i Parkia biglobosa - School of Forest Resources & Environmental ...

PREFACE
This study was done between September1999 and December 2001, during my
service with Peace Corps in Kandiga, Upper East Region, Ghana. Prior to enrolling at
Michigan Technological University in the Master’s International Program I worked for
several years in the biotech pharmaceutical industry. My studies in Biology at San
Francisco State University were the foundation for my career in the biotech industry.
During my undergraduate years, my interests were in natural history and manifested itself
with several years of work at the San Francisco Zoo.
I have had many wonderful opportunities to travel and visit many exotic and
foreign destinations. My time in Peace Corps and in Ghana has not only been a
reaffirmation of my interests in different countries and their history, but a brand new
experience of immersing myself in a different culture.
I can recall when I was inspired to study the interaction between people and trees.
After two months of service at my site, I attended a special workshop offered by Peace
Corps. It was a study on effective community entry activities being developed by an
RPCV from Senegal. Developing these methods were part of her fulfilling the
requirements for a Master’s degree. One of the activities I participated in and modified
was the market survey. I adapted that community entry method by specifically looking
for products from trees. This thesis is a result from that first step and venture into the
market.
iii