DIY: Sea Glass Mosaic frame Tutorial by: Natalie Plumb Anthropology Researcher Home About Projects Sea glass is one of the greatest treasures you can find while beachcombing. Each piece of glass is entirely unique in color, shape, and texture. It is produced by the combined efforts of humans and the ocean. Glass from broken bottles tossed into the ocean or left as litter on the beach is swallowed by the tide. The initial jagged edges of each piece of glass are gradually worn down and smoothed out by rubbing against ocean rocks and course sand. Beachcombing for sea glass is a perfect way to avoid taking materials such as shells that may otherwise be used by ocean and coastline-dwelling organisms. While beautiful, sea glass is human-made and does not belong in the ocean, making it the ideal material for beachcombing artists to craft one of a kind pieces, while also helping to clean up the ocean and coastline. Sea glass can be used to make numerous forms of art, including jewelry, decorative tiles, mutli-medium collages, and mosaics. With sea glass, you can easily turn a simple wooden picture frame into a thoughtful, low-cost present for your friend or loved one. All you need to do is start beachcombing! Where to Find Sea Glass: Over my three years at UCSB, I have found sea glass in virtually every section of the campus and Isla Vista coastline. However, the most reliable spot for finding the widest variety of sea glass shapes and colors is directly perpendicular to the graffiti structure just east of Coal Oil Point (Sands Beach). This local landmark is primarily referred to as the "Jailhouse" and provides the last traces of the Campbell Ranch beach house built in the 1920s (Gustafson). At low tide, the waves recede, exposing the underlying rocks and tide pools , where you can find some of the best sea glass our coastline has to offer. You will also encounter tide pool dwelling creatures such as hermit crabs and sea anemones . ​ To read more about the history of the Jailhouse and to find this local landmark on a map, visit the Isla Vista Local Wiki page. IV Local Wiki Photograph by Craig Moe Materials You Will Need: sea glass (of all shapes, sizes, and colors you found while beachcombing) wooden picture frame (you can make from driftwood or purchase from your local craft store) old paint brush (for applying the adhesive) multi-surface adhesive (you can purchase from your local craft store) strainer (for washing salt and dirt from the sea glass) white acrylic paint (you can purchase from your local craft store) towel (for drying sea glass) your favorite photograph (to complete the perfect gift) ​ Note: Make sure to apply the adhesive outside or in a well ventilated area. Photograph by Marco Mazza Step by Step: Gather all materials. (see above for complete list) Paint wooden frame with white acrylic paint. Make sure to fully cover the front and all four sides of the entire frame . Let the frame dry in the sun for 5-10 minutes. While the frame is drying, wash the sea glass in a strainer to remove all salt, dirt, and sand. Spread glass in one layer onto a towel. Let the sea glass dry in the sun for 10-15 minutes. Apply the adhesive to the front of the wooden frame using an old paint brush. Do NOT apply adhesive to the sides of the frame . Let sit for 2 minutes before applying the sea glass. Apply the adhesive to the back of the piece of sea glass. Press firmly onto the frame and hold in place for 5 seconds. Repeat for each piece of sea glass until you have covered the entire frame. Let the finished frame dry for 24 hours before placing the photograph in the frame. Enjoy! Tutorial by Natalie Plumb Try Another Project Sources: Britta Gustafson et al. "The Jailhouse." Isla Vista Local Wiki, 2013. January 2020. Image of Jailhouse by Craig Moe, 2013. Image of sea glass by Marco Mazza, 2020. Tutorial music: "Day Trips" by Ketsa. Raising Frequency . Free Music Archive.

Home Database Maps Guidelines Engaging Ebot IV ETHNOBOTANY PROJECT Cultural Landscape: The Truth About "Weeds" When most people in the U.S. think of weeds, they most likely think of dandelions and thistles, or that unfamiliar thing growing in your garden. Weeds are the plants seen to have no use, or growing where they are undesired. In many places around the world, however, the idea of a weed does not exist. In Maya languages, for example, there is no word which translates as “weed,” because the uses of all plants have historically been known. Similarly, around California, if we look beyond the idea of “weeds,” we can see that many plants growing around us have value. One person’s weed is another’s salad. Read on to learn about some of the “weeds” around Isla Vista. WARNING: Because weeds are considered undesired, they may be sprayed with toxic chemicals. Make sure you forage in non-sprayed areas and always wash what you pick! Chickweed Latin Name: Caryophyllaceae Stellaria media Season: All year Parts to Eat: All How to Eat: Raw or cooked Nutrition: Vitamins A, D, B, C, rutin, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, zinc, manganese, sodium, copper, iron, silica Other Uses: Medicines ​ WARNING: Chickweed has a toxic Euphorbia lookalike which exudes a milky toxic latex. ​ Learn More: https://www.wildabundance.net/the-glories-of-chickweed/ https://www.wildedible.com/chickweed Common Sowthistle Latin Name: Asteraceae Sonchus oleraceus Season: Winter-Summer Parts to Eat: All How to Eat: Raw; cook or boil to ease digestion Nutrition: Vitamins A, B, C, calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, zinc, antioxidants Other Names: Hare’s colwort, hare’s thistle, milk thistle Curly Dock Latin Name: Rumex Crispus Season: Curly dock can flower twice a year Parts to Eat: Leaves and seeds How to Eat: Raw, sauté, or boil Nutrition: Leaves are high in beta-carotene, vitamin C, and zinc. Seeds are rich in calcium and fiber. Cool Fact: Curly Dock is one of the most widely distributed seed in the world and can remain dormant in the soil for 80 years. Curly Dock was also an important food source during the Great Depression. ​ Learn More: http://eattheinvaders.org/blue-plate-special-curly-dock/ khkeeler.blogspot.com/2017/07/plant-story-curly-dock-uses-and-folklore.html Dandelion Latin Name: Asteraceae Taraxacum officinale Season: Spring-Autumn Parts to Eat: All (root, stem, leaves, flower) How to Eat: Raw, boiled, as tea, and in many other forms Nutrition: Vitamins A, C, K, E, B, iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium. The roots also promote healthy intestinal bacteria and are a good source of antioxidants. Other Uses: Medicines Other names: Blowball, Cankerwort, Priest’s Crown, Lion’s Tooth, Shepherd’s Clock, Fairy Clock Cool Fact: Dandelion flowers open an hour after sunrise and closes at dusk, leading to the name “Shepherd’s Clock” or “Fairy Clock.” ​ Learn More: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/dandelion-benefits https://www.healthline.com/health/ways-dandelion-tea-could-be-good-for-y... https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-706/dandelion https://www.thepracticalherbalist.com/holistic-medicine-library/herb-myt... Fennel Latin Name: Apiaceae Foeniculum vulgare Season: All year Parts to Eat: All How to Eat: Raw or cooked Nutrition: fiber, potassium, folate, vitamin C and B Cool Fact: In medieval Europe, fennel seeds would be inserted into keyholes on Midsummer’s Eve to protect the home from ghosts. The fennel was hung over doorways to ward off malicious spirits. A thirteenth century physician noted, “he who sees fennel and gathers it not, is not a man but a devil.” ​ Learn More: https://www.seasonalfoodguide.org/fennel/california https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/284096.php https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/five-ways-to-eat-fresh-fenne... https://www.cookinglight.com/food/in-season/discovering-fennel http://www.ourherbgarden.com/herb-history/fennel.html Mallow Latin Name: Malvaceae Malva neglecta Season: All year Parts to Eat: Leaves, Stalk, Seeds How to Eat: Raw, Boiled Nutrition: Leaves- Vitamins A, B, C, Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium; Seeds- 21% protein, 15% fat Other Names: Cheeseweed ​ Learn More: Duke JA. CRC Handbook of Proximate Analysis Tables of Higher Plants. Boca Raton, Fl. CRC Press, 1986. 389 p. http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Malva+neglecta https://www.gardenbetty.com/mallow-the-everywhere-edible-weed/ Mugwort Latin Name: Asteraceae Artemisia douglasiana Season: Spring-Autumn Parts to Eat: Leaves How to Eat: Cooked or as a tea Other Uses: Medicine, spiritual Other Names: Dream Plant Cool Fact: The Romans planted mugwort by roadsides for travelers to use for aching feet and it also flavored beer before hops were used. Many people place mugwort under their pillows to enhance dreams. It often grows near poison oak and can be applied crushed to the skin to prevent a rash. ​ Learn More: UC Irvine: Local natural history & ethnobotany ofArtemisia douglasiana (California Mugwort) http://www.eattheweeds.com/mugwort/ https://www.ediblewildfood.com/mugwort.aspx New Zealand Spinach Latin Name: Aizoaceae Tetragonia tetragonioides Season: All year Parts to Eat: Leaves How to Eat: Raw, Cooked, Boiled Nutrition: High in antioxidants and fiber Other Names: Warrigal Green Cool Fact: James Cook took this plant on voyages to prevent scurvy ​ Learn More: https://www.cal-ipc.org/plants/profile/tetragonia-tetragonioides-profile/ https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/australia-food-blog/2014/feb/02... https://www.survival.org.au/bf_tetragonia_tetragonoides.php Stinging Nettle Latin Name: Urticaceae urtica dioica Season: Spring Parts to Eat: Leaves, Roots How to Eat: Soak in hot water, cook briefly. Can boil for tea, add to soup, quiche, or pasta. Nutrition: High in Vitamin K, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Potassium, Manganese. In peak season, nettle can contain up to 25% protein Other Uses: Medicines, Textiles Cool Fact: Nettle is one of nine plants listed in the 10th Century pagan Anglo-Saxon Nine Herbs Charm. Burial Shrouds made of nettle have been found in Denmark dating back at least 5000 years where the stem fibers would be spun like flax. Nettle also produces a green dye which was historically used for war camouflage in Europe. ​ WARNING: Stinging nettles sting. Do not attempt to eat without cooking first. ​ Learn More: http://www.sunriseorganicgardens.ca/stinging-nettle-useful-and-delicious/ https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/herbs-and-spices/stinging-n... Gregory L. Tilford, Edible and Medicinal Plants of the West Hughes, R. Elwyn; Ellery, Peter; Harry, Tim; Jenkins, Vivian; Jones, Eleri (1980). "The dietary potential of the common nettle". Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. 31 (12): 1279–86. doi:10.1002/jsfa.2740311210 Sourgrass Latin Name: Oxalidaceae Oxalis pes-caprae Season: Winter-Spring (in Santa Barbara) Parts to Eat: All How to Eat: Raw, Cooked, or Boiled Nutrition: Oxalic Acid, Vitamin C Other Uses: Medicine Other Names: Bermuda buttercup, goat’s foot Cool Fact: The roots of Sour Grass have been used to treat tapeworms. ​ WARNING: Oxalic Acid can upset your stomach in large quantities. ​ Learn More: http://thrivingminimalist.com/articles/raw-food-foraging-sour-grass/ Duke, James (2000) The Handbook of Edible Weeds. CRC Press Wild Mustard Latin Name: Brassicaceae Sinapis arvensis Season: Spring-Summer Parts to Eat: Leaves and flowers How to Eat: Raw or Cooked Nutrition: Vitamins K, A, C, B, E, copper, manganes, calcium, fiber, iron Other Uses: medicine Other names: charlock, field mustard Cool Fact: Legend has it that Spanish priests spread mustard seeds along the California coast as they travelled north building missions, so that they could follow the golden path home to Spain upon their return. ​ Learn More: http://ediblesanluisobispo.ediblecommunities.com/recipes/wild-mustard-mu... https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-mustard-fire-pictures-2019-pho... https://survivalweekly.com/719/wild-mustard/ http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=93 Wild Radish Latin Name: Raphanus raphanistrum var. sativus Season: Annual or Perennial Parts to Eat: flowers, leaves, roots How to Eat: Raw. Boil to avoid upset stomach Nutrition: Vitamins B, C, rutin, and minerals Cool Fact: Radishes were domesticated in China, entered Europe in the 1500s, and reached the Americas by 1629. ​ Learn More: https://www.cal-ipc.org/plants/profile/raphanus-sativus-profile/ http://www.eattheweeds.com/radish-mustards-wild-rough-cousin/

Home About Projects CULTIVATING COMMUNITIES About Our Project The Cultivating Communities team on their last day of class getting the rare opportunity to spend the afternoon at the top of Storke Tower, the tallest building on the UCSB campus. From left to right: Kirstin Hensley, Briana Pham , Professor Hoelle, Gavin Robbins Thatcher , Joshua Richardson , Olivia Robért , Logan Snyder, Karma Rhythm , Jack Greenberg , Delcia Orona , Dahlia Shahin, Natalie Plumb , and Donovan Velasquez . Professor Jeffrey Hoelle Jeffrey Hoelle is an environmental anthropologist who studies the ways that people think about and use the environment in the Brazilian Amazon and around the UCSB campus and adjacent community of Isla Vista, California. He works with UCSB students to better understand humans and their relationships with the world that surrounds them, from edible plants to layers of the cultural landscape. In addition to working with students to create the research you see on this site, Hoelle also runs the IV Ethnobotany Project with the help of a talented group of undergraduate and graduate students. This site is part of a "Cultivating Socio-ecological Communities" project that is supported by the 2019 UCSB Sustainability Champion award. Hoelle is no expert in web design; all credit for the construction of this website goes to UCSB anthropology and professional writing student Natalie Plumb.

Home Database Maps Guidelines Engaging Ebot IV ETHNOBOTANY PROJECT DIY: Woven Wonders Plants have more uses than just food! Plants have historically been immensely important for all manner of tools and survival necessities such as water, food, exposure protection, weapons for safety and hunting. You name it, plants can and have probably been made into it. Can you think of any specific examples of plants used as tools? Think back to elementary school and remember how Native Americans used them. ​ Elderberry trees have long, straight, pliable branches that are good for flutes, bows and arrows. Willow is good for friction fire spindles, medicine, and their floofy flowers makes good tinder. Trees are safe havens for food and shelter: you can use branches as a frame and leaves to keep you safe from cold nights and even rain if you make the shelter thick enough. Toyon wood is used for any number of tools, including fishhooks and digging sticks. Cattail, tule, and yucca, as well as other strong, fibrous plants, are really great for weaving. Weaving was a skill of immense importance for people who needed materials such as baskets, nets and mats to survive. The Chumash would even coat their baskets in tar from the beaches to make their baskets watertight. Yucca cordage was also used as a sewing needle with string attached, because the spines are so sharp and narrow and strong that they don’t easily break off. ​ What are some ways you use plants in your daily life? Here’s a quick list off of the top of my head: houses and furniture; food: vegetables, grains, tea, vegetable/olive oil, flavoring; cotton in clothing; paper and books; skin and hair products: perfume, scents, lipstick; fuel: fire to heat the house, fossil fuels; aesthetic landscaping; cultural expression, bouquet of flowers; medicines. ​ Warnings: Keep in mind, flax is toxic if ingested and yucca spines have toxins in them, so avoid stabbing yourself or eating the stalks. Collecting the materials: Please forage respectfully using the guidelines in the tab above. Cut flax, yucca and tule from the base of the stalks. You should keep flax soaking in water if you are going to start weaving more than an hour after you cut the stalks. Preparing the materials: For the best effect, you might want to prepare the flax by scraping a layer off the top of one/both sides of the flax so there is less moisture that will evaporate and shrink the finished design. This takes awhile and I haven’t figured out an efficient way to do it, so I usually don’t. ​​ If you have any cool ideas or ways to make your woven creations ‘your own’, please do! You have artistic license to do as you please. Flax Flowers: To make the flax flower, take one full flax leaf with a long stem, the longer the better. Split it down the middle until you reach the tough stem. Peel off the thicker ‘spine’ from the middle where you made the split in the leaf. Split both sides of the leaf into equal sections. Keep splitting until they are smaller than 1cm, stopping at the stem; the smaller the better but also harder to work with. Starting at the left-most section, fold the section under/behind the 2nd section and weave it in an over-under pattern through the rest of the segments. Do this over-under weaving for each of the other segments until you have only 1 left. The last segment is used to ‘turn corners’ to continue with the swirl pattern of the flower. It should also be woven over-under. Continue with this over-under and turning-corner process until the flax is too tapered off to work with easily. If some of the segments end up being thicker than others, it is okay to split them part-way through to make more even segments. Tie off the tapered ends artistically, either by tying in pairs or twisting or putting them through the back. Cordage: Strip two very thin pieces of flax off the main leaf. Tie one end of one piece to one end of the other piece with an overhand knot. Grasp the flax at the knot. Twist the piece on the left twice counterclockwise (toward your body), very tightly. Put the piece on the right over and to the left of the twisted piece (clockwise away from your body). Twist the untwisted piece twice counterclockwise. Repeat until you reach the length of cordage you desire. Tie off at the bottom. If you want thicker cordage, you will need to use many strips of flax, simply splitting those strips into two groups and doing the same process as mentioned above. If you want longer cordage you will need to twist in new flax straps as you move down, preferably not twisting in new pieces at the same time because that will create a bulge and a weak point in your rope. ​ Tule Mats: Lay out 7 evenly sized and shaped stalks. Make sure tule pieces are approximately the same width/thickness along the full length; cut off tapered ends. Bend only the rounded side (if relevant), because the concave side will crack. Weigh down one side of the seven stalks. Weave under-over style 7 other evenly sized and shaped stalks as tightly as possible to make a woven mat with long unwoven edges. Fold the unwoven edges up over themselves and weave them back through to make rounded edges and to finish the mat. Flax Baskets: To make a basket: Lay out 7 evenly sized and shaped leaves. Make sure flax are approximately the same width/thickness along the full length; cut off tapered ends. Weigh down one side of the seven leaves. Weave under-over 7 other evenly sized and shaped leaves as tightly as possible to make a woven mat with long unwoven edges. Fold the unwoven edges up. Take longer leaves (should be the length of the widths of the 14 leaves already used plus 2 ˜ if each leaf is 1 inch wide you want these leaves to be 16 inches long). Weave them between the bent upwards edges. If the leaves aren’t long enough, weave new ones in a couple inches from the ends. End the edges of the basket by folding the ends over and weaving them through the sides and bottom. Sources: An Ethnobotany and Nature Connection unit taught by Kirsten Cook as a project from ENVS 127B Charlie Coupal's Wilderness Survival course http://www.alibrown.co.nz/weaving-a-flax-flower.html http://www.primitiveways.com/tule_mat.html http://teaohou.natlib.govt.nz/journals/teaohou/image/Mao59TeA/Mao59TeA030.html https://www.wikihow.com/Weave-a-Basket

"Chumash Appreciation" Acorn Dumpling Stew and Chia Lemonade Home About Projects Video by Logan Snyder Song: "Basic Space" by The XX Recipe: Acorn Dumpling Stew Ingredients: Soup base: Dried seaweed packs Water ​ Nut flour dumplings: 1/2 cup nut flour blend​ 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup milk (I used almond milk) 2 tablespoons butter 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 beaten egg Cracked black pepper and a grating of nutmeg ​ Meat: A large hunk of stewing beef (I personally do not like beef that much, so you could just use vegetables, or even just the dumplings with acorn meal soup​) Directions: Soup base: Blend up dried seaweed until powdery Boil water and mix powdered seaweed into broth ​ Stewing meat/vegetables: If stewing meat, place in a large, tall-rimmed pot and fill with broth up 1/4 of the way over the meat, simmer on low heat for about 2 and a half hours If stewing vegetables, saute in a pan and then add the broth, simmer on low heat for about 1 hour ​ Dumplings: Simmer the milk, butter, and salt in a pan on low heat Whisk both flours together, and add to the milk, butter, salt mixture Stir to combine until a dough starts to form and easily comes out of the pan Let the dough cool, and then add the beaten egg, pepper, and nutmeg Mix together, and drop spoon fulls into the simmering soup After about 3-5 minutes, the dumplings and soup will be ready! ​ Optional: Add the nut flour straight into the broth to thicken up the stew and eat without meat, vegetables, or dumplings ​ Recipe: Chia Lemonade Ingredients: Apple juice ​ Lemon juice ​ Chia seeds Directions: Add the juice of 1 lemon to a cup of apple juice Add 1/4 cup chia seeds, and let sit for about 30 minutes Chill in fridge or add ice, or enjoy as is! Recipes with Cultural Significance: For the past two videos, I have been focused on providing knowledge about the local environment and how to create easy, flavorful food for cheap. The inspiration for this video comes from the people that have been living off the land in the Isla Vista area for the past 15,00 years. I wanted to dedicate this episode to those whose land we are living upon by creating a modern interpretation of a beef and acorn dumpling stew that I found within a native Californian cookbook. To learn more about the "First Peoples" of Isla Vista, explore Donovan's project page. First Peoples Read the Whole Book: For more Chumash inspired recipes like these, you can read the book, Seaweed, Salmon, and Manzanita Cider: A California Indian Feast , by Margaret Dubin and Sara-Larus Tolley. Read More Try Another Recipe

Home About Projects Image by Mark Robinson Immune System Constantly Coughing? Elderberry Wants to Support You! The elderberry tree has a long history with human use. It grows in North America, Europe, and Asia. It is apart of the genus Sambucus, derived from the Greek “sambuke”, a musical pipe. Historically, various Native American tribes like the Creek, Cherokee, Mikasuki, and Seminole used its creamy white wood and easily pierced pith for piercing elk whistles, eagle and hawk calls, and medicinal hollow blow pipe for herbal remedies. Elder wood was often soaked in the berry juice to diminsh its bitter taste. The Pueblo people of the Southwest used elderberry to make ceremonial wands and other valuble items for sacred dances. Slovakian flutes called the fujara and koncovka were also made with elder wood (Barrie Kavasch). Aside from its uses as a musical instrument, it has been used as medicine and is finally getting some research by Western science. “Sambucus nigra L. products - Sambucol - are based on a standardized black elderberry extract. They are natural remedies with antiviral properties, especially against different strains of influenza virus. Sambucol was shown to be effective in vitro against 10 strains of influenza virus. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized study, Sambucol reduced the duration of flu symptoms to 3-4 days. The full study can be found here: Read the Full Study Here are some facts about elderberry’s medicinal properties according to Healthline Magazine: High in vitamin C: There are 6–35 mg of vitamin C per 100 grams of fruit, which accounts for up to 60% of the recommended daily intake. High in dietary fiber: Elderberries contain 7 grams of fiber per 100 grams of fresh berries, which is over one-quarter of the recommended daily intake. A good source of phenolic acids: These compounds are powerful antioxidants that can help reduce damage from oxidative stress in the body. A good source of flavonoids: Elderberry contains the antioxidant flavonols quercetin, kaempferol and isorhamnetin. The flowers contain up to 10 times more flavonoids than the berries. Rich in anthocyanins: These compounds give the fruit its characteristic dark black-purple color and are a strong antioxidant with anti-inflammatory effects Read the Full Article Importance of Fiber You should always practice sustainable harvesting when harvesting elderberry or anything else from nature. This also includes safe harvesting, so do not harvest from plants growing along busy streets and freeways, because the plant can absorb a lot of heavy metals and nitrogen from car emissions. Please do not harvest anything from culturally significant sites such as the Chumash Hertiage Garden on campus. “As time goes on we live more and more in our own dream and less and less within the dream of nature. Dualism is the proto-dream underlying clock time and all our modern dreaming. Dualism might be defined as the illusion that there are two discreet principles in the universe: self and other. Dualism implies isolation, conflict and a continuous struggle of opposing forces. … The dualistic dream engenders an endless procession of conflict, aggression, and destruction as each “solution” creates new problems to be attacked. ​ This is the most important difference between the dream of man and the dream of nature: nature dreams of unity and bliss, while man dreams of isolation and violence. Humans need unity and bliss to maintain their health of spirit. The dualistic dream starves the spirit and gives rise to the gamut of illnesses of the body and soul. The job of medicine, then, is to nourish the spirit by bringing people into the source of well-being--the dream of nature.” - Plant Spirit Medicine, pg 55. Try this Elderberry Tincture Recipe: Natural Treatment for the Cold and Flu Recipe by Lauren Arcuri , The Spruce Try the Recipe! About the Researcher Sources: Barrie Kavasch, Ethnobotanist and Master Herbalist. "The Herb Society of America's Essential Guide to Elderberry." https://www.herbsociety.org/file_download/inline/a54e481a-e368-4414-af68-2e3d42bc0bec https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11399518 https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/elderberry#health-benefits https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/why-is-fiber-good-for-you https://sciencenorway.no/food--nutrition-forskningno-norway/is-it-dangerous-to-eat-food-grown-right-by-the-road/1445577 Eliot Cowan. Plant Spirit Medicine. Sounds True, 2014. Print. https://www.thespruce.com/instructions-for-elderberry-tincture-3016657

Home About Projects Image by Karma Rhythm Chapter 4: What/When to Plant in IV My knowledge in this area is a bit limited because I just gardened during this winter quarter, and rather unsuccessfully I might add. It was not until week 7 of the quarter that my seeds sprouted, I began to think they never would. I was focused mainly on bringing back this dying pepper plant, weeding and remodeling my plot, as well as nourishing my nettles, sour-grass, poppies and the gopher spurge. I attempted to plant cucumbers, carrots, daisies and some squash. The seed packets of all these, which I got from the local Dollar Tree all suggested that they should be planted between September and February in our area. ​ I have also been told by Seth, Andy, and Wayne that kale grows great in our area, especially during the winter season if you are looking for an edible plant to grow. The plant I saw grow the best this winter was my poppies, which doubled in size this winter. An interesting fact about the poppies, is that their seeds are mixed into the soil at the GHGP in an effort to help spread the flowers throughout the garden. I am stoked to keep the plot going into Spring and watch them bloom. ​ Besides my limited knowledge and experience, there is actually a comprehensive guide for interested students published by the UC Cooperative Extension all about what to plant in Santa Barbara Area, month by month. I think this resource will come in handy for students who want to plan their garden out in more detail or who are planting at a different time of year than myself. The guide provides lots of knowledge too about local pests and conditions necessary to grow each plant successfully. I honestly wish I found this guide at the start of the quarter, I would have consulted with it from the beginning. Graphic by Natalie Plumb View Guide Read Chapter 5 Sources: Compost guideline - EPA: https://www.epa.gov/sustainable-management-food/types-composting-and-understanding-process#basics Gardening with Fish Meal - GardenIQ: http://www.gardeniq.com/fish-meal?ReturnUrl=LwBwAHIAbwBkAHUAYwB0AHMA Gardening with Alfalfa Meal and Rock Phosphate - GardeningKnowHow: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/rock-phosphate-fertilizer.htm https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/fertilizing-with-alfalfa-meal.htm

Courses Undergraduate Courses: ANTH 2: Introductory Cultural Anthropology This course provides an introduction to the field of cultural anthropology and its history, methods, concepts, and contemporary debates. We survey the rich diversity of social and cultural life throughout the world, from arranged marriage in India and livelihood strategies in the Amazon to the unwritten cultural rules governing surfing etiquette and courtship rituals among UCSB students. Through a combination of readings, lectures, discussions, and primary research, students will acquire a comparative anthropological perspective with which to better understand social and cultural differences around the world and to see the many ways in which we are similar. ANTH 115: Language, Culture, and Place This course focuses on the interplay between language, culture, and place. Specifically, we examine the manner in which the environment structures language and culture, and the ways that humans give the world meaning through mapping, classification, and the creation of places and landscapes. We will read texts on a range of topics, from California accents to an endangered language in Amazonia, and analyze them to see how researchers use linguistic and anthropological methods to understand the role of language in different societies, cultures, and contexts. We will also learn about the power that language has to structure our interactions with people and places and how it is used to justify interventions and actions. ANTH 152/ENV S 151: Environmental Anthropology This course examines the ways that human beings interact with, use, and perceive the environment and nature. Beginning with contemporary American views of the environment and ideas of environmentalism, we explore the social, historical, political, and economic foundations of human-environment relationships across time and in different parts of the world. We maintain a sustained focus on two settings: one local (the North Campus Open Space), and the other a contested global landscape (the Amazon rainforest). Through readings, in-class activities and discussions, field trips, and research projects, engaged students will leave this class with: a better understanding of the complexity of contemporary environmental issues; a grasp of core social scientific theoretical approaches to the study of the environment; and skills in research design, critical analysis of texts, and the execution and presentation of scholarly and applied research. ANTH 197JH: Special Course Professor Hoelle has taught a variety of special courses over various quarters. Each special course is an intensive study or project focused on special problems related to Anthropology which are not covered by other courses. ANTH 197JH in Winter 2019 centered around human-environment interaction in the UCSB and Isla Vista community. The course resulted in the creation of the Cultivating Communities website, which includes ten creative student projects meant to inspire students and community members to learn more about the fascinating environment that we now know as UCSB and Isla Vista with the hopes of facilitating deeper forms of engagement with the environment. Another special course focused on the nature-culture dichotomy through the focus on South American gauchos, cowboys of the American west, and American Indigenous groups. ANTH 199: Independent Studies in Anthropology Professor Hoelle mentors undergraduate anthropology students as they execute a limited research project on their own initiative. Graduate Courses: ANTH 235B: Issues in Contemporary Anthropology This course is a survey of major theoretical trends in the field of cultural anthropology since the 1960s. We will read and discuss a range fo ethnographies and articles in order to connect contemporary scholarship with foundational anthropological thought, and to chart a course for the future of anthropology, your research. Writing assignments and in-class activities are designed to support this overarching goal, and to help students situate their research in relation to historical, methodological, theoretical, and applied concerns. ANTH 240A: Research Methods in Cultural Anthropology This course is designed to give students an overview of basic research methods in cultural anthropology. We will discuss epistemology, the relationship between anthropology and science, and the logic of social scientific inquiry, with an emphasis on connecting research questions, data collection methods, and knowledge production. Foundational anthropological research methods will be covered, including interviews, cognitive methods, text analysis, and participant observation. Students will practice these methods and related skills, such as coding, transcription, and database management, as part of weekly assignments. Throughout the course we will also focus on key issues and topics of importance for conducting fieldwork, including ethics, safety, gender, and power. Success in the course requires completing weekly assignments and readings prior to class and participating in discussions in class. ANTH 240C: Research Seminar in Cultural Anthropology This course is dedicated to the preparation of the MA paper required in the sociocultural anthropology program. It is a "capstone" seminar during which students will work on the completion of an already drafted paper. As explained in the sociocultural graduate guidelines, the MA paper can take one of two forms: an article-length work based on original, primary source research or a detailed draft of the PhD research proposal. Those who have opted to write a research proposal will have drafted that document in a prior proposal-writing class; those who have opted to write the article-length paper will have already conducted the research and prepared a working rough draft of that paper. ANTH 252: Political Ecology This course focuses on the anthropological study of human-environment interactions across cultures and contexts, with an emphasis on the ways that humans create, degrade, and are affected by the environment. The three main themes are: the material and discursive features of the environment, nature, and human-environment relations; the dialectical interplay between structure and agency in environmental practices; and the integration of anthropology and culture in contemporary multidisciplinary environmental research.

Beachcombing diy art Home About Projects By Natalie Plumb Video by Jake Potts What is Beachcombing? As UCSB students, we have the unique luxury of enjoying the beach each and every day…that is until we graduate. Why not take advantage of this amazing privilege that so few people are able to experience? Whether you are a surfer who spends their time in the ocean, an avid reader who relaxes with a good book on the sand, or someone who simply enjoys taking in the salty air and sounds of crashing waves, the UCSB and Isla Vista coastline provides something for everyone. In addition to presenting students with beautiful scenery and a place to relax, the UCSB coastline also offers an abundance of resources for creating unique pieces of art. Whether you are an art major or have never painted in your life, the coastline offers all the materials you need to realize your creative potential. Beachcombing encompasses the experience of walking the coastline, the area between the bluffs and ocean, from Campus Point to the end of Sands Beach. As you walk along the sand, you will encounter countless treasures, from perfectly flat rocks for painting on, driftwood for creating one of a kind sculptures, sea glass to puzzle into mosaics, to plants that can be made into paints or stylish jewelry. You may even find a discarded old Wavestorm surfboard, perfect for creating the ultimate picnic table. If you are interested in creating the perfect gift for your best friend, a beautiful sculpture for your room, or unique and functional artwork, this page will teach you all you need to know about sustainable beachcombing practices, tips and tricks for finding the best materials, and step by step tutorials for making these projects at home. The possibilities are endless! DIY Art Projects: DIY Art Projects Make Your Own Watercolor Paints from Plants Foraging for Flowers and Fruit Create Now Resin Jewelry Sun Room Designs Create Now Sea Glass Mosaic Picture Frame Recycling Man-made Materials Create Now How To: Beachcomb Responsibly Learn How Meet the Researcher: Thank you for visiting my page! I hope you enjoyed learning about a few ways to take advantage of our beautiful coastline in fun and creative ways. I began this project with the hope of encouraging students of all backgrounds to interact with our local coastline and build personal ties with our UCSB and Isla Vista environment. As an artist and surfer, I have found endless inspiration from beachcombing the area between the bluffs and the waves. Through my research, I have encountered local and global artists and discovered brand new and exciting ways to create art from the materials provided by our coastline. The possibilities for creativity are endless! Natalie Plumb Cultural anthropology student at UCSB ​ NP

Home About Projects Cultural Byproducts and Imagining in Human-Environmental Interactions By Delcia Orona This collection aims to capture a glimpse of the traces present in Isla Vista, on the UC Santa Barbara campus, and general surrounding area. With this collection, we can begin to recognize the commonly unseen or forgotten, and reimagine our influence on the environment. We can imagine an experience of a person in the environment, and imagine a history present at that space or location. We can explore the historic and imaginary possibilities of the means by which the trace came to be, as a ‘cultural byproduct’ of our existence in the world. These photos allow for personal exploration, discovery, and imagination, and hopefully inspire a sense of wonder, curiosity, or encourage rethinking our material surroundings. With practice, we can begin to practice “mindful looking”, and see the intrinsic value in the traces we often leave out of artistic, cultural, and academic spaces. Click Image to View Description What is a trace? “An indication or evidence of the presence or existence of something, or of a former event or condition; a sign, mark” (Reimer 2010). (34.4138497, -119.8582814) “. . . traces help us to explore the materiality - not only in the narratives - that resides at the intersection of the seen and unseen - sound and silence - the coming into being of the social and its recession . . .” (Napolitano 2015). (34.4091594, -119.8675078) Click Image to View Description Click Image to View Description Where are they found? Traces are found just about anywhere that humans have been - the most simple being through a footprint. We leave something behind everywhere we go. (34.4124620, -119.8478704) What do they mean? They have a number of meanings, while also meaning nothing at all. They are open to interpretation. They live a life of their own, existing and disappearing, changing over time. They indicate an experience, a history, and a presence in the environment. Each trace is unique in its meaning. (34.4091831, -119.8671276) Click Image to View Description Click Image to View Description Are they intentional? Not necessarily; they are neither intentional or unintentional. We are leaving traces every time we interact with the material world, and we are often unaware of doing so. (34.4140038, -119.8661982) Are they harmful? In this context, no. Many harmful traces have been recognized, and we tend to be conscious of harmful traces (i.e. the impact of tracts in a preserved area). However, sometimes we forget the future life that they may have, so it is always worth being conscious of our traces. (34.4135164, -119.8680738) Click Image to View Description Click Image to View Description Do they ever go away? Some do, and some don’t. Some have been around for a number of years, some maybe even made by the photographer. Some must be maintained by interaction, others washed away by interaction. Their existence tells a story (34.4093394, -119.8666606) Histories When seeing these traces, we can recognize that what is left behind is telling a story “underneath the surface” of what appears. We can ask: what happened here? (34.4123085, -119.8489191) Click Image to View Description Click Image to View Description Cultural byproducts A cultural byproduct can be understood as something ‘leftover’ from culture; something that has occurred or materially manifested from our presence in our environment. However, unlike other material products of culture, a byproduct can be seen as what has happened ‘in between’, with no necessary intentionality but unpredicted in its existence. (34.4202438, -119.8585506) Imagining Because the past life of this trace is not or may not be fully known, that allows the viewer an imagining of a past presence in this space, and an imagining of an experience. Because of that, imagining can also be an empathetic practice. (34.4140234, -119.8668936) Click Image to View Description Click Image to View Description Seeing Often times, these marks are ‘looked over’ or simply not recognized in our day-to-day lives. By highlighting them, we can learn to analyze the intrinsic value of these traces and cultural byproducts all around us as having a rich history, life, and presence in our environment, and learn to continue ‘investigating’ our environment in this same analytical way. (34.4118767, -119.8487243) Being present in our environment ‘Seeing’ and understanding our environment acts as an almost meditative practice. It allows us to explore our own individual presence in our environment in new ways, as if reimagining our influence in the environment, and how it is intrinsically undetachable from us. (34.4126476, -119.8484209) Click Image to View Description Explore these tools to learn more about how you can identify, interact with, and evaluate the traces you encounter in your environment. "The Visual Toolkit" The "Art of Seeing" Thick Description View Interactive Map Meet the Artist: Delcia Orona Delcia is anthropology major and linguistics minor at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She is originally from Parachute, Colorado, and hopes to attend graduate school in Europe for anthropology and sociology, or contemporary art and curatorial studies. Current Projects Seniors honors thesis: “Food politics and ethnography: oral histories and ‘story-telling’ in building a picture of local food networks in rural Colorado communities” SOC130A: “A Day in the Life of an IV Student (ft. Sustainable Food Practices) View her Work: DO

Publications Quantifying Cultural Values Associated with Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon (2018) . Journal of Land Use Science. ​ This study analyzes the distribution of cultural values associated with forest and non-forest landscapes among stakeholder groups shaping land use and land cover change (LULCC) in an agricultural/forest frontier in the western Brazilian Amazon. The study addresses theoretical and methodological obstacles to the integration of cultural data and social science research into the study of LULCC, providing simple, systematic, and more accurate ways of understanding this missing feature of land change. Read Full Article From Contested to "Green" Frontiers in the Amazon? A Long-Term Analysis of São Félix do Xingu, Brazil. Marianne Schmink, Jeffrey Hoelle, Carlos Valério A. Gomes & Gregory M. Thaler (2017). Journal of Peasant Studies. This contribution deploys a historical political ecology framework to analyze how decades of agrarian frontier change and land conflicts among actors on the ground in São Félix do Xingu, Brazil interacted with shifting national policy debates. Nearly a half-decade of field research in São Félix is combined with data from a 2014 field "revisit" to situate the current "greening" of policy and discourse within the longer term history of frontier development, revealing positive social and environmental developments and persistent contradictions and uncertainties. Read Full Article Jungle Beef: Consumption, Production and Destruction, and the Development Process in the Brazilian Amazon (2017). Journal of Political Ecology 24: 743-762. ​ In the western Amazon state of Acre, Brazil, increasing beef consumption is directly lined with local cattle production and environmental destruction, providing an opportunity to examine the relationships between these processes in a developing context. Interviews, participant-observation, and a standardized survey provide data on perceptions of beef and meat preferences, and how these relate to practices and patterns of consumption among a range of groups, from urban environmentalists to beef-loving cowboys. The results reveal how the hierarchical ordering of foods, with beef at the top, maps onto similar hierarchies of status and class, as well as notions of strength and nutrition. Read Full Article Tenure Diversity and Dependent Causation in the Effects of Regional Integration on Land Use: Evaluating the Evolutionary Theory of Land Rights in Acre, Brazil. Stephen G. Perz, Jeffrey Hoelle, Karla Rocha, Veronica Passos, Flavia Leite, Julia Cortes, Lucas Araujo Carvalho & Grenville Barnes (2017). Journal of Land Use Science 12(4). ​ In the present analysis, we focus on whether land tenure type modifies the effects of highway infrastructure on key outcomes highlighted in the ETLR framework. We take up the case of rural settlements along the Inter-Oceanic Highway in the eastern part of the Brazilian state of Acre, where there is considerable land tenure diversity. Findings from multivariate models for land titling, the castanha nut harvest and cattle pasture all indicate that the effects of infrastructure depend on land tenure type. These results confirm the importance of dependent causation behind land use and bear implications for theory on land change, infrastructure impacts, and land system science. Read Full Article Gold Glimmers in the Amazon. Jeffrey Hoelle, Michael Klingler and Peter Richards (2016). Sapiens . ​ For centuries, explorers have searched the Amazon for treasures. Today, gold lures thousands who dream of finding their own fortunes, or at least a better life. This photo essay examines how the daily life in the remote gold-mining camps of the Amazonian rainforest is difficult, dirty, and sometimes treacherous. But that's only part of the story. Read Full Article Brazil's Thriving Soy Industry Threatens Its Forests and Global Climate Targets. Jeffrey Hoelle and Peter Richards (2016). The Conversation . ​ Brazil's economy is teetering on the edge of collapse. The country's political regime has been rocked by recent corruption scandals, and impeachment proceedings are encircling the nation's leaders. And yet things couldn't be much better for Brazil's soybean farmers. Read Full Article Rainforest Cowboys: The Rise of Ranching and Cattle Culture in Western Amazonia (2015). Austin: University of Texas Press . ​ This ambitious interdisciplinary study is the first to examine the interlinked economic uses and cultural practices and beliefs surrounding cattle in Western Amazonia, where cattle raising is at the center of debates about economic development and environmental conservation. Click the link below to read the full text, reviews, and more. Read More Trans-boundary Infrastructure and Changes in Rural Livelihood Diversity in the Southwestern Amazon: Resilience and Inequality. Perz, Stephen G., Flavia L. Leite, Lauren N. Griffin, Jeffrey Hoelle, Martha Rosero, Lucas Araujo Carvalho, Jorge Castillo, and Daniel Rojas (2015). Sustainability 7(9). ​ Infrastructure has long been a priority in development policy, but there is debate over infrastructure impacts. Whereas economic studies show reductions in poverty, social research has documented growing income inequality. We suggest that a focus on livelihoods permits a bridge between the two literatures by highlighting decisions by households that may capture economic benefits but also yield social inequalities. We therefore take up two questions. First is whether new infrastructure allows households to diversify their livelihoods, where diversity begets resilience and thus affords livelihood sustainability. Second is whether households with more diverse livelihoods exhibit greater increases in livelihood diversity, which would widen livelihood inequalities. Read Full Article Cattle Culture in the Brazilian Amazon (2014). Human Organization 73(4). ​ This paper examines “cattle culture”—the positive cultural constructions associated with cattle raising and analyzes the paths that brought it to one of the “greenest” corners of Amazonia. In the western Amazon state of Acre, Brazil, the rubber tapper movement protested the arrival of cattle ranching in the 1980s, capturing worldwide attention with a message of sustainable forest-based development. Across Amazonia, groups who once opposed or were displaced by cattle are now adopting it—including Acrean rubber tappers and colonists. Drawing on primary data collected among rural and urban groups in Acre, I explain how cattle culture emerged in a state with a short and contested history with cattle raising. I focus specifically on the relationship between the cattle economy and cattle culture through analysis of three processes: local subsistence practices resulting in symbolic associations; the diffusion of market-oriented ranching and the dominant cauboi (cowboy) culture, and the ways that the two overlap and are negotiated among Acrean groups. Read Full Article Forest Citizenship in Acre, Brazil. Marianne Schmink, Amy Duchelle, Jeffrey Hoelle, Flavia Marcus Vinicio d'Oliveira, Jacqueline Vadjunec, Judson Valentim, Richard Wallace (2014). Forest Under Pressure: Local Responses to Global Issues . ​ The sections in this chapter trace the innovations in laws, institutions, public administration, and policy to promote forest-based development, alongside the opening of policy-making to citizen input. Data presented from government reports outlining policies, supplemented by available empirical research, show impressive gains in stabilizing deforestation, expanding forest production, and favourable but uneven socio-economic impacts of the state’s forest development programs. The chapter documents the successes in transformative institutional and policy development at the state level, remaining challenges, and lessons learned in Acre for potential application of sustainable development policies over the long term. Read Full Article Trans-boundary Infrastructure, Access Connectivity, and Household Land Use in a Tri-national Frontier in the Southwestern Amazon. Perz, Stephen, Andrea Birgit Chavez, Rosa Cossio, Jeffrey Hoelle, Flavia L. Leite, Karla Rocha, Rafael O. Rojas, Alexander Shenkin, Lucas Araujo Carvalho, Jorge Castillo & Daniel Rojas Cespedes (2014). Journal of Land Use Science . ​ We take up the case of the Inter-Oceanic Highway, a trans-boundary road being paved in the trinational ‘MAP’ frontier of the southwestern Amazon. We draw on a tri-national survey of households in rural communities across the MAP frontier to evaluate the effects of access connectivity on land use. At the time of fieldwork, paving was complete in Acre/Brazil, underway in Madre de Dios/Peru, and planned in Pando/Bolivia. This permits a tri-national comparative analysis. The results confirm different effects of access connectivity on land use by paving status; further, they also document crossborder processes stemming from trans-boundary infrastructure that affect land use. The findings call for more attention to the impacts of regional integration initiatives on landscapes. Read Full Article Black Hats and Smooth Hands: Social Class, Environmentalism, and Work Among the Ranchers of Acre, Brazil (2012). Anthropology of Work Review 33(2). ​ The objective of this paper is to increase our understanding of this enigmatic, powerful group through an ethnographic description of ranchers in relation to features of their villain label: elite status and environmental destruction. Drawing on 18 months of fieldwork with Acrean ranchers and other rural groups, I analyze the ways in which the ranchers conform to and challenge classification as an elite group in relation to economic and political power, describe how rancher status is constructed and expressed in social situations, and compare the extent to which other rural social groups agree with perceptions of the ranchers. Understanding the ranchers’ perspective, especially with regard to environmental debates, requires an examination of how they perceive their work in relation to history and ideology, and how they have adapted the term to defend their interests and engage current political debates centered on environmental preservation. ​ Winner of Eric Wolf Student Paper Prize, Society of Anthropology of Work, AAA ; Reprinted in Open Anthropology 3(1), "Hello Anthropecene Climate Change and Anthropology" (2015). Read Full Article Regional Integration and Local Change: Road Paving, Community Connectivity, and Social-Ecological Resilience in a Tri-national Frontier, Southwestern Amazonia. Perz, Stephen, Liliana Cabrera, Lucas Araujo Carvalho, Jorge Castillo, Rosmery Chacacanta, Rosa E. Cossio, Yeni Franco Solano, Jeffrey Hoelle, Leonor Mercedes Perales, Israel Puerta, Daniel Rojas Cespedes, Rojas Camacho, Adao Costa Silva (2012). Regional Environmental Change . ​ We suggest a more integrative approach to regional integration by appropriating the concepts of connectivity from transport geography and social–ecological resilience from systems ecology. Connectivity offers a means of observing the degree of integration between locations, and social–ecological resilience provides a framework to simultaneously consider multiple consequences of regional integration. Together, they offer a spatial analysis of resilience that considers multiple dimensions of infrastructure impacts. Our study case is the southwestern Amazon, a highly biodiverse region which is experiencing integration via paving of the Inter-Oceanic Highway. Read Full Article Convergence of Cattle: Political Ecology, Social Group Perceptions, and Socioeconomic Relationships in Acre, Brazil (2011). Culture, Agriculture, and, Food and Environment 33(2). ​ Cattle raising is currently the leading cause of deforestation in Amazonia, and an increasingly appealing and profitable way for a growing number of smallholders to make a living in the western Amazon state of Acre, Brazil. The Acrean rubber tapper social movement contested the arrival of cattle ranchers in the 1970s and 1980s, but cattle raising has expanded among smallholder groups, including the rubber tappers, over the past 20 years. Building on the legacy of political–economic analyses of Amazonian cattle raising, this study argues for an expanded view of cattle raising by incorporating perspectives on the cultural constructions surrounding cattle and intergroup socioeconomic relationships. Data obtained from surveys and participant observation are used to examine the factors that have contributed to the expansion of cattle raising across three Acrean groups, each historically distinguished by their unique forms of livelihood and associated identities: forest extractivist rubber tappers, agricultural colonists, and large-scale ranchers. It is argued that three factors have contributed to the growth of cattle ranching among these groups: political and economic shifts, which have made agricultural and extractive livelihoods less competitive with cattle raising; the spread of positive cultural views surrounding cattle raising; and the transition of intergroup relationships from conflict to cooperation in the cattle industry. ​ Winner of Robert Netting Student Paper Prize, Culture and Agriculture Section, AAA . Read Full Article Postcards from the Amazon (February - September 2010). San Angelo Standard-Times . ​ During my final year of dissertation research in Acre, Brazil I decided that I wanted to share my experiences with the people of my hometown in San Angelo, Texas. I asked the editors of the San Angelo Standard-Times if I could write a column about life in the Amazon and they agreed. Every two weeks I emailed a short story from Acre and these were published in print and online on Sundays in the column entitled "Postcards from the Amazon." The articles reflected my research interests in environment and cattle, but I also used this as a chance to write about Brazilian life and culture more broadly, touching on topics such as soccer, churrasco, saudade, and the days-long experience of riding a bus from Sao Paulo to Acre. Check out the e-book below to read through my postcards from the amazon. Cattle move along the highway in Acre, Brazil. Read Full Article

Home About Projects Image by Karma Rhythm Chapter 2: Finding a Place to Garden in IV I decided if I wanted to garden that the first step was finding an accessible garden plot. After looking into the options I noted that some gardens had very long wait lists and others were open to only specific residents, like the West Campus Gardens. Not the Green House and Garden Project though, where students can secure a plot for roughly $20 a quarter. ​ I found Seth’s email, who runs the garden, and reached out to him. By that weekend we had met up and made the exchange. He got the cash and the plot was mine. And it was huge and it was dead. It was that easy though and it surprised me that in 3 days and over the course of just 2 emails, I had gone from wanting to garden to having my own plot. That day there was a community exercise going on and I felt tense around some of the other gardeners I ran into, so after I got my plot I hurried off. I remember noticing for the first time in a while how nice the wind felt as I walked home, I think after this day I began to nurture my connection with nature more. View Campus Garden Map Read Chapter 3 Sources: UC Cooperative Extension http://cesantabarbara.ucanr.edu/Master_Gardener/Master_Your_Garden_Month-By-Month/