
Herbalism, Citizen Science, and Ancestral Knowledge
From Brainforest Café by SpectreVision Radio
April 6, 2026 · 54 min · Season 1 · Episode 57
About this episode
Dennis McKenna and Rebecca Lazarou discuss the preservation of ancestral medicinal plant knowledge and the importance of ethnopharmacology.
Join Dennis McKenna in this insightful conversation with Rebecca Lazarou as they explore the urgent need to preserve ancestral medicinal plant knowledge, the role of ethnopharmacology, and how traditional herbal wisdom can be protected for future generations. Rebecca shares the story behind her PhD research on Cypriot medicinal plants and her mission to document at-risk ethnobotanical knowledge before it disappears. They also discuss citizen science, cultural heritage, biodiversity, and the connection between science and traditional healing. - - - IMPORTANT NOTICE: Due to unforeseen circumstances the activities for Rebecca's event in London has now shifted. The date and location will be the same, and it will still be a highly educational event but it will now be a more intimate home herbalism medicine making workshop. Participants will learn all about medicinal plants, the medical system, and will be making their own teas to take home with herbs focused on mental health and stress. Rebecca will also talk about ethnobotany, have a herbal tea bar, and all proceeds still go towards supporting her research. - - - Rebecca Lazarou’s work is an ecology of different disciplines spanning…
People in this episode
Host: Dennis McKenna
Guest: Rebecca Lazarou
Topics covered
- herbalism
- citizen science
- ethnopharmacology
- medicinal plants
- cultural heritage
- biodiversity
- traditional healing
Keywords
- herbalism
- ethnopharmacology
- medicinal plants
- citizen science
- cultural heritage
- biodiversity
- traditional healing
- mental health
- stress
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Kew Gardens, UCL School of Pharmacy
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