Answers to K-12 Questions

I am frequently asked by high school students to respond to questionnaires about a variety of issues concerning the fields of ethnobotany and ethnobiology. Below are some standard answers that are intended to answer most of these questions. For more information on other topics please see articles published in Economic Botany and Ethnobiology Research and Applications.

What is Ethnobiology?

Ethnobiology is the study of human interactions with the environment (the biological world). When evaluated, most of what most people do in the world is interact with plants and plant environments.

What is Ethnobotany?

Ethnobotany is the largest subset of Ethnobiology. Ethnobotany is the study of human interactions with plants and plant environments.

What do ethnobiologists do?

Conservationists: Most modern ethnobiologists are involved in some sort of conservation biology work. They are employed by government agencies (Forest Service, National Parks, etc.) non-government organizations (The Nature Conservancy, Conservation International, etc.), foundations (Christensen Fund, Earth Watch, etc.), and community groups. The work done focuses on conservation of species and/or environments that are being used by people. Often the job title is not ethnobiologist or ethnobotanist but the position description fits.

Mediators: This is an increasingly important area for ethnobiologists. As pure biological researchers conduct work that lacks any consideration of cultures that utilize natural resources and as political leaders often lack understandings of the importance of pure biological research results, there is a growing need for cross-disciplinary scholars to stand in the gap as mediators.

Ethnobiological mediators are employed as consultants by the same organizations as listed above but also by lobbying groups, law firms, and proactive local governments seeking to resolve long-standing problems between conservation organizations and local communities.

Researchers: Hypothesis driven research is the focus of almost all academic, published, peer-reviewed work being conducted in the world today. Researchers are employed by major universities, research institutes, and government agencies around the world with objectives of better understanding basic biology and developing fundamental theory about how humans interact with plants and environments. This is being used for many purposes including to develop predictive models for applied work (see conservationists and mediators above).

Educators: Science educators with an emphasis in ethnobiology are only just beginning to emerge. There are teachers in classrooms from grade schools through advanced graduate school. They are employed by a wide variety of schools, both private and public. The educators have in common strong backgrounds in basic sciences and apply this to their creative teaching that emphasizes using practical examples of science as illustrated through Ethnobiology in student’s daily lives and experiences.

What is the compensation like for ethnobiologists?

Ethnobiologists are compensated as most biologists, with a great deal of variation. Many work very long hours for very low wages, but have great satisfaction knowing that the work being done is important for the environment, for communities, and for the betterment of the world. Some are fortunate to work for organizations or agencies that can pay better and may make salaries that are quite good. The highest paid ethnobiologists are earning six figure salaries, often working partly as consultants and partly as field researchers/conservationists. Some have sold books that have become popular generating income but this is not typical. This is not a field for those who seek to become wealthy. There is no treasure to be mined in traditional knowledge, nor rich rewards to be earned for saving biodiversity. There is however, great satisfaction and fellowship across the community of ethnobiologists.

What kinds of skills do ethnobiologists need?

Languages: Almost all Ethnobiologists speak multiple languages and have developed the skill of quickly learning new languages in order to work within communities. In most cases it is essential that research be conducted within local languages in order to accurately sample information.

Biology/Botany: Most information that is collected is botanical although some involves insects, soils, and other living things. A general knowledge of biology is essential and an intimate knowledge of plants and often many other biological organisms is essential to truly understand biological diversity on earth and how humans interact within and with it.

Ecology/Biogeography: Most modern research and conservation work is conducted at ecological scales that are complex integrating human resource management systems across landscapes. ethnobiologists need to understand ecological processes and biogeographical histories associated with them.

Ethnography: Human societies are complex systems in which knowledge is embedded and used in practical ways. Ethnobiologists must not only understand how to learn knowledge but also how to work within communities of knowledge, seeing complex processes that lead to management of biological and other diversity with environments.

Statistics/Mathematics: Modern research must be statistically robust in its basis and evaluation. All ethnobiologists must be able to evaluate quality of information.

Liberal Arts Education: It is very hard to predict what sorts of opportunities and limitations will be presented within a career. One of the best ways to overcome limitations and create opportunities is through the classic liberal arts education.

What level of training is expected for ethnobiologists?

Conservationists: Most have a BS or MS degree. Very few have a PhD.

Mediators: There are still very few doing this. It appears that an MS or PhD may be good.

Researchers: There are opportunities for work at all levels and it really depends on the sort of work that is desired. Work at the technician level employs any degree BS, MS or PhD, but creative work will require a PhD.

Educators: Although in some locations teachers can work with a BS, it is strongly recommended that an MS be earned for teaching K-12 and a PhD for higher levels.

Where do ethnobiologists usually work?

Ethnbiologists are employed all around the world although there are more working in rural areas and in developing countries than in urban areas and developed countries. This is changing though as more ethnobiologists become employed within urban areas such as New York City, Honolulu, Vancouver, BC, etc. Urban parks and recognition of the importance of having healthy community landscapes are also creating opportunities for ethnobiologists to become employed within cities.

It is often assumed that ethnobiologists work for pharmaceutical companies or related industries. However, this is not the case. There are few if any opportunities for employment by ethnobiologists in these sorts of the companies because the skills of ethnobiologists are simply not used by these companies.

International agencies of the United Nations employ many ethnobiologists both as permanent and temporary staff. Similar aid agencies from the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and other nations also employ ethnobiologists as part of their usual teams of field workers. Private organizations doing similar types of relief work sometimes will also employ ethnobiologists for specific projects in a variety of countries.

What is a “typical” day like for an ethnobiologist?

Conservationists: Wake up early and drive a long way to a community where work is being done. Spend the morning meeting with people in a community meeting to talk about an ongoing project in the area. Take notes on people’s perspectives and ask questions to help gather some missing information from past meetings. Pass out notes typed up from past meetings and ask if anyone sees anything that needs to be corrected. Takes notes on corrections. Eat lunch with the community. In afternoon, drive to a local forest and meet with some local men who are measuring a field site counting the number, species and age of trees within a set of plots that you have previously marked out. Talk with them about the progress of their work and help out with data collection. Check on the progress of plant samples that they have drying. Download data from their computer. Return to office and upload information into office computer where it is mapped into an ongoing plotting and analysis system for the project. Check on the statistics to see if there are any problems emerging or if something interesting is starting to pop up. Back up data. Head home.

Mediators: Read and take notes on reports provided by lawyers from the firm you have been contracting with. Drink lots of coffee because the reports are boring. At noon go to a meeting with the lawyers and discuss a plan for writing talking with a housing developer who is wanting to work within an area where there is an endangered lizard you are trying to protect that is sacred to the tribe that the lawyers and you are working for. After lunch, meet with the developer and discuss ways that he could possibly do development without harming the lizard. Discuss the concerns about the lizard and its meaning to the tribe. Try to impress both its biological and cultural importance. Think very carefully about ways that everyone can be happy at the end of the day. Although it may not be possible, try. Keep people talking. Represent the culture. Represent the lizard. After a long day without making progress go home knowing you have done the right thing.

Researchers: Wake up before sunrise because you are jetlagged from flying in the day before from six time zones away. Get out of bed and go out for a walk in town. Try to remember what language people speak here and use that when you meet people on the street. (You have practiced the language for the last six months at home so should be ok.) After an early breakfast, meet your local host from the herbarium and discuss the research permits that have been arranged to work within the country. Since it sounds like everything is in order, you will be able to start work early on this trip (very unusual, not a typical day of research!) and by noon you head off out of the city to meet with people you have previously arranged to interview. The afternoon is spent in a community where interviews are to be held for the next month. The first interview begins, slowly, with introductions in the local traditional style. After several hours, you are ready to begin your research. It is now evening and time for a break so the actual research will need to begin the next day. That is a typical day of research after all.)

Educators: This varies a lot depending on the level of education. Teachers at the k-12 levels are overworked and expected to teach far too many sessions with far too little time for preparation. Teachers in junior colleges are sometimes given fair loads and sometimes overloaded but are often underpaid. Instructors at universities have a highly varied teaching load that is often much more reasonable with only 1-2 lectures per day.

What is the future of Ethnobiology?

Conservationists: Some of the most critical problems facing us today are global climate change, loss of biological and cultural diversity and a need to develop alternative energy. In almost every case, ethnobiologists are in huge demand or are adjuncts to solutions that are being developed. The future is bright for conservation ethnobiology.

Mediators: This new field is sadly of great importance. Because of the above problems, there is a dramatic increase in the need for mediation between people, organizations, and governments. Many more mediators are needed now.

Researchers: More researchers are needed but they are not needed in all areas. In the past, many people have taken interests in the area of traditional medicine. There is little reason to believe that there is a future demand for ethnobiologists with skills in the study of traditional medicine. However, there is a demand for researchers with skills in areas of ethnoecology, conservation ethnobiology, natural and cultural resource management, biofuels, and other practical areas of inquiry.

Educators: There is a global shortage of qualified science teachers at all levels of education. Become a science teacher. This is job security.