Dr. Balick

Dr. Micheal Balick

The ethnobotanist, economic botanist and pharmacognosist Dr. Michael Balick is a leading expert on medical and toxic plants and biocultural conservation. from 1986 to 1996, Balick helped lead the New York Botanical Garden's collaboration with the US National Cancer Institute to survey the flora of Central and South America and the Caribbean for pants with potential activity against cancer and AIDS. This project drew Balick and Arvigo together and they have continued to work closely for over 30 years. 

Dr. Arvigo and Dr. Balick have collaborated to create a comprehensive reference book of their research and discovery gleaned over these past decades The Messages From the Gods: A guide to the Useful Plants of Belize, 2015, is a huge wealth of knowledge containing more than 500 plant descriptions and their traditional uses, by the Belizean and Central American community.