Introduction by Laurie Benenson, film producer, environmental changemaker
Mark Plotkin, groundbreaking ethnobotanist and author of seminal books including Tales of a Shaman's Apprentice, works closely with Indigenous peoples and local conservationists to protect isolated and uncontacted tribes in the northwest Amazon. As co-founder of the Amazon Conservation Team (ACT) in 1995, he’ll depict ACT's work partnering with over 30 South American tribes, including the Kogi, to map, manage and protect over 70 million acres of ancestral forests. He’ll describe collaborations with elder healers to develop and implement successful "Shamans and Apprentices" programs to transmit sacred healing information down through generations within the tribes themselves.