TRADITIONAL ECOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE
Misty sunrise on Raquette Lake Traditional Ecological Knowledge refers to the knowledge and practices of indigenous, regional and local communities, developed over generations of adapting to local environmental conditions. Traditional ecological knowledge is often collectively owned and is transmitted orally from person to person, and generation to generation. It is often expressed through stories, folklore, legend, songs, rituals, community laws, and agricultural and environmental practices.
There is a growing appreciation of the value of traditional ecological knowledge, both to the communities that possess it, and to the global community. For example, many plant-based medicines were developed from such knowledge, and it has been critical to development of modern plant species and animal breeds. More recently, there has been growing recognition of its importance in ecosystem management, ecological restoration, and conservation biology.
The 2008 Environmental/Adirondack Studies Residency will examine traditional ecological knowledge from an interdisciplinary perspective. In our shared readings before the residency we will explore some of its different forms; and at the residency plenary sessions we will discuss the similarities and differences between scientific knowledge and traditional ecological knowledge, and further explore its role in environmental decision making. We will also examine the traditional ecological knowledge of the indigenous and local communities of the Adirondacks.
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