Mark Plotkin is an American ethnobotanist, author, and conservationist. He is known for his work studying the traditional uses of plants in indigenous cultures, particularly in the Amazon rainforest. Plotkin received his Ph.D. in biology from Harvard University in 1990 and later co-founded the Amazon Conservation Association (ACA), which focuses on preserving the Amazon rainforest and its indigenous cultures. He also founded the organization’s medicinal plant program, which aims to conserve and sustainably use the rich resources of the Amazon rainforest, and has been the president of the ACA since its inception in 1996. He is the author of several books on the subject of ethnobotany and the Amazon rainforest, including “Tales of a Shaman’s Apprentice: An Ethnobotanist Searches for New Medicines in the Amazon Rainforest” and “The Shaman’s Apprentice: A Tale of the Amazon Rainforest” Plotkin has also been actively involved in various conservation projects in the Amazon rainforest, including the creation of several conservation corridors and the establishment of several protected areas. He also works with indigenous communities to promote sustainable development and the use of traditional ecological knowledge. He is a Fellow of the Linnean Society of London and the Explorers Club and has received numerous awards for his work, including the Drexel University Alumni Entrepreneurial Achievement Award, the Amazon Environmental Research Institute’s Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Harvard University Botanical Museum’s E.D. Merrill Award.