In recent decades, the ecological and environmental knowledge held by the Sri Lankan people has plummeted. Traditionally, local people had a vast knowledge about their surroundings and plant and animal species live in the area. Even today, in some areas, people, including adults, children, and women, can identify the most animal and plant species in their vicinity. This can vary across race, community, urban-rural, and economic facts.
While some country’s affluent individuals and experts have a greater interest and knowledge about plants and animals in their backyards, in general, impoverished people carry the most knowledge about biodiversity. Because these people live in remote rural areas where rich biodiversity exists and rely on nature as a livelihood, such as farmers, fishermen, and etc. We witness that most rural villagers, including kids, can identify hundreds of species in their surroundings. Whereas, ironically, a college student reading for an environment-related major or even a professor is unaware.
Indigenous and traditional knowledge passed from generation to generation has been the key to conserve environmental knowledge and learn biodiversity in Sri Lankan communities.
Biodiversity knowledge among urban diminished tremendously as their connection with nature is minimal in cities. Unfortunately, the loss of traditional knowledge among rural communities has recently been accelerated due to various socio-economical reasons.
First, we assist in conserving citizen science knowledge among rural communities through our citizen science projects. Second, we are attempting to bridge the rural-urban biodiversity knowledge gap through participatory programs. To protect woods, protect people who love and live in the woods.