Traditional Ecological Knowledge for Land Stewardship

Catalog description

Traditional ecological knowledge--the knowledge developed and maintained by local communities over many generations about their natural environment--is increasingly recognized as fundamental to solving environmental problems. In this four-unit course, we will explore some of the cutting-edge research on traditional ecological knowledge, also known as Indigenous science, and its significance in achieving sustainable land stewardship. We will address some key questions. For example, what makes traditional ecological knowledge different from Western science? What led to the recent increase in Western scientists' appreciation of traditional ecological knowledge? How can traditional ecological knowledge inform environmental sustainability in a world that is undergoing rapid climate change, land use change, and biological invasion? And how can Western science complement traditional ecological knowledge for environmental stewardship? The class will meet twice a week. Each week, we will have a field trip one day and a discussion session the other day. For the field trips, we will go to Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve ('Ootchamin 'Ooyakma) for hands-on projects on land stewardship. In the discussion sessions, we will have student-led discussion based on the reading of primary articles. We will also learn from guest speakers.