Ethnobotanical outing: traditional uses of plants in Haute Maurienne
Ethnobotany aims to preserve traditional oral knowledge about plants.
I have conducted numerous interviews with our elders in Bessans and Aussois. As a member of "Jardins de mémoires montagne", I have consulted most of the work of my colleagues in the Alps. I'm also working with ethnobotanist Loreddana Matonti, and am in the process of translating her book on traditional knowledge in the Susa Valley.
The outing will enable us to pass on our knowledge and observe the plants used by our ancestors, give their patois names, and explain the broad outlines of old-fashioned food, folk and veterinary medicine.
We'll also look at more unusual aspects, such as children's games and supernatural beliefs linked to plants.
Discussions continue over lunch at the Auberge de Bellecombe, with a tasting of herbal teas.
