Abstract
Traditional medical and ethnobotanical knowledge is disappearing globally. Knowledge is often not physically recorded, and is being passed down to new generations less. This with the loss of nature, and people migrating to cities means we are at risk of losing the biocultural memory and knowledge that has kept humanity and nature thriving for millennia.
Rebecca is currently pursuing her PhD in the conservation of traditional medical knowledge in her home island of Cyprus in the Eastern Mediterranean. The aim of her work is to create citizen science methods and an application so that people can then do this work for their own communities globally. In this talk she will discuss her work as well as the potential of ethnobotany and citizen science to support localised land-based systems, and a return back to a more symbiotic way of being for humanity and the earth.
Biography
Rebecca Lazarou’s work represents an ecology of diverse disciplines spanning medical science, ethnopharmacology, herbalism, holistic healthcare, education, and psychedelics. An activist, writer, speaker, and herbal formulator, she is deeply passionate about the conservation of traditional medical knowledge. Her ultimate mission is to rekindle ethnobotany and herbalism, shifting them from marginalized disciplines back into the realm of common knowledge.
Currently a PhD candidate at Kew Gardens and the UCL School of Pharmacy, her academic research focuses specifically on ethnopharmacology and the herbal medicines of Cyprus. Alongside her research, she serves as a co-editor for the education charity Herbal Reality and founded Laz The Plant Scientist to bring quality, sustainably sourced herbal medicines and education to the public. Her editorial work also includes serving as the science and managing editor for the landmark ESPD55 volume and as a board member of the McKenna Academy.
Lazarou aims to nurture humanity’s relationship with nature through natural medicines, supporting a collective return to Earth-centred living. She is thoroughly devoted to utilizing scientific research to demystify these complex topics, while remaining equally committed to rekindling the magic, awe, and healing found across our planet.
