Traditional Medicinal Plants: Preserving Knowledge in Cuenca, Ecuador

Oppong, Susanna; Hill, Alex; Smith, Hannah

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Traditional Medicinal Plants: Preserving Knowledge in Cuenca, Ecuador

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Knowledge about traditional medicinal plants is passed on through word of mouth from ancestor to ancestor in Cuenca, Ecuador. This project addresses ways to preserve knowledge and provide access to traditional medicinal plants. Through surveys, interviews, and observations our team collected data on medicinal plants to best provide a platform for youths to access this knowledge. It was found that education on traditional medicinal plants is necessary, proper instruction and tips are needed to care for the plants, and an accessible platform is needed for the youth. The results revealed that the most preferred mode of accessibility for plant information was a mobile app. An app prototype was recommended and developed for Museo Pumapungo to engage the youth and most importantly, help keep the knowledge of traditional medicinal plants alive.

This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

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