I first heard about Sítio PANC in a conversation with Talia Kahn, a former student of my cousin Evan Ziporyn. At MIT she double majored in science and music. In the material science department, she studied the creation, properties, and performance of materials — and how to derive new, effective, and sustainable materials alternatives. She also pursued her interest in music as part of the prestigious Emerson program, a conservatory-level track in the MIT music department. Her connection to Manaus was based on her Fulbright scholarship where she conducted materials science research which led to her interest in ethnobotany, the study of the ways that indigenous cultures and peoples use plants. And Talia continued with her music — in March she was part of a program at the Opera House in Manaus: “Hearing Amazônia: Arte e Resistência” which brought together 75 musicians, Brazilian and indigenous artists along with members of MIT like Evan who premiered a new composition.

I realize this is a digression, but I thought it was a fascinating trail of connections.

Anyway, when I explained that Richard would be in Manaus while I was in the rainforest, Talia suggested that he visit Sítio PANC. Luckily for me, we weren’t able to coordinate a visit until the day after I got back from LABverde. So I was able to join Richard, my studio assistant Ella Konefal who had just arrived in Manaus, and our wonderful tour guide and friend Rafael Estrela on our visit to Sítio PANC.

Sítio PANC is the mega project of Valdely Kinupp, a botanist and professor at the Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Amazonas (IFAM) with a PhD in Phytotechnics and Horticulture from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul. Valdely decided in recent years to devote his life to promoting the understanding of how an immense variety of common plants of the Amazon are edible, and should be developed for public consumption. To that end, he purchased land on the outskirts of Manaus and proceeded to cultivate the native “weeds” he found as well as other native plants and trees. Valdely calls this alternative take on “weeds” PANC, an acronym that translates to Unconventional Food Plants.

We spent a delightful afternoon with him starting right outside the gates to the property, where he showed us multiple shrubs, grasses, vines, flowers, and roots that were edible right on his side of the road. He compared this lushness to the roadside grass strip across the street, where everything had been cut down in pursuit of a more manicured aesthetic.

We continued a tour through his kitchen, animal enclosures, and pathways. At every turn, Valdely offered us something to taste. We sampled at least five fruits straight off the tree — some more familiar such as several varieties of banana and fresh papaya, others new to our palate. Some fruits were visible but not ripe yet, like the açaí, coconut, and mangoes. It was incredible — everywhere you looked, the canopy was dense with food. There is so much that Valdely and his family have as much as they want to eat, while also sharing with other animals, neighbors, and selling certain plants to restaurants in Manaus. Sítio PANC has published an incredible plant dictionary and cookbook to show people how to identify and use all the native plants that surround them in Amazônas. Richard and I purchased a copy in French.

Valdely continued through the property to show us where edible tubers were growing, which greens were nutritious, which flowers were edible, and described the ways the plants supported each other. He also described his methods for supporting the health of the soil, which is very sandy in this region.

We met his rabbits, guinea pigs, and geese, learning about the ways the animals help process food leftovers like banana peels (which the rabbits and guinea pigs LOVE!) and then help build soil health through their droppings. They also distribute dry leaves and other plant matter over the soil, to retain moisture and facilitate slow decomposition. The animals also love the interior of banana “tree” stems. We learned that banana trees don’t actually have trunks — it’s just a compacted pattern of leaf growth.

One of my favorite plants was this huge leaf that has a velcro-like texture on its backside that sticks to fabric. We were all having a great time passing around the leaves and wearing them on top of our clothes.

We learned about the many ecological functions of each plant. For example, this spiny coconut tree is a protective habitat for sleeping monkeys. They access the leaves from the canopy, but snakes can’t climb the trunk due to the spines, which are part of the bark. I thought the shapes were really beautiful.

After a thorough tour of the whole site, we cooled off by swimming in a natural spring at the back of the property. It was so refreshing that I think we all forgot to take any pictures. We swam for a while and talked — a beautiful end to an engaging and inspiring visit.