Virtual Beyond Travel Program: Indigenous Ecology

In this module, students will get an introduction to Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), the evolving knowledge acquired by indigenous peoples over thousands of years in direct contact with their environment. Students will start by assessing their existing awareness of the present-day and pre-colonial ecology of their hometown, and then conduct independent research to fill the gaps in their knowledge.

Outdoor fieldwork identifying plant and animal life in our neighborhoods will complement an ecosystem mapping project, which will serve to ground students in their natural environment and spark curiosity about the past and future of their local ecosystems. Students who participate in this session will discover how they can draw on TEK today to become more engaged with nature and better equipped to protect it.