Ethnobotany is a field of study that examines how people use and interact with plants from the world around them. It is very interdisciplinary, involving methods and topics from botany, anthropology, ecology, chemistry, and many other fields.
The ethnobotany internship varies each year, allowing students to participate in a unique faculty-guided project that engages with the field of ethnobotany. The aim is to provide an enriching educational experience outside of a traditional research-focused setting.
Each year, a small number of students are selected based upon their applications for the internship. Students can expect a combination of exposure to ethnobotany as a discipline, as well as the chance to work on tangible transferrable skills that will serve them well in their future careers—or that may even serve to inspire their future career path decisions!
Take a look below at what our ethnobotany interns have accomplished and what sorts of projects they have completed!
Please email karsten.fatur@uvm.edu with any questions.
2025-2026 Internship
In fall 2025, 3 students will be working to address the topic of mythical plants. Many plants have been recorded in myths, legends, and stories around the world whose identities have since been forgotten. These students will be working on their data management and synthesis skills, as well as their scientific communication by working together with a faculty mentor to create an article on this topic to be published in a scientific journal.
Not only will they be able to improve their skills in these areas while engaging with the field of ethnobotany, but they will also leave with an article published in a reputable scientific publication that can go on their CVs and be shown to potential employers.
2024-2025 Internship
In fall 2024, plant biology minor Kylie Roth worked on a project focused on discovering and documenting the many ethnobotanical resources housed at ¶¶Òõ̽̽.
In working with the Pringle Herbarium, Flemming Museum, and a range of other partners, Kylie was able to compile an extensive list of these resources.
She focused in on scientific communication, working to produce blog posts highlighting a number of these resources; these posts can be seen on our . Her aim with these was to present the scientific information and value of these resources in a way that can be widely understood by a varied audience.
In addition to this, Kylie designed and put together a display for the main lobby of Jeffords Hall at ¶¶Òõ̽̽ that focused on poisonous and medicinal plants. Kylie focused on building her ability to use not only writing, but also design and visual elements to convey scientific information.
