Developing an Ethnobiological Conservation Reserve

Instructor: Laura Shiels

Institution: University of Hawaii, Hilo

Department: Biology

This lesson is appropriate for use with: Conservation Biology (Biology 381 at the University of Hawaii, Hilo), Conservation Ethnobiology, or Advanced Ethnobiology. Can be adapted for use with Ecology Field Lab, introductory Environmental Studies, introductory Ethnobotany/Ethnobiology, Environmental Economics, and other courses at theuniversity or high school level for which biological conservation or human resource access is a relevant topic to cover.

Note: Teachers should develop and distribute a clear grading rubric to their students when assigning this project.

Student Instructions

Mission: As a group, you will create a plan for an ethnobiologically-focused nature conservation reserve, drawing upon background you have learned in this class [or attached readings].

Challenge: Maintain or improve ecosystem function and biodiversity of a natural area while allowing people to use multiple resources it contains and/or appeasing their desires to utilize those resources in another way. Base this on a real-world case study involving protected or unprotected “wilderness” somewhere in the world for which dispute over resource use exists. Make a strong case for why and how your plan satisfy concerns and goals of the multiple parties involved (government, local people, local/international conservation organizations, local/international businesses, etc).

· Deliverables: As a collaborating group, you will write a 5 to 10-page paper (single-spaced), develop a map, and deliver a presentation to describe the conservation plan you have developed.

· Research examples of natural areas which contain multiple resources that people would like to use or extract (e.g. timber, non-timber forest products, water, minerals, wild game, fossil fuels, tourist revenue, recreation). The area may be but is not limited to one we have covered in class, and may or may not have current legal conservation protection.

In your paper:

· Formal headings to include: Introduction, Body, Conclusion, Literature Cited (follow the format of the journal Conservation Biology), Appendix (include maps and any other figures)

· Cite all of your sources of information, using primary literature and multi-media as appropriate.

· Provide background information about the site.

-Describe where the site is located; who lives there (if anyone) and relevant details about their culture, history, and lifestyle; what resources it contains; what Biome it belongs to and what vegetation type(s) it contains; interesting history involving the land/region and people who live in the area; etc.

-Explain what conservation protection the land currently has and if or when this status has ever changed and why, to the best of your ability to find that information.

-Draw a map of the area showing its current legal boundaries where certain activities are allowed.

· Describe your management recommendation. Be creative and consider the implications of future weather patterns, political situations, technologies, research designs you could integrate for dynamic long term management, etc. Draw a new map suggesting an improved strategy for resource management. Refer to this map as you explain with text how the reserve should be managed and by which entitie(s). Explain why you believe this/these entitie(s) should manage the reserve. Explain the philosophical basis of your plan, citing the historical figures, authors, and movements which have influenced your approach.

· Create a 10-15 minute powerpoint presentation to explain your reserve approach to the class. All group members should participate in the presentation, and you should include multi-media in your talk (e.g. movie clips, photos and maps, interview video clips, etc.)

· Each member of the group will confidentially evaluate the contribution and performance of the other members of the group. Each student will also submit a critique and suggested grade for each of the other groups after hearing the oral presentations.

Resources:

The textbook I use for this class is: Primack, R.B. 2015. Essentials of Conservation Biology (Sixth Edition). Sinauer Associates, Inc., Publishers, Sunderland Massachusetts. 601 pages. ISBN: 978-0-87893-640-3.