Participatory ethnobotany in rural schools in Paso Viejo (Department of Cruz del Eje, Córdoba, Argentina)

Abstract

We present a participatory ethnobotanical experience from the development of research projects, university outreach work, and university volunteer programs in the rural areas of Paso Viejo (Pedanía Pichanas, Cruz del Eje). The objective was to identify and save plant resources of cultural interest, in addition to discuss the community and educational processes that promote participatory research (citizen science) with local actors. Five workshops were held on the different themes of ethnobotany, such as environmental interpretation, local productive practices, traditional food, veterinary medicine and forage plants. In the context of the local cultural context, we registered a total of 88 uses in 49 wild species and 3 cultivated species; 7 uses are associated with food, 19 with veterinary medicine, 32 with forage, and 30 with other uses. University students participated in the organization, planning, and preparation of the resources used as well as fieldwork registration and systematization of workshops. The study discusses how the construction of a dialogical experience promotes greater reciprocity in the process of collection of ethnobotanical data and knowledge, resulting in an educational and pedagogical process.