42nd Annual Telluride Mushroom Festival

The destruction of the Amazon proceeds at an appalling pace yet the destruction of the indigenous cultures has received far less attention. Researchers have documented the complete disappearance of over 90 tribes in Brazil alone during the 20th century, and there is no reason to believe the situation has improved since then. What investigators HAVE documented, however, is that these indigenous peoples are the most effective stewards of these lands, and typically know both the ecology and the medicinal potential of the component species far better than scientists.

This lecture details how The Amazon Conservation Team has partnered with forest communities, and local scientists and other stakeholders to improve mapping and protection of over 90 million acres of ancestral forest, an effective methodology which combines ancient shamanic wisdom and 21st century technology.