Dr. Varangrat Nguanchoo is the Year of Botany’s ethnobotanist who helped identify, preserve, and translate information for the specimens from Dr. White’s collection. Recently, she went “viral” (at least in the realm of ethnobotany in Thailand) with a Facebook post. The translation of the text is as follows:
Why are examples of plant species and indigenous botanical knowledge important?
If today I ask everyone to think back 50 years ago, what were you all doing? Can you still remember what it was like back then? 50 years may not be a very long time, but it’s enough to see changes in various aspects, just like the changes in knowledge about the use of plants. Today, I would like to share the changes that have been observed from the field study of Dr. Joyce White, who gathered data on the use of plants in the Ban Chiang community since 1978.
From the examples above, it is clear why indigenous botanical knowledge is so important. These examples act as “time capsules,” allowing us to revisit the wisdom of using local plants in the past and reflect on how plant use has evolved today. Of course, changes can be both good and bad, but these changes are part of a global trend that cannot be resisted. The knowledge collected creates stability in biodiversity and serves as the foundation of Thai society before it becomes lost to time. In the future, we can always revisit and make use of these plants once again.
So, how can everyone access this information? The examples of plants with useful properties have been prepared, with labels detailing the plant’s uses, and will soon be submitted to the Herbarium. If you have the chance, you can visit the Philadelphia Herbarium to study them in person. But if that’s too difficult, we will be working on an online database with information and images that all Thai people can access. We will share the website link once it’s available.
As for me, when asked what I was doing 50 years ago, I have to admit that I wasn’t even born yet, but I’m opening this “time capsule” now.
The post’s pictures can be seen below:
Removing fluff from the pod
Use of mulberry leaves in silkworm farming
A finished, mounted sample with description card from the collection
There was one comment on the post which reads:
“I’ve slept on a pillow that used Bombax sp. as the stuffing at home. It was my grandmother’s old pillow, but it was probably handmade. There were some seeds in it. It was quite pokey when I slept on it. Haha!”
Dr. Nguanchoo responded: “Now it’s hard to find, isn’t it? Keep it, it’s valuable. 😊”
Ethnobotany is not meant for only ivory tower analysis, but to maintain memories of those who came before us. Dr. Varangrat’s examples struck a chord in the Thai ethnobotanist (or hobbyist) community, with 24 likes, 61 shares, and 100 views. Hopefully, more people will see it in the future and be inspired to have their own experiences and artifacts shared in the community, too.
Link to original post: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thaiarchaeobotanyandethnobotany/posts/1037794184676241/