About this episode

Michael Coe honors Dennis McKenna's contributions to ethnobiology and discusses the importance of mentorship in the field.

Ethnobiologist Michael Coe returns to Brainforest Café with a special mission: to turn the spotlight onto Dennis McKenna’s lifelong dedication to ayahuasca, visionary plants, and ethnopharmacology. In this intimate conversation, Michael honors Dennis’ 54 years in the psychedelic space, from early fieldwork in the Amazon to pioneering biochemical and pharmacological research on plant medicines. The discussion explores the importance of mentorship, with Dennis now seeing his primary role as supporting a new generation of ethnobiologists like Michael and their work with indigenous communities and threatened medicinal plant traditions. Together, they discuss standing on the shoulders of giants, the challenges of academia and funding, and why following what “puts fire in your belly” matters more than chasing titles. - - - Michael Coe is an ethnobiologist and applied ecologist with a Ph.D. in Evolution, Ecology, and Conservation Biology. As an Assistant Professor at Tarleton State University, his teaching and research focuses on the relationships between humans, ecosystems, and traditional knowledge systems. Passionate about biodiversity and the sustainable management of natural…

People in this episode

Host: Dennis McKenna

Guest: Michael Coe

Topics covered

• ethnobiology
• ayahuasca
• mentorship
• plant medicine
• indigenous communities
• sustainable management

Keywords

• Dennis McKenna
• Michael Coe
• ethnopharmacology
• psychedelic research
• plant wisdom
• biodiversity
• traditional knowledge

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Tarleton State University

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