To the love of ethnobotany and spirit of adventure

By Baiba Prūse with contribution of the ethnobotanical team from Institute for Environmental Solutions (Latvia).

The authors hope that the photo-essay will touch the young and emerging ethnobotanist especially in regard to the adventure ethnobotanical expeditions can bring on individual level. The following photos will reflect an ethnobotanical expedition to Latvia (Rūjiena & Naukšēni municipality) which took place in June, 2019.

“In natural science the principles of truth ought to be confirmed by observation.”

― Carl Linnaeus –

“Zieds ir tikpat liels kā jūra. Neskriet taisni jūrā, nebrist ziedā, nekāpt dvēselē, bet iet tuvu līdzās, apiet apkārt, palikt tuvu.” [In Latvian]

Translation: The flower is as big as the sea. Do not run straight in the sea, do not step into the flower, do not climb into the soul, but go next to it, around, to stay near.

– Imants Ziedonis –

“A herbarium is better than any illustration; every botanist should make one”.

― Carl Linnaeus –

“One never reaches home,’ she said. ‘But where paths that have an affinity for each other intersect, the whole world looks like home, for a time.”

– Hermann Hesse –

The credit of the photos goes to the ethnobotany team (picture above) and the people from the municipalities: Baiba Prūse, Signe Krūzkopa, Līva Roze, Ieva Mežaka, Andra Simanova

Acknowledgment

Thanks for the positive encouragement from the ethnobotanical team of Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Italy.

The work has been supported by ERAF co-finansed project ‘Innovative solutions for growing technologies and applications of spring medicinal and aromatic plants’ (Nr. 1.1.1.1/18/A/043).

References

Quotes by Carl Linnaeus: https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/7404500-linnaeus-philosophia-botanica; https://libquotes.com/carl-linnaeus/quote/lbe6w3s

Quote by Imants Ziedonis: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/1016538-zieds-ir-tikpat-liels-k-j-ra-neskriet-taisni-j-r-nebrist

Quote by Hermann Hesse: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/12951-one-never-reaches-home-she-said-but-where-paths-that