Rocio Alarcon

Rocío Alarcón is a formal ethno-botanist who has spent more than 20 years working with different ethnic groups in the tropical rain forest in Ecuador, South America.

Coming from a traditional Ecuadorian herbalist family, she loves to work with people and plants, particularly in the topic of health and food and the link with myths and rituals.

She collaborated with different international organization such as Wildlife Conservation Society, Care and The Nature Conservancy creating research topics and finding better economic opportunities for local people with the products of the forest. She has contributed with various Amazonian indigenous communities, such us the Huaorane, Quichua, Cofan, Shuar, and in the Chocó region with the Chachi and with the Afro-Esmeraldeños (The black community). In the Andes, with the Quichuas and Mestizos.

She is a practitioner of Holistic Therapies, and helps people in the area of health and education and working as an ethno botanist she gives talks and leads activities with local adult education colleges, Eden Project and Sage Mountains USA for 10 years.

She is in the second year of her of PhD in the University of London in the Centre of Ethnopharmacology and the centre of her research is in the Basque Country in Spain, the main aim of her research is about plants as medicine and food.

Lectures

2010

Shamanic practices in our daily lives

Practical and simple practices with plants from Europe to treat stress - beverages, teas and bathing.

2009

Ancient healing ceremonies as part of treatment in the Andes, Amazon and tropical regions of Ecuador

Herbs, women and massage: using fresh herbs for uterine and abdominal massage

2008

Ancient healing ceremonies as part of treatment in South America

Herbs, women and massage - different techniques of massage using fresh herbs