Community-based Conservation

Presentations

Abstract
13:40	Creating Cultural Keystone Places: Microforests in Urban Communities First Author: Shebitz , Daniela Presentation Format:  Oral (virtual) Author(s): Shebitz , Daniela - Kean University Wolverton , Steve - University of North Texas Dombrosky , Jonathan - Crow Canyon Evangelista , John - Groundwork Elizabeth There is often a disconnect between residents and the natural environment in urban communities. While microforests are increasingly introduced in cities to mitigate environmental challenges such as flooding, air pollution, heat island effects, and biodiversity loss, their social and emotional impacts may be equally significant yet less understood. We present a study conducted in Elizabeth, New Jersey examining four microforests planted over the past four years by the nonprofit organization Groundwork Elizabeth. These sites have already begun to reshape community relationships with local green space. We surveyed three stakeholder groups: (1) residents of housing authority buildings where microforests have been planted; (2) City of Elizabeth employees and local elected officials; and (3) Groundwork Elizabeth staff members involved in planting and maintaining the sites. The survey measures perceived changes in environmental connection, recognition of the importance of urban green space, and emotional well-being.
14:00	Our Memory is Seed: Integrating Bio-Cultural Knowledge and Ethnobotanical Approaches for Invasive Species Management in the Galápagos Islands First Author: Salvador Lucero , Noemi (Mimi) Presentation Format:  Oral (virtual) Author(s): Salvador Lucero , Noemi (Mimi) - Inside The Husk Consulting This investigation proposes a bio-cultural framework for conservation on San Cristóbal Island, Galápagos, recognizing the archipelago as both a site of exceptional ecological isolation and a deeply relational interspecies landscape. Using a trilingual study design in Runa Shimi (Kichwa), Spanish, and English, we trace the motives behind plant introductions to design preventative approaches that respect how plural identities, centered on Indigenous communities, sustain culture during relocation. The study examines how these identities translate essential plants and vegetative understandings into new geographies, which often conflict with hyper-reactive ecosystems. By synthesizing Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) with institutional governance, the framework mandates that conservation recognize plants as both ecological components and sentient cultural beings. This model bridges institutional regulations with community imperatives, affirming that research guided by linguistic reciprocity and relational accountability is the non-negotiable foundation for restoring sensitive island ecosystems while honoring their unique natural history.
14:20	Encapsulating the Many Definitions of Forest Health and Resilience: Reflections on the Collaborative Development of the Western Washington Forest Health Strategic Plan First Author: Blazina , Ashley Presentation Format:  Oral (in-person) Author(s): Blazina , Ashley - Washington Dept. of Natural Resources Western Washington is a diverse landscape: the lands in Washington state west of the Cascade Mountain Range includes nine major interconnected ecoregions, as well as 2/3 of the state's population -- all within 1/3 of the state's land mass. Within this western Washington population are 24 of the reservations (and concentrated populations) of the state's 29 federally recognized Tribal nations, as well as a growing diversity of residents -- approximately 1/5 of the western Washington households speak a language other than English at home. The recent development of the Western Washington Forest Health Strategic Plan was a collaborative process that worked to encapsulate the many definitions, goals, wants, needs, and rights that Western Washington forests have for our residents. This presentation will share the results of this process and its outcomes, as well as reflect on the lessons learned and our continued collective work in this effort.
14:40	Decentering Colonial Land Ethics: Approaching Biodiversity Conservation through Kinship in Michi Saagiig Territory* First Author: MacNaughton , Kay Presentation Format:  Oral (virtual) Author(s): MacNaughton , Kay - Trent University Promoting local biodiversity is vital to confronting the climate crisis. Globally, invasive species are identified as a major threat to biodiversity, but how does this inform local conservation? Plants are foundational to ecosystem function and cultural identity, making invasive plants a critical site for examining how Western science and Indigenous Knowledge can work together to challenge extractive colonial land management regimes. Michi Saagiig Aki refers to the lands and waters of the Michi Saagiig Anishinaabeg located within the Great Lakes Basin. A region with high concentrations of invasive plants, which displace culturally significant plants, like manoomin. As a non-Indigenous researcher born and raised in this territory, I employ kinship as a methodological framework though a decolonial lens, engaging in conversations and ceremonies with plants and people. Findings reveal that effective biodiversity conservation requires reciprocal ethics and partnerships between knowledge systems, recognizing invasive plants as participants in disrupted ecosystems rather than adversaries.
15:20	Reconsidering Cantonese Fish Nomenclature First Author: Anderson , Eugene Presentation Format:  Oral (in-person) Author(s): Anderson , Eugene - University of California, RIverside In 1965-66 and again in 1974-75, I lived with Cantonese fishing people at Castle Peak Bay, Hong Kong. The bay is now filled in, the fishery is destroyed by overfishing and pollution, and the boat-dwelling lifeway of the fishers is barely a memory. I recorded several hundred names for oceanic life forms, at all levels and of all types. I recorded uses and local knowledge. I link it here to needs for conservation of fish and of local knowledge, in light of the losses.
15:40	A Collaborative Literature Review: Working with Cultural Consultants from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians to Inform Accurate Representation of Cherokees Relationship with the American Chestnut First Author: Vanderleuvenson , Jaime Presentation Format:  Oral (in-person) Author(s): Vanderleuvenson , Jaime - Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education Baumflek , Michelle - USDA Forest Service The American chestnut is a culturally significant species to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) as documented in timeless cultural stories, and public and archival literature dating back to 1775. However, the literature is often written from a settler colonial perspective. We report on our investigative research into past, present, and future relationships between Cherokee People and chestnut as represented in the literature with cultural interpretation of the results. We analyzed 96 publications which were narrowed down to 45 during three weeks (36 hours) of cultural interpretation with five EBCI cultural consultants. The results determine which publications portrayed accurate, inaccurate, or culturally sensitive information from an EBCI perspective. This project informs the EBCI Natural Resources Department’s chestnut restoration methods, which could include genetically engineered chestnut trees or Indigenous Fire Stewardship. We share what we learned through this process to inform future methods of conducting literature reviews with Indigenous communities.