INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – The 46th Annual Conference of the Society of Ethnobiology took place at the University of Nevada, Reno at Lake Tahoe on May 21-24. People converged at the campus from around the U.S. and global locales such as India, Nepal, Europe and the Cayman Islands to learn and discuss topics of ethnobiology, an interdisciplinary study that delves into the relationships among peoples, plants and animals, as well as their environments.

The conference was previously held in Reno, Nev. in 1998, and locations worldwide such as British Columbia, Canada, and Oaxaca, Mexico over the years, but this is the first time the conference was held at Lake Tahoe.

“Things converged that made it possible,” conference host, Maria Bruno said, the Society’s vice president.

Bruno, an adjunct professor in the Anthropology Department at UNR, grew up in the Tahoe region and is a major reason the conference was held in Lake Tahoe.

As a senior in college, Bruno had attended the conference in 1998 when it was held in Reno at the university. She’s been a part of the Society ever since.

Typically members of the Society host the conference at their institution. Bruno had volunteered to host after moving back to Lake Tahoe around three years ago. Following that decision, UNR took over Sierra Nevada College, which was the ideal location for the conference.

“It’s here in the mountains, in the forest, near the lake,” Bruno expressed. “It connects in so many ways to what the society is about.”

The conference provided the opportunity to highlight ethnobiology-related work and research in the Sierra Nevada and Great Basin.

Within this local lens, Herman Fillmore of the Wá∙šiw (Washoe) Tribe of California and Nevada presented at the conference plenary. The Culture and Language Resources Director revealed how the Wá∙šiw language and stories relay data and observations over time. Wá∙šiw elders and children participated in the conference as well.

A presentation by Chloe Collier-Allen and Louis Forline, with UNR, discussed the loss of traditional indigenous stewardship and the resulting impacts on pinyon pines and juniper trees, which compose a significant woodland community in the Great Basin.

A Friday panel pooled together researchers from different disciplines, land managers, and tribes to present and discuss studies and collaborations related to the climate resilience of pinyon-juniper woodlands.

Workshops and field trips showcased the uses of regional plants, including the opportunity to make tinctures and syrups from the region’s native and local elderberry species with Christopher Mackessy and Jung Mackessy with Trash Panda Permaculture.

Mackessy also hosted a walk, along with Nikki Hill (Groundwork Ecology Center and Native Environment Solutions), in the Martis Creek watershed, known as Timilick Valley by the Wá∙šiw people. Participants learned to identify plants and witnessed their role in the landscape, their cultural importance as well as other topics.

Another field trip ushered participants around Lake Tahoe, stopping at several cultural and naturally historical locations for the Wá∙šiw people. Stops included the Gatekeeper’s Museum, Meeks Bay Resort, the Lam Watah Nature Trail, and the Tahoe East Shore Trail.

A poster session held at the campus library provided walk-up opportunities for participants to explore studies around the world, ask questions, and digest the material at their own pace. UNR graduate student Kylie Papson’s poster shared research surrounding decolonizing water policy design in Lake Tahoe through incorporation of anthropological studies.

Not only did the conference feature local studies and topics, it also displayed local artistic talent. Aspen Carrillo, an enrolled member of the Yerington Tribe and a Washoe Tribe descendant, created this year’s conference logo. The emblem displays a Wèš (chickadee) resting on a pinyon pine with the Sierra Nevada and Lake Tahoe in the background. A close look reveals native Lahonton cutthroat trout swimming in the lake. Carillo is pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts at UNR and is passionate about revitalizing the Washoe language and culture.

Each year the Society of Ethnobiology awards an annual grant to a community local to the host site involved in an ethnobiology-related project. The Washoe Tribe was this year’s recipient and the funds will support the Washoe Tribe’s continued work in connecting its youth with traditional knowledge and stewardship of the environment of their homelands, including here in the Lake Tahoe Basin. This work can be seen in the meadow restoration in Meeks Bay, as well as the reintroduction of Lahontan cutthroat trout into Lake Tahoe.

While many facets of the conference offered a local lens, it also provided the opportunity to hear about studies and insights happening all over the world, such as indigenous ecosystem restoration practices in the Himalayas, conservation of culturally important sites in southern Ethiopia and west Africa, in addition many other topics.

The conference not only offered an insightful learning opportunity, but also a chance to experience Lake Tahoe.

“Obviously lots of people have heard of Lake Tahoe, but they’ve maybe never been here before,” Bruno said. “Maybe they’ll come back.”

The conference typically offers a virtual option and occurs on an annual basis. Bruno explained that although the conference started out as an academic conference, much effort has been placed into broadening it and providing access to everyone. Anyone can become a member of the Society as well, which in addition to its annual conference, has a peer-reviewed journal, podcast and a number of other resources. For more information, visit ethnobiology.org.