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Biocultural Diversity on the Border: The Yaylas of the Western Lesser Caucasus

by Soner Oruç and Ceren Kazancı . . In 2016, we set off on a journey to the highlands (yaylas) of the Georgia–Turkey border region. We were very excited and eager to learn new things. We wanted to breathe some fresh mountain air, drink from pasture springs, and get in touch with the pastoralists of

The Power of Place Names: Embedding Bama Local Languages into the Australian Landscape

by Michaela Jeannaisse Carter . . In July 2017, I abandoned my Pacific Northwest summer break in North America in favor of a tropical winter internship a little closer to home. I flew across the Pacific Ocean to join a small but ambitious effort that was about to begin on the ancestral homelands of the Bama

The Biocultural Fabric of Renosterveld: A Unique Ecosystem at the Heart of the Swartland, South Africa

wind-powered water pump

Text and photos by Emmeline Topp “You know how the Swartland got its name? It’s the Black Land,” the farmer tells me. His face is lined beyond his thirty-two years, decades of weather and work deepening its contours and tanning its skin. “When the Europeans first arrived two hundred years ago, all they saw was

An Ancient Game Opens the Door to Innovation in the Farma Valley, Southern Tuscany, Italy

by Andrea Giacomelli . To reach the Farma Valley in Southern Tuscany, Italy, you need to stray far off the standard tourist routes south of Siena and away from the seaside, too. Set in the heart of the Metalliferous Hills, the valley covers approximately 120 square kilometers and includes three natural conservation areas with a

Community and Biocultural Diversity Conservation in Ethiopia: Learning from Each Other

Text and photos by Fassil Gebeyehu Yelemtu I shall tell the story of my community in this article, but let me first say a few words about my interest in biocultural diversity conservation. Being exposed to the modern world and looking at unsuccessful stories of nature conservation, I always ask myself what the missing link

There Is So Much More to a Story than Meets the Eye: Tales from the Dusun of Ulu Papar, Malaysia

traditional equipment to fish

by Marina Aman Sham Malaysia is a vast country with a mosaic of cultures blending Asian and European influences. Its natural heritage spans rainforests that are home to many species of endemic wildlife, the great heights of its mountains, and seas filled with amazing underwater creatures. I am from Sabah, the Malaysian portion of the

The Sweeping Dance: Cultural Revival, Environmental Conservation, and the Art of Broom-Making in St. Lucia

brooms

by Laurent Jean Pierre “What is it that one has in one’s dwelling place, that until you dance with it, it does not work for you?” “The broom.” —Traditional St. Lucian Tim Tim riddle Latanyé brooms (brooms made from the indigenous palm Coccothrinax barbadensis, locally known as Latanyé) have been around in St. Lucia for

Biocultural Heritage in Fishing Villages in the Far North of Sweden

Joakim Boström, Anna-Märta Henriksson, and Marie Kvarnström In the villages of the Kalix archipelago in the far north of Sweden, the community-based organization Kustringen is aiming to conserve local and traditional knowledge, practices, and innovations related to fishing and archipelago life in general. The archipelago lies in the Bothnian Bay, the northernmost part of the

Can the Cenotes be Saved? Biocultural Conservation in Yucatán, Mexico

Text and photos by Yolanda López-Maldonado . “This is the account of how all was in suspense, all calm, in silence; all motionless, still, and the expanse of the sky was empty. . . . There was nothing standing, only the calm water, the placid sea, alone and tranquil. Nothing existed.” — Popol Vuh . . It’s rainy season in

A Few Short Journeys along the Nature-Culture Continuum: Reflections on Community-Led Conservation

by Jessica Brown In late 2016, I made my first visit to the sacred forest that belongs to a village in the Togo mountain range of eastern Ghana, hiking up a small mountain to the forest accompanied by a dozen or so people from the community. The sun was beginning to set over the Volta

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