ASU student develops Indigenous foodways foraging database
Lindsey Chavez, a second-year sustainable food systems student at Arizona State University, is making a name for herself in the sustainable food systems community with her most recent database project supported by the ASU Luminosity Lab.
That project is called Forager, and it catalogs edible plants across the valley. Paired with sustainable harvesting methods, historical uses by Indigenous peoples and recipes, the database is designed to provide users with the ecological knowledge needed to reconnect with nature.
“Many existing foraging databases rely heavily on community-sourced contributions, which can introduce inconsistencies or outdated information,” explained Chavez. “Forager addresses this gap by providing verified data on plant identification, toxicity, safety considerations, harvesting seasonality and preparation methods.”
Chavez joined the ASU Luminosity Lab through the Vanderploeg Scholarship program, which encourages students to tackle real-world problems across sustainability, health care, education and engineering through Luminosity Lab projects. Before embarking on her own project, Chavez took the opportunity to participate in the various sustainability and education projects hosted by the lab to gain experience as a first-year student.
“Anyone in the lab can start a project as the lead, but it took me time to develop my idea and my skills with the lab to the point where I felt comfortable officially starting the project,” said Chavez. “That is one of my favorite parts of the lab — there is a lot of freedom and trust to explore your ideas or help bring other ideas to life.”
The inspiration for this project came from Chavez’s experience in an ASU Global Intensive Experience program in Ecuador. GIE: Indigenous Sustainability Solutions in the Amazon is a two-week study abroad program, sponsored by the Rob Walton College of Global Futures, where students can combine Indigenous and scientific knowledges to understand biocultural conservation approaches and sustainability solutions across the Amazon.
“I saw the intensely beautiful connection between the Indigenous people there and their land, and I hope to help people build a connection with their land here in the Sonoran Desert,” said Chavez. “Throughout the creation of the database, I have felt my connection to the land grow stronger, and I hope to help connect not only people to their land but all of us more to each other.”
Forager has been presented at Change the World ASU and at the inaugural Nexus Summit hosted by the ASU Luminosity Lab. The database was well received, and the events provided Chavez with invaluable feedback that has continuously guided the development and refinement of Forager.
Chavez is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in sustainable food systems within the School of Sustainability, part of the Rob Walton College of Global Futures. Through the program, Chavez was excited to blend her passion for the environment with her interest in food systems.
Her time so far at the Rob Walton College of Global Futures has been filled with various educational and community-oriented activities — including Model USDA 2026, which is hosted by the Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems, a unit within the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory — and various meetings in the student organization Plant Futures, where Chavez stands as treasurer.
“Starting Forager allowed me to apply all I’ve learned, and with the lab’s support, attempt to make a difference in the world,” explained Chavez.
“Overall, I hope to still work on Forager and see my vision have a real impact on how people connect to their land, but otherwise I’d love to help make our food system more sustainable and resilient.”