Professional Interests:

Rainforests are considered one of last pristine or untouched ecosystems of the world. However, they have long been the home of indigenous people who have modified and left their cultural "footprint" in the forest. My primary research focuses on uncovering human signatures in the forest through the analysis of indigenous resource management strategies (swidden-fallow agriculture, hunting, gathering, and fishing). More specifically, my work in the Peruvian Amazon shows how the indigenous Ese eja people have influenced their traditional territory (an area of about 1.5 million hectares) by creating a series of anthropogenic habitats that influence vegetation structure and wildlife resources.

In addition to studying the human ecology of the Amazon, I am also interested in the applied dimension of this research such as implications to conservation and indigenous rights. In addition to my work in the Peruvian Amazon I have also carried out extensive research in Belize, Kenya, Australia, Tahiti, Brazil, and most recently in the American West (Montana).

Research and Teaching Interests:

• Ecological and environmental anthropology
• Human ecology of tropical rainforests (indigenous and traditional peoples)
• Resource management, land use change, and anthropogenic ecosystems
• Biodiversity conservation
• Political ecology, environmental justice, and indigenous rights
• Market-based conservation and sustainable development
• Latin America: Peru (Northern Coast and Southeastern Rainforest) and Belize
• United States: Montana

Courses Taught:

ANT 102: Introduction to Anthropology: Diversity of Cultures

ANT 212: The Anthropology of Food

ANT 250: Conservation Anthropology: The Socio-Cultural Dimension of Environmental Issues

ANT 300: Basic Theory in Cultural Anthropology

ANT 464: Cultural Ecology (Ecological Anthropology)