Yoreme-Mayo healers counter wild medicinal plant resource commercial harvesting with creation of closed botanical gardens

Yoreme-Mayo healers of Southern Sonora, Mexico, require a supply of traditional medicinal plants. In the area surrounding Navojoa, Sonora, three healers report pirating and scarcity of medicinal resources on communal lands. We hypothesize that commercial harvesting of medicinal plant capital influence gathering practices of local healers. Recently, botanical gardens have been started to combat these shortages of wild plants. The effect of the gardens on healers’ traditions is yet to be seen since wildcrafting is currently the predominant method in the region and little payment is accepted for health care consultations and treatment. Continued study of the incorporation of cultivated medicinal plants to the pharmacopeia of Yoreme-Mayo healers offers great promise for promoting ethnobotanical resource management strategies that actively and positively sustain their respective cultures.