Greetings,

This time you find me with the typical headdress of the Awajun in Northern Peru. (see picture below)
During this busy time of year, I just want to make you aware of a few important items and opportunities in our field. 

First, if you have not renewed your membership for 2012, please do so today.  Memberships expire at the end of December.  To keep your access to Economic Botany uninterrupted, please renew online at:  https://payments.econbot.org/joinseb/

You can download a membership form here: http://www.econbot.org/pdf/12_membership_application.pdf


ABSTRACTS and ANNUAL MEETING:
SEB is now accepting abstracts for the 53rd Annual Meeting, "Ethnobotany of Mountain Cultures," which will take place June 3-7, 2012 in Frostburg, Maryland, USA.  This is going to be a fantastic meeting organized by our hosts at Frostburg State University and Allegany College of Maryland.  To read more about the field trips, meeting, and entertainment we have planned, please visit: http://www.econbot.org/_organization_/index.php?sm=07|meetings_by_year/2012

Submit your abstract before the deadline of April 1, 2012: http://www.econbot.org/_organization_/07_annual_meetings/abstract_submission/

AWARD OPPORTUNITIES:
Two fantastic opportunities have been posted on the SEB website.  Applications are being accepted from young, established researchers for the William L Brown Award.  2012 Anne S. Chatham Fellowship in Medicinal Botany is also accepting applications from graduate and Ph.D. students.  Visit www.econbot.org to read the requirements for each award.

SOCIETY PUBLICATIONS:
In case you do all your reading online, don't forget to visit www.econbot.org to read the Fall 2011 issue of our Society newsletter, Plants and People.  The web site site is also where members can log in to read all the issues of Economic Botany. 

The publications of Richard Schultes have been made available online, courtesy of the William Brown Center. Please visit: http://wlbcenter.org/Schultes%20Publications/

This is also a season of giving and thanks. I encourage all of you to give gift and associate memberships to your best students and counterparts. Give a student a NEW membership for only $10 when you renew your own membership online and take advantage of the opportunity of giving gift associate memberships to colleagues from developing countries at the rate of $10 to grow our Society worldwide.

Happy Holidays and a great start into 2012 to you all!

Sincerely,

Rainer Bussmann
President, Society for Economic Botany
SEB- http://www.econbot.org

Mission: To foster and encourage scientific research, education, and related activities on the past, present, and future uses of plants, and the relationship between plants and people, and to make the results of such research available to the scientific community and the general public through meetings and publications.