Dear ISE colleagues and friends,
On behalf of the International Society of Ethnobiology (ISE) and the Society for Economic Botany (SEB), we write to announce the postponement of this summer’s Jamaica meeting to 2021.
You will know that the impact of the COVID-19 virus has been fast, and hard to predict. As the attached letter from the local organisers explains (see below), our postponement has been prompted both by concern for the health of participants and our local hosts, and by rapidly increasing travel restrictions. We deeply appreciate and apologize for the impact on your plans.
Postponing our meeting to 2021 means that we can build on the superb achievements of David Picking, Ina Vandebroek and other members of the organising committee in building a rich programme and associated field trips. We are determined not to lose the impetus of this work, and the strong support received from many Jamaican institutions including our host, the University of the West Indies at Mona. We will let you know the projected dates as soon as possible.
You will want to know how we’ll handle the practical aspects of this change. The SEB office will process automatic refunds for all those who have already paid registration fees. If you have booked accommodation, please contact your provider. We will contact travel awardees and workshop hosts separately. Please feel free contact us or the SEB office with your queries or concerns, but at the same time be patient with our office staff who are under considerable pressure at this time. We are deeply grateful to Heather Cacanindin, Director of the SEB office, who has been a tower of strength in difficult times.
We all face difficult months ahead. We hope you, your families, and your communities stay well, and we look forward very much to meeting you in Jamaica next year. Please see below, a letter from the meeting organizers.
With very best wishes,
Mark Nesbitt Rick Stepp
President, Society for Economic Botany President, International Society of Ethnobiology
m.nesbitt@kew.orgstepp@ufl.edu
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