Edmund Wade Davis (born December 14th 1953 in British Columbia, Canada) is a noted anthropologist and ethnobotonist. He recieved his PhD in ethnobotany from Harvard University. Davis' work has usually focused on the observation and analysis of the customs, beliefs, and social relations of indigenous cultures in North and South America; in particular an examination of the native use of plants with psychoactive properties. Among Davis' many books are The Serpent and the Rainbow (about the process of zombification in Haiti) (1986), Passage of Darkness (1988), One River (1996), and Shadows in the Sun (1998).
Davis is an outspoken conservationist and belongs to many non-governmental organizations that work to preserve biological and cultural diversity.
Davis holds citizenship in Canada, Ireland, and the United States.
