Symposium & General Assembly of the Swiss Ethnobiology Network 2025

Overview

The day began with a series of morning presentations focusing on current efforts to preserve and transmit  ethnobotanical knowledge. Yet each speaker encouraged us to reflect on the challenges and achievements in producing, preserving, and transmitting ethnobotanical knowledge, which is always at risk of being lost. After the lunch break, a guided tour of the botanical garden followed, an immersive experience that offered much more than just a stroll through different green spaces. The act of walking, observing, smelling and listening to the surrounding nature led participants to reflect on the sensory and interactive ways through which we communicate and learn ethnobotanical knowledge. With the day concluding in a general assembly, the symposium offered valuable insights into innovative and creative approaches to generating, sharing, and learning traditional and local plant knowledge.

University of Zurich’s Institute of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany

Morning Session - Presentations

●       “Flora Walser, a platform for passing on the traditional plant knowledge of the Walser” presented by Zita Sartori

Zita introduced her project called Flora Walser - a database aimed to document the traditional and local uses of wild and cultivated plants by different Walser communities located in Switzerland. The database contains a collection of documented knowledge on plants, including local names, traditional uses, and supporting documents. Zita demonstrated nicely how engaging with elders, listening to their stories, and systematically organizing and archiving this knowledge on her website ensures that it remains accessible to anyone interested.

Aware of the widespread access children have to digital media, Zita explained that this free and user-friendly database provides an opportunity for future generations to discover and engage with  Walser ethnobotanical knowledge through today’s increasingly accessible and ever-evolving digital platforms for communication and preservation.

So far, Zita has developed the database independently, but she hopes to expand it by working with other Walser communities and raising public interest in traditional plant knowledge. She closed her presentation by mentioning key challenges like limited funding and the geographic dispersion of Walser communities across the Alpine regions of southern Switzerland

●       “Preserving and promoting bio-cultural heritage through educational programs: challenges and opportunities” presented by Muriel Hendrichs

Muriel  presented the educational programs for childrens her  company, l’Alberoteca, which offers hands-on ways to reconnect with nature and local traditions through  playful and sensory experiences. Through initiatives like planting trees, creating  school orchards with local fruit varieties, and using foraged fruits and plants in cooking classes, children not only learn about local and traditional knowledge but also help bring neglected green spaces back to life. These playful, sensory-rich experiences demonstrate the power of experiential learning in strengthening connections to nature and community.

Muriel explained beautifully how taking children outdoors allows them to explore nature hands-on by smelling, touching, and tasting different flowers, plants, and fruits. This "learning by experience" approach makes acquiring knowledge both engaging and memorable.

However, despite their clear long-term benefits, such educational programs for childrens face challenges in scaling up due to limited funding, few partnerships, and the need for broader public engagement with ethnobotanical education in Switzerland.

●       “Traditional Medicine in Transition. The role of museums as agents of change for effective, safe, culturally embedded, and sustainable knowledge transfer in Uganda” presented by Caroline Weckerle

Caroline presented the collaborative project “Traditional Medicine in Transition” between Uganda and Switzerland. The primary goal of this project is to contribute to the preservation and development of plant-based traditional medicine in Uganda. In particular, younger generations are being made aware of the importance of traditional medicine and its cultural and ecological significance.

The project aims to promote long-term knowledge transfer and improve access to reliable plant knowledge. Additionally, interactive educational programs support the sustainable use and cultivation of medicinal plants. In this way, the project seeks to make a meaningful contribution to improving primary healthcare, protecting the natural habitats of these plants, and creating new sources of income for rural populations. The project has also expanded into related initiatives that explore the role of botanical gardens and museums as interactive learning spaces that foster dialogue among people from different backgrounds and fields.
Caroline showed us the crucial role of traditions in communities in passing knowledge through generations. Feasts, rhythms, dancing, and singing are all powerful tools used to introduce children to traditional knowledge from an early age.

●       “Die Entdeckung des Zufalls” presented by Roland Zoss

Roland, a creative writer and children’s musician, presented imaginative ways in which music, simple lyrics, poetry, and storytelling can be used to teach children about plants, especially trees, and to foster their connection with nature . Through readings from his books and playing examples of his tree songs , Roland explained how these artistic tools can spark curiosity and build a deeper appreciation for the natural world. He reflected on the growing absence of nature-themed content e in today’s music and emphasized the need to raise awareness about the vital role  of trees while preserving  a childlike sense of wonder. Zoss beautifully explained how valuable it is to see nature through children’s eyes and to step into their perspective, reminding us that children, with their unique way of perceiving the world, also have something to teach us about nature. 

A Guided tour of the Botanical Garden Zurich

Caroline Weckerle and Evelin Pfeifer from the Botanical Garden in Zurich guided us through the diverse highlights of the Botanical Garden. In the largest tropical greenhouse Evelin introduced us to a selection of fascinating plants,  explaining their unique characteristics, traditional uses, and the materials derived from them. A true highlight came when Evelin gave a fascinating demonstration using powder extracted from clubmoss. By gently blowing the powder into the flame, she caused a rapid and striking ignition, leaving the crowd both surprised and thrilled.

Afterwards, Caroline guided us through the outdoor area of the botanical garden. She gave a brief overview of the garden’s landscape design, inspired by English landscape gardens to create an engaging and educational experience for visitors. Furthermore, Caroline showed us some nice spots of the botanical garden like the highest point of the garden from there, we enjoyed views of both the garden’s layout and Zurich’s cityscape. The tour concluded with a walk through thematic gardens and a discussion of upcoming conservation projects.

Tour with Evelin in the lowland rainforest greenhouse

Presentation about clubmoss

Demonstration of the flammable characteristic of clubmoss’s powder