Abstract
Citizen science (CS) is receiving increasing attention as a conduit for Indigenous and local knowledge (ILK) in ecosystem stewardship and conservation. Drawing on field experience and scientific literature, we explore the connection between CS and ILK and demonstrate approaches for how CS can generate useful knowledge while at the same time strengthening ILK systems. CS invites laypersons to contribute observations, perspectives, and interpretations feeding into scientific knowledge systems. In contrast, ILK can be understood as knowledge systems in its own right, with practices and institutions to craft legitimate and useful knowledge. Such fundamental differences in how knowledge is generated, interpreted, and applied need to be acknowledged and understood for successful outcomes. Engaging with complementary knowledge systems using a multiple evidence base approach can improve the legitimacy of CS initiatives, strengthen collaborations through ethical and reciprocal relationships with ILK holders, and contribute to better stewardship of ecosystems.
Highlights
To widen potential sources of relevant knowledge in use for ecosystem management, there is increasing recognition of the values and roles of knowledge-making actors beyond conventional research institutions in a range of local to global context (Bonney et al 2014, Tengö et al 2014, McKinley et al 2017)
The evidence show that Indigenous and local knowledge (ILK) systems and practices contribute to protect critical biological and cultural diversity; it is clear that the same drivers leading to diversity loss have a strong negative impact on Indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLC), their well-being and capacity to govern ecosystems (IPBES 2019)
To be a legitimate and culturally appropriate conduit for inclusion of ILK, many Citizen science (CS) initiatives are striving to find constructive ways to embrace knowledge holders from IPLC not just as actors carrying out information tasks or data collectors or as stakeholders defining research questions but, rather, as legitimate knowledge holders, respecting that their knowledge originates from different knowledge systems (Tengö et al 2017)
Summary
In the field of ecosystem management and conservation, there has long been advocacy for engagement with local actors along the following lines: strengthening public engagement with environmental issues and building partnerships for better governance (Visseren-Hamakers 2013, Januchowski-Hartley et al 2016), assisting efforts to document and monitor biodiversity and natural resource use and practices in areas in which scientific data is meager at best (Butchart et al 2015, Chandler et al 2017, Camara-Leret and Dennehy 2019), contributing local and context specific knowledge that can improve management implementation and efficiency and increase the capacity to transform decisions into actions that are sustained over time (Danielsen et al 2007, 2010), acknowledging the rights and stakes of people directly affected by degrading ecosystems or by conservation interventions (Farhan Ferrari et al 2015, Brondizio and Le Tourneau 2016), and contributing complementary and unique knowledge on ecosystem dynamic and human nature interactions over time (Gadgil et al 1993, Gavin et al 2015).
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