Journal and gallery of my MSc field research travels in the Moroccan High Atlas Mountains
ABOUT ME
Elspeth
Ethnobotany Masters Student, Environmentalist and Explorer
Greetings I'm Elspeth!
I'm currently pursing my masters in Ethnobotany at the University of Kent. After studying environmental science and biology at the University of Toronto I wanted to take my passion for plants, environmental sustainability, and development further but through a different lens- so here I am studying in ethnobotany! This blog chronicles my MSc dissertation fieldwork with The Global Diversity Foundation in the Moroccan High Atlas Mountains over my almost two month stay in indigenous Amazigh villages.
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Travelling alone immersed in a new community and culture where I did not know the language or norms was an illuminating and challenging experience- and made for an rich research experience. I journaled almost everyday so wanted to share some of the more interesting and funny days on this blog
What is Ethnobotany?
Ethnobotany is the interdisciplinary of study human use and knowledge of plants and their ecology are for cultural, economic, and social purposes.
The interrelationship between plants people and the socio-ecological environments they form across cultures histories and landscapes
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Why Morocco?
The Moroccan High Atlas Mountains stretch from the Atlantic Ocean eastward to the border with Algeria and Sahara. And is a unique biogeographic Mediterranean landscape with high plant biodiversity Indigenous Berber of the High Atlas, are called the Imazighen or ‘the free people’ (Amazigh is the singular term) whose culture and language has persisted, despite Arab and French influence.
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My Research
Many Amazigh people living in the mountains still have largely subsistence farming and grazing based livelihoods. My project is focused on the classification, diversity, accessibility and use of fodder in the rapidly changing High Atlas environment.