about, and preserving Tsimane’ culture. For him, it is a priority to learn from elders and to teach children so they can grow up proud of their culture.
Encarna Poncela has a degree in History from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) and a DESE in the Social and Cultural Anthropology Doctorate program from the same university. She is currently the Project Manager of the IEK-CHANGES project, funded by the European Research Council (ERC). For 5 years, she has been supporting other ERC projects managing the economic resources and financial justification. Previously, she worked as a documentalist in the private sector and at the UAB (European Documentation Centre), as well as in other areas of the university.
Alexandra holds a B.A. in Cultural Anthropology, a B.S. in Sustainability, and a minor in Spanish from Oregon State University. Originally from Oregon in the United States, she has worked in community advocacy in California’s Bay Area, supporting sustainable grape growing in winemaking. She is currently pursuing an M.Sc. in Interdisciplinary Studies in Environmental, Economic and Social Sustainability at the Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (ICTA-UAB). Her research examines the traditional uses of palms by the Tsimane’ people in the Bolivian Amazon, contributing to the documentation and preservation of Tsimane’ botanical knowledge. She is interested in preserving Indigenous and Local Knowledge within its cultural context, recognizing its value in sustaining communities as well as contributing to conservation efforts and climate adaptation strategies.
I am a master’s thesis student in ethnoecology at ICTA-UAB, passionate about the connections between natural and social dynamics through biocultural approaches. As part of my research, I collaborate with the IEK-Changes team and the Tsimane’ people in Bolivia to study how Indigenous knowledge of plants is changing and its impact on local environmental management and biodiversity conservation. Additionally, I analyze the Cultural Keystone Species (CKS) database as a potential ethnobiological tool to better understand the relationship between cultural and biological diversity. I hold a BSc in Biology (UAB) and an MSc in History of Science and Society (UAB-UB), specializing in Scientific Communication and Natural Heritage. Currently, I am completing a second MSc in Ecology, Environmental Management, and Restoration (UB).
I am a M.Sc. Sustainability graduate with background in Environmental Engineering, aiming to contribute to a just and livable future for everyone. I became part of IEK-Changes through my master’s thesis, in which I
Alexandra is a student of the master’s program on interdisciplinary studies on sustainability. She has a particular interest in centering the voices and lived experiences of women within biocultural research. She previously completed a BA in History and Philosophy, during which she developed a keen interest in the relationships between local cultural heritage and ecological practices. This led her to work as a facilitator for environmental education workshops in Andalucia (Spain), and later to conduct ecological surveys on protected species across the United Kingdom. Her thesis research, in collaboration with the Tsimane’ people and the IEK-CHANGES project, focuses on the interactive relationships between knowledge transmission, gender, and ecology. She examines what socio-environmental changes influence the creation of traditional Saraij’ bags made by women, and how these changes may shape the knowledge and practices of the Tsimane’.
I am a master’s student with the Interdiscplinary Studies in Environmental, Economic, and Social Sustainability program at ICTA-UAB. For my thesis, I will work with the IEK-CHANGES team to analyze land tenure regimes (and their associated conflicts) in the ancestral territory of the Tsimane’ people and how this has affected deforestation, social and cultural practices, and environmental knowledge. I am passionate about Environmental Justice and have dedicated many years of my life to climate, environmental, and housing activism. I also work with the Environmental Justice Atlas researching conflicts which have affected Indigenous peoples and local communities around the globe. It is a great honor for me to work with the Tsimane’ people and the IEK-CHANGES team, and I humbly hope that my work will help contribute to the struggle for Indigenous rights and the conservation of their territories.
Jocelyne (she/her) is a postdoctoral researcher at ICTA-UAB (CONDJUST project) working on how geospatial data are used in conservation. She also works on the roles and relationships between Indigenous Peoples and conservation and on convivial conservation concepts. Her overarching interest is in creating equitable and effective conservation practices and policies.
Sandrine Gallois is an ethnoecologist currently working as a postdoctoral researcher at the Institut Botànic de Barcelona (Ramon y Cajal Fellow), Spain. She holds a PhD in Environmental Science and in EthnoEcology (2016, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain and National Museum of Natural History, France). Between environmental and social sciences, her research interests are embedded in the maintenance of biocultural diversity and the interface between scientific and non-scientific knowledge systems. She is approaching them through the lenses of local ecological knowledge, cultural transmission, childhood studies, ethnobotany, and science-art encounter. Sandrine has been involved in different international projects, and recently led a research project on the resilience of the Indigenous Peoples’ healthcare system approached through ethnobotany, cultural and medical anthropology, granted by the AGAUR (Beatriu de Pinós 2020).
Professor Jerome Lewis is an anthropologist at University College London. He has worked with BaYaka hunter-gatherers in the forests of northern Congo-Brazzaville since 1993. He has published on their egalitarian politics, taboos and myths, and the role of rituals, music and dance in governing a society without leaders. Jerome led applied research to define how to apply free, prior and informed consent in the context of expanding extractive industries and contributed to developing the first law to recognise Indigenous People’s rights in Africa. He advocates for the recognition of Indigenous conservation efforts, to their rights over their lands, and to better representation using new technologies (Extreme Citizen Science). He is the director of the Centre for the Anthropology of Sustainability and of Flourishing Diversity.
The IEK-CHANGES project is an ERC Starting Grant funded by the European Union (IEK-CHANGES, 101117423) to Dr. Álvaro Fernández-Llamazares.
Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Council Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
El proyecto IEK-CHANGES es una beca «Starting Grant» del Consejo Europeo de Investigación (ERC) financiada por la Unión Europea (IEK-CHANGES, 101117423) y concedida al Dr. Álvaro Fernández-Llamazares.
No obstante, las opiniones y puntos de vista expresados son exclusivamente de los autores y no reflejan necesariamente los de la Unión Europea ni los de la Agencia Ejecutiva del Consejo Europeo de Investigación. Ni la Unión Europea ni la autoridad que concede la subvención se hacen responsables de los mismos.
