Land-Based Knowledge
Weaving scientific and local knowledge into a more holistic understanding of ecosystem health and connectivity
Your Stories
We have much to learn from each other by weaving together Western Scientific knowledge with the lived experiences of those who have spent time on the land and who understand the ecological and cultural nuances of a particular place.
Top-down scientific models offer a framework for ‘spatial thinking’ to better understand the causal relationships between landscape changes and evolving patterns of ecosystem health and connectivity. Place-based knowledge reflects the lived experiences of local community members. It provides a more detailed understanding of how and why conditions have changed over time, as well as the factors responsible for observed patterns of habitat use and wildlife movement.
EcoScapes supports the weaving together of these different ways of knowing by providing capabilities for community mapping, citizen science and storytelling. Whether you are a local knowledge holder, a naturalist or a thoughtful observer, we invite you to share what you know and what your connection to these lands means to you.
The EcoScapes Community Mapping module focuses on situational land-based knowledge contributed by community members who are willing to share what they have learned about wildlife habitats and the movement pathways of representative focal species in our region. This might include knowledge of how habitat conditions and movement patterns have changed over time, or insights about animal behaviours that are not reflected in existing maps of wildlife corridors for our region. By contributing to this map, you are helping to create a more holistic understanding of ecological connectivity to help guide ongoing stewardship of our lands.
Community science is about everyday people acting as sensors on the land to help improve our understanding of biodiversity and ecological connectivity. By recording observations and documenting the plants and animals they see while hiking or walking, they turn recreation into a collaborative data-collection process. It transforms a single scientist’s limited view into thousands of eyes watching the land at once.
Place-based visual storytelling utilizes the ubiquity of platforms like Instagram and Facebook to transform passive outdoor recreation into active digital placemaking. The process is accessible and immediate: a resident captures a moment of connection—a sunrise over a wetland, a family harvesting berries, or a bear track in the mud—and anchors it to a specific location via geotags. The potential of this medium lies in its ability to capture how a landscape feels and how it is culturally valued. By contributing your stories, we learn to see the land and our connections to it through diverse perspectives. We come to understand this place as a living system and our role as stewards of the land.
Resources
Niall Bell
Niall Bell MSc MAPM Bio Niall is a passionate environmentalist and wildlife photographer from Yorkshire,…
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Connections
Niall Bell
Niall Bell MSc MAPM Bio Niall is a passionate environmentalist and wildlife photographer from Yorkshire,…