Celebrate World Wildlife Day with a journey through the Colombian Amazon.
Two new chapters have been added to this online story map that explores the magical landscapes and indigenous cultures of the Colombian Amazon through the travels of the legendary ethnobotanist Richard Evans Schultes.
A Harvard professor, scientist, explorer, writer, and photographer, Schultes spent over a decade immersed in near-continuous fieldwork, collecting more than 24,000 species of plants, including some 300 species new to science. He helped us understand the Amazon rainforest flora bringing us a wealth of knowledge about its potent medicinal and shamanic plants.
An interactive journey through “The Amazonian Travels of Richard Evans Schultes” allows you to explore the Apaporis and Mirití Paraná Rivers, where Schultes learned about new cultural traditions like el Baile de Muñeco, The Dance of the Dolls, other indigenous cultural heritage — and so much more. The interactive map was created by Mark Plotkin — an ethnobotanist who is president and co-founder of the Amazon Conservation Team and a former student of Schultes — and Brian Hettler, a cartographer who serves as GIS & New Technologies Manager for ACT.
ACT and the Embassy of Colombia will soon host a private event to inspire students to learn about indigenous communities and traditions and to care about protecting the Amazon rainforest and its peoples.
Begin your interactive journey here.