The Complicated History of the Smilacaceae Family The first time I met a member of the Smilacaceae family was fifteen years ago. At that time I was using Mayan medicine to destroy my ovarian cysts, with the help of Dr. Rosita Arvigo. Red China root was one of the plants she suggested because of its…
Traditionally, health education in the Latin America and the Caribbean has been based on storytelling, practical experience and intensive apprenticeships. Within each community there would be different levels of health expertise, from mothers making tea for tummy aches to a regional elder who specializes in advanced levels of disease. Hidden Garden, together with the Rich Coast Project, is creating videos of local people telling their stories of ancestral wellness. With the permission of the their subjects, these videos will be included in the Rich Coast Archive online, with access available though our botanical database when relevant. This project encourages the survival of the traditional health education strategies of storytelling and communal sharing of knowledge for the good of all.
Costa Rica se ha juntado con otros paises con la intention de conservar la existencia de la medicina tradicional de los inhabitantes. Esta alianza busca apoyar la manifestacion de un programa interdisciplinaria de promocion de tradiciones de bienestar para el pais.
Hidden Garden’s Ethnobotanical Sanctuary is home to over 200 plants which have been used by local people in their wellness and survival traditions. Our nursery is home to many of these plants, available free of charge to local residents. We receive both local and international visitors in the garden, providing an equal opportunity to access traditional information of the area’s ancestors. This project will facilitate the organization of this information and create a multi-lingual, user-friendly database for the garden’s website, to be used by local residents, nursery clients and/or visitors to the garden.
Hidden Garden has been collecting information about the local medicinal plants for many years. In our field trips to the Bri Bri Indigenous Territory nearby, we have found a lack of access to ethnobotanical research and modern taxonomy. This project seeks to remedy this situation by organization scientific information about the plants most used by…
The Magical Powers of Agua de Arroz When I first lived in Costa Rica, it was with the Fonseca family, very deep in the jungle. Rosa and Albino made almost all of their own medicine at home using simple ingredients and plants from their garden. This was where I first learned the term refresco,…
Herbal Traditions of Costa Rica We each have our favorite part about Tico culture – the gallo pinto, the soccer games, the connection to nature, the vida pura. After 17 years of living in Costa Rica, I can tell you mine – the herbal traditions. Costa Ricans are remarkably health conscious and many of the…
Traditional Latino Herbalism Course Latin America has a rich herbal history, combining the ancient wisdom of four cultural traditions – Indigenous, European, African and Asian, into one holistic yet diverse system of healing. Meet with more than ten local folk medicine practitioners, ethnobotanists and conservationists who are working with medicine plants and explore with them…
What is Traditional Latino Herbalism? Using plants to restore health is an ancient tradition common to cultures around the world. Some systems of herbal medicine are more prominent and documented than others. The Spice Trade popularized the use of European culinary and medicinal herbs like rosemary, oregano and basil in Latin America, in addition to…
