MESSAGES FROM THE GODS UPDF

Despite its small size, Belize is one of the most ecologically and culturally diverse nations in Central America. Over 3,400 species of plants can be found here, within a diversity of ecological habitats. Because of this, Belize is paradise for ecotourists, hosting over 900,000 visitors annually, who enjoy the natural habitat and friendly people of this nation. Many of the plants of Belize have a long history of being "useful," with properties that have served traditional herbal healers of the region as well as those who use plants as food, forage, fiber, ornament, in construction and ritual, along with many other purposes. With Messages from the Gods: A Guide to the Useful Plants of Belize, Drs. Michael Balick and Rosita Arvigo give us the definitive resource on the many species of plants in Belize and their folklore, as well as the natural history of the region and a detailed discussion of "bush" uses of plants, including for traditional healing and life in the forest, past and present. Both Balick and Arvigo bring important perspectives to the project, Balick as ethnobotanical scientist from The New York Botanical Garden, and Arvigo as a former apprentice to a Belizean healer and an experienced physician. The book has been decades in the making, a culmination of a biodiversity research project that The New York Botanical Garden and international and local collaborators have had in motion since 1987. Drs. Balick, Arvigo and their colleagues have collected and identified thousands of plants from the region, and have worked extensively with hundreds of Belizean people, many of them herbal healers and bushmasters, to record uses for many of the species. This collaboration with local plant experts has produced a fascinating discussion of the intersection of herbal medicine and spiritual belief in the area, and these interviews are used to compliment and contextualize the numerous species accounts presented. The book is both a cultural study and a specialized field guide; information is provided on many different native and introduced plants in Belize and their traditional and contemporary uses including as food, medicine, fiber, in spiritual practices and many other purposes. Richly illustrated with over 600 images and photographs, Messages from the Gods: A Guide to The Useful Plants of Belize will serve as the primary reference and guide to the ethnobotany of Belize for many years to come.

Messages from the Gods: A Guide to the Useful Plants of Belize

Science & Math

Arvigo, Rosita

Balick, Michael J.

Biological Sciences

Oxford University Press

Plants, People, and Culture: The Science of Ethnobotany

Botanical wisdom of indigenous peoples has led to discoveries of new pharmaceuticals, chemical compounds, and a myriad of other products. Using riveting stories of fieldwork in remote villages, two of the world's leading ethnobotanists argue that the very roots of human culture are deeply intertwined with plants. One out of four prescription drugs, for example, was discovered from plants used by indigenous peoples for healing. Today ethnobotanical searches for new remedies for Alzheimer's, ALS, and other neurodegenerative illnesses are proceeding at a rapid pace. However, rapid changes in diets of indigenous peoples are linked to increasing levels of diabetes and arteriosclerosis. Yet this understanding of indigenous diets can possibly lead to new strategies for preventing and treating disease. The wisdom of indigenous shipwrights and weavers provides further evidence of the botanical sophistication of indigenous peoples, as does the shaman's use of plants as a doorway into the other world--a realm populated by both angelic and demonic beings. Indigenous claims that plants themselves are sacred leads to a startling reconsideration of biological conservation. The authors, who have spent decades in remote villages argue that rain forest conservation can best be accomplished by learning from, rather than opposing, indigenous peoples. *&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A highly readable narrative that encourages the user to personally engage with the relationship between plants, people, and culture *&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Full-color illustrations throughout--including many original photographs captured by the authors during field work *&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; New to this edition--Plants that Harm, a chapter that examines the toxicology of plant poisons, but also the remarkable modification and re-appropriation of these compounds for use in treating disease and addiction *&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A wealth of useful references and further reading at the end of each chapter *&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Boxed features on selected topics that offer further insight&nbsp; *&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Study questions for students to facilitate classroom discussions Designed for the college classroom as well as for the general lay reader, Plants, People, and Culture, Second Edition, entices the reader with first-hand stories of fieldwork, spectacular illustrations, and a deep respect for both indigenous peoples and the earth's natural heritage.

Politics & Social Sciences

Cox, Paul Alan

Social Sciences

Garland Science

Ethnobotanists Cox and Balick share two decades of experience living with the indigenous peoples of Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Southeast Asia, conducting fieldwork in the study of how people use plants. The result of their efforts details a story of human culture in relationship to the plants they have traditionally used for medicinal, recreational, and ornamental purposes. This legacy continues today in the form of pharmacology research, aided by the fields of anthropology and botany. The authors' cautionary admonition against the destruction of native communities and environments draws authority from their scientific, but passionate engagement with the subject. Includes color photographs and illustrations. Distributed by Freeman. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

Plants, People, and Culture: The Science of Ethnobotany (Scientific American Library)

W.H.Freeman & Co.

Using riveting stories of fieldwork in remote villages, the authors show how plants have affected nearly every aspect of our lives, deeply influencing the trajectory of human civilization. Includes illustrations. Paper. DLC: Ethnobotany.

Anthropology

A monograph of an economically important group of South American palms. One species of Jessenia & eight species of Oenocarpus are recognized. This work also includes chapters on ethnobotany & nutritional aspects.

Systematics and Economic Botany of the Oenocarpus--Jessenia Palmae Complex (Advances in Economic Botany Vol. 3)

Crafts, Hobbies & Home

Gardening & Landscape Design

New York Botanical Garden Pr Dept

Checklist of the Vascular Plants of Belize: With Common Names and Uses (Memoirs of the New York Botanical Garden)

Nee, Michael H.

Atha, Daniel E.

This third edition of the Handbook of Poisonous and Injurious Plants is designed to assist the clinician in the initial response to the needs of a child or adult exposed to a poisonous or injurious plant. It highlights common and important plants that lead to the adverse effects upon exposure, and it describes the mechanisms of action of the implicated toxin, clinical manifestations, and specific therapeutics, as available, for each. This truly comprehensive resource is botanically rigorous with insights from both the pharmacognosy and medical literature. At the same time, it is also for those who are interested in growing and enjoying the plants in their environment, filling in a not-often-discussed botanical and horticultural niche that goes beyond their beautiful physical appearance. Plants contain many useful chemicals that humans have used for millennia as botanical curatives. This book will help the reader understand the fine balance between a medication and a poison, why plants contain these natural substances, and their impact on the human body. With its thorough references and full-color photos of hundreds of potentially toxic and injurious plants inside and outside the home, this book is useful for identifying and addressing concerns about cultivated species and those found in the wild. This book is of interest to botanists, horticulturists, clinicians, and naturalists as well as hikers, gardeners, and all those who simply enjoy the wonders of nature and the great outdoors!

Handbook of Poisonous and Injurious Plants

Nelson, Lewis S.

Springer

Ethnobotany of Palau: Plants, People and Island Culture--Volume 1 (Ethnobotany of Palau: Plants, People and Island Culture Volume 2)

Kitalong, Ann Hillmann

Independently published

Ethnobotany of Palau, Plants, People and Island Culture--Volume 2 (Ethnobotany of Palau: Plants, People and Island Culture Volumes 1 and 2)

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