Local Ecological Knowledge

Between 2012–2019 we we collected local ecological knowledge of birds, their habitats, and their anthropogenic values from more than 100 residents of—and visitors to—the Grenadines. LEK was collected both in person and remotely. Our goal was to document the unwritten knowledge and folklore embedded throughout Grenadines’ culture, to preserve this information for future generations. 

This project revealed the overall importance of birds to residents of and visitors to the Grenadines. For example, fisherfolk in the region rely on seabirds to find fish, understand weather patterns and to navigate. Birds are also featured heavily in folklore, such as in storytelling, superstition and figures of speech. In art, they are represented throughout the archipelago in murals and crafts, and even Carnival costumes, while their feathers are additionally used for aesthetic purposes. Birds, like in many cultures, also have prominence in spirituality and recreational activities. They are also represented in the archaeological record of the Grenadines, illustrating their importance to Amerindian inhabitants prior to the modern era. The results of this work are featured in a chapter in the Birds of the Transboundary Grenadines book and was presented at BirdsCaribbean conferences in 2015 and 2019. 

Funding for the LEK and cultural knowledge collection was made possible through an online crowd-sourcing campaign on IndieGoGo, in which 75 persons graciously contributed funds. We are thankful to all who supported us in this project!