Plants and People of Pohnpei

This book explores the vital relationship between people and plants in Pohnpei State, in the Federated States of Micronesia, offering an engaging introduction to the island’s botany, ecology, and traditional knowledge systems. It highlights how generations of communities have depended on local plants for food, medicine, shelter, and cultural practices, shaping sustainable ways of life in remote island environments. While this knowledge is increasingly threatened by social and technological change, the book shows how it continues to support resilience and environmental stewardship today. Richly illustrated with photographs and drawings, it stands as a celebration of Pohnpei’s botanical and cultural heritage, as well as an invitation for readers to learn from the local environment and traditions.

• Mark D. Merlin, Author

  Mark Merlin is a distinguished ethnobotanist and Professor Emeritus at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. He studies how ancient and traditional cultures have utilized plants for many purposes, with a special focus on human alteration of native vegetation in tropical island ecosystems, particularly in Remote Oceania. He is the lead author of this book and the other volumes in this regional ethnobotanical and ecological series for several areas of Micronesia.

• Danko Taboroši, Author

  Danko Taborosi is the director of Island Research & Education Initiative (iREi), a Micronesia-based NGO. An environmental scientist and educator, he draws on experience from primary schools to universities to translate research findings into classroom-ready learning materials. He specializes in developing textbooks and educational resources that align with curriculum standards while remaining grounded in island cultures and local knowledge systems.

• James O. Juvik, Author

  James Juvik, Professor of Geography (Emeritus) at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, has worked and published extensively on the biogeography, climatology and conservation themes related to oceanic islands in the Indopacific and Atlantic. Previous co-authored or co-edited books include: Atlas of Hawaiʻi, Tropical Montane Cloud Forests, and multiple previous volumes in this current Micronesian ethnobotany series.