Dr. Maria Fadiman Talks at National Geographic Festival and Bootcamp

Dr. Maria Fadiman speaks at a National Geographic event.

Dr. Maria Fadiman is an Associate Professor of Geosciences and National Geographic Emerging Explorer who was invited to speak at the National Geographic Explorer’s Festival in June 2018 at the organization’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. Maria’s talk, "Ethnobotany in Bhutan: Working with Local Culture" reviewed her research during the past year as an Explorer in South Asia.

In July 2018, Maria spoke at the National Geographic Sciencetelling Bootcamp, discussing, "Tanzanian People and Plants: Booklets of knowledge." As part of Dr. Fadiman's research, she works very closely with communities to document and  preserve local knowledge. Dr. Fadiman states, "We worked with the locals to reconnect them to traditional plant culture and language by recording their plant use. Through interviews, illustrations and photographs we created a book of local knowledge to give back to the community." The Bootcamp, which also took place in Washington, D.C., is a platform for scientists to learn about how to communicate their research with the public. 

Dr. Fadiman's research brings her across the world to study the relationship between people and plants, focusing on conservation and sustainability.  Read more about her research here.