The Baca Institute of Ethnobotany is a 501C3 nonprofit educational organization. We are dedicated to the preservation, collection, and research of the indigenous environmental knowledge and the cultural diversity of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Our educational programs are guided by the philosophy that the way to scientific advancement in conservation, botany, medicine, and sustainable agriculture follows an ancient path.



The Institute's innovative educational programs are designed to be experimental, utilizing the culturally diverse Southwest as our field laboratory. We offer community focused seminars and workshops for the lay person, more intensive field schools and internships for graduate credit, and specialized programs for Native American Communities and individuals. Our curriculum utilizes a collaboration of western science and traditional approaches to reintroduce Indigenous ecosystem conservation, Indigenous Environmental philosophy, agricultural knowledge, and culturally sensitive research techniques.