Ethnobiology

Ethnobiology studies the relationships between people and the natural world — how indigenous and local communities understand, use, manage and conserve biodiversity through generations of accumulated knowledge and lived experience. Conserving biodiversity is inseparable from conserving the knowledge and cultures of the people who have protected these landscapes.

The Western Ghats is home to numerous indigenous communities whose lives are deeply intertwined with its forests. The Cholanaikkan, Kattunaikka, Kurichiya, Kuruma, Paniya, Adiya, Muthuvan, Kadar, Malasar, Irula and other communities hold a profound understanding of native plants, wildlife, seasonal cycles, traditional medicine, sustainable harvesting and ecosystem management.

This division documents and promotes traditional ecological knowledge while respecting the rights, cultural identity and intellectual heritage of indigenous peoples. We work collaboratively with tribal communities, researchers and institutions on ethnobotanical documentation, traditional resource management, indigenous food systems and cultural relationships with biodiversity.

Our approach rests on ethical collaboration and community participation. We recognise indigenous communities not as beneficiaries of conservation but as equal partners, knowledge holders and long-standing custodians of tropical ecosystems.