Wk Day Date Area Topic
1 Tues 17 Jan Introduction Balick one. Introduction: Cyanobacteria
1 Thurs 19 Jan Botany Outdoor lower plants field hike: Bryophytes, SVPs, lycopodium, ferns. WET MUDDY STEEP.
2 Tues 24 Jan Botany Preparation
2 Thurs 26 Jan Botany Group presentations cyanobacteria, bryophytes, lycopodium, ferns.
3 Tues 31 Jan Ethnography Balick two. Plants that heal lecture. Morinda citrifolia healing uses.
3 Thurs 02 Feb Test One
4 Tues 07 Feb Botany Outdoor walk: Plant collecting process.
4 Thurs 09 Feb Ethnography Healing plant individual presentations
5 Tues 14 Feb Ethnography Healing plant individual presentations
5 Thurs 16 Feb Botany Outdoor field trip: Gymnosperms and plants with economic value. Botanic garden road trip and walk.
6 Tues 21 Feb Botany Preparation
6 Thurs 23 Feb Botany Group presentations: gymnosperms
7 Tues 28 Feb Midterm
7 Thurs 02 Mar Ethnography Balick three. Plants as food lecture.
8 Tues 07 Mar Ethnography Plants as food: Each cultural group brings a traditional food to share.
8 Thurs 09 Mar Botany Outdoor field walk: Angiosperms: Vegetative morphology
9 Tues 14 Mar Ethnography Balick four. Plants as the basis for material culture lecture.
9 Thurs 16 Mar Ethnography Material culture individual presentations
10 Tues 21 Mar Ethnography Material culture individual presentations
10 Thurs 23 Mar Botany Outdoor field walk: Angiosperms: Floral morphology.
11 Tues 28 Mar Test Two
11 Thurs 30 Mar Founding day
12 Tues 04 Apr Econobotany URL Lab: World foods and fruits. Finding information on the web.
12 Thurs 06 Apr Botany Angiosperms: Fruits. Bring a fruit/seed/nut to show and tell or share. Points for rarity: divided down.
13 Tues 11 Apr Ethnography Family forest. Class in A204.
13 Thurs 13 Apr Spring break
14 Tues 18 Apr Ethnography Family forest. Class in A204. Connecting: who can build the most interconnections?
14 Thurs 20 Apr Ethnography Balick five. Entering other worlds lecture: Five types of psychoactive substances. Memes and Areca catechu.
15 Tues 25 Apr Ethnography Piper methysticum: Chemistry and Uses, Legends
15 Thurs 27 Apr Ethnography Field Trip: Kava cultural ceremony
16 Tues 02 May Ethnobotany Balick six. Conservation efforts lecture
16 Thurs 04 May Ethnogarden Outdoor hike: Ethnobotanical garden tour
17 Tues 09 May Ethnogarden Outdoor hike: Ethnobotanical garden BRING A PLANT TO PLANT!
17 Thurs 11 May
Take Home Final
18 Mon 15 May
Take home final examination due by 5:00 P.M.
Textbooks



Plants, people, and culture: The Science of Ethnobotany
A Photographic Atlas for the Botany Laboratory 4th edition.
Field trips, hikes, and outings: Rain or shine, on and off trail.
Hikes over difficult, steep, muddy, and slippery terrain are conducted.
Plants grow where they want to, not where it is convenient for us.
Plant knowledge gained on hikes is testable material: Ethnobotany is a listen, watch, and learn field!
Office Hours: Monday and Friday afternoons or by appointment or drop on by...
Absences: Five absences will result in a withdrawal from the course and a grade of either W or F.
No betelnut chewing in class due to college regulations.
No food, drink, or gum in the science laboratories.
Do not write on the tables, open the taps, or otherwise touch the equipment in the laboratory unless so instructed.
Please do not carve your names into anything.
Grading: Points are given for tests, midterm, final, attendance, and presentations.
Tests and examinations include coverage of student learning outcomes on outline.
Grade is based on participation in course activities, performing presentations, and achievement
on tests. Being here and being an active participant are crucial to success in this course.
Ethnobotanical individual presentations include an individual oral presentation.
Healing plants presentation: bring the plant.
Material culture: bring the item.
The presentation of a traditional food is done as a group. Each culture presents a single food,
bringing that food to share with the class.
Some students will have to work with the instructor to find suitable material.
Instructor: Dana Lee Ling. 320-2480 Extension 228.
Home: 320-2962. dleeling@comfsm.fm and dana@mail.fm