travels

My ethnobiology work is currently my main area of focus, but I have yet to produce many completed works in the field (check with me at the end of the semester). Some of the most foundational and shaping experiences I have had related to ethnobiology have been my travels abroad, to Ireland, Belize, and the Ecuadorian Galápagos Islands, and the books and experiences I collected on those travels.

Belize with EF Tours 

June-July 2022

This was my first trip abroad, with own Girl Scout troop, my mother (our troop leader) and a collection of other girl scouts from Tennessee and New Jersey. This trip was what cemented the region of ethnobiology I wished to explore, and set about my research into the history of Latin America and my learning of Spanish (still working on it). Highlights of the trip were exploring ancient Mayan ruins, including a boat trip to the ruins of Lamanai, and a visit to a rehabilitation zoo where I was able to take some amazing pictures through the fence with an intense zoom. On this trip, on a total whim, I picked up a copy of Sastun: My Apprenticeship with a Maya Healer by Rosita Arvigo, which was my true introduction to the field of ethnobotany/ethnobiology. It was the last copy at a random gift shop our tour guide brought us to on our final trip to the airport; I find my choice to buy it very serendipitous. Each chapter begins with a plant, usually a common one, and lists it's traditional, medicinal use as well as if it's chemical compounds have been used in modern medicine, a concept I had not yet considered before reading the book and found fascinating. 

Ireland with Davidson-Davie Community College

October 2022

This trip to the enchanting island of Ireland allowed me to learn so much more about folklore systems and how ancient civilizations influence modern ones. Ireland, as the best preserved bastion of Celtic history in Europe, makes clear the connections between the primordial and the contemporary. We were only there for a week, but went to multiple ancient sites, surfed, went horseback riding, and explored the small town of Bundoran, the Northern Irish city of Derry, and Dublin. In Ireland, I picked up The Book of Difficult Fruits by Kate Lebo and Listen to the Land Speak by Manchán Magan. 

Ecology in The Galápagos Islands with UNC Biology

July 2025

My most recent trip abroad, and the longest (three weeks), was a formal trip with the UNC Department of Biology, for which I received credit for BIOL 461: Fundamentals of Ecology. We stayed with host families to improve our Spanish and conducted our classes and labs at the joint science center on San Cristóbal between UNC Chapel Hill and Universidad de San Francisco de Quito, a premier university in Ecuador's capital. The purpose of the journey was ostensibly to collect soil and plant samples to extract their microbes, which can then be studied in genomics labs here at home. We also had our fair share of exploring, hiking, having lunch in town, snorkeling with sea turtles and sea lions, visiting giant turtle reserves, a science symposium, and even an extracurricular trip to another island, the most populous one, Santa Cruz.