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How might we combine storytelling traditions and scientific research to encapsulate the interactions between human and wildlife systems in Botswana?
My trip to Botswana helped me to incorporate Botswana's tradition of storytelling (Mainane) and the use of GIS mapping to explore and tackle human-wildlife conflicts. Our 7 weeks were filled with game drives into the dry, scorching heat of the savannah, which gave us numerous opportunities to witness the beautiful and well-preserved wildlife. Regardless, amidst the beauty of Botswana, a conflict existed between farmers and elephants. Through learning with digital mapping and gaining practical experience, we were able to craft a story that summarizes our journey, recapping the development of wildlife management in Botswana that aimed to improve the environment and animal welfare.
My driving question: How can I conduct an experiment to assess portable and convenient cooling systems that help people in Oaxaca preserve and maintain their food products by utilizing affordable materials?
My project in Oaxaca aimed to tackle the heat issue at the market, where I applied the principle of energy transfer to design air cooling models and compare them to see which one would be more suitable for the people in Oaxaca, while meeting the requirements of affordability, accessibility, and convenience. The two models that I designed ran based on evaporation and air circulation, with the porous clay pot and water to stimulate evaporation, and a foam box with a mini fan for air circulation. I hope that my model will be able to support and help families who struggle to keep their fruits and vegetables for a long time period without the capacity and the finances to purchase a fridge and bring it to the market.
To what extent can we integrate Oaxacan cultural knowledge and wellness practices in everyday life in a holistic way?
Who would know plants contain so much more benefits than we could grasp. My trip to Mexico has taught me how plants can be ultilized and treated under the scope of Cosmovision, a belief that aims towards achieving the harmony of energy within the universe and to create a sustainable lifestyle and balance yourself with nature. My journey gave me the opportunities to meet amazing individuals who worked in the field of ethnobotany and individuals who practice traditional culture of Mexico to give their personal insight within the diverse world of nature. As we dive deeper, we also learned how indigenous people of Oaxaca implement cosmovision within their daily lives, such as farming using syntropic or practicing healing using plants, and how the philosophy can influence a person's worldview, actions and principles. For my summative, I created a plant-based wellness kit with information I gathered from both the communities I have visited and evidence about its chemical compound backed up by Western Science.
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