Science and Community Knowledge for Territorially Based Conservation.

In August, we participated in the 5th Chilean Colloquium on Socioecology and Ethnoecology, “Pluriverses and Values of Nature: Building Pathways Toward Alternative Futures,” organized by the Chilean Society of Socioecology and Ethnoecology (SOSOET), held at the O’Higgins University, Colchagua campus, in San Fernando. We organized the dialogue panel Community Learnings to Diversify Socioecological Practices together with environmental managers and researchers leading community-based initiatives across different territories –the highlands, the central coast, and the Patagonian steppe– with the purpose of exchanging experiences that intertwine memory, local knowledge, and community.

During this session, three projects from our 2024 version of FMA’s Competitive Fund were presented: from Arica and Parinacota, Claudia del Fierro, from Colectivo Cequia, presented the documentary Champeales, which highlights the Aymara management of highland wetlands (bofedales) and their value for hydrobiological conservation. In Maule, Ester Rivera Kalkin and Elizabeth Vicencio-Conhuenao shared the project Identity Recognition of Indigenous Heritage Sites (SRPI), which created a heritage site route addressing both cultural and environmental dimensions to assess their conservation status. And from Patagonia, José Cruz together with Claudia Scognamillo, from Fundación Naturaleza Pública, presented the creation of the first ethnobotanical garden in Cochrane, linking health, biodiversity, and territorial knowledge.

The dialogue, moderated by Tomás Altamirano, FMA’s Conservation Director, sought to reflect on the integration of local and scientific knowledge to diversify socioecological practices. Experiences were shared on interculturality, revitalization of collective memory, and territorial governance strategies aimed at strengthening collaboration networks among local, national, and international actors.

“It is very important for us to join SOSOET’s annual colloquia, a pioneer in addressing socio-environmental and biocultural challenges in Chile. Through collaboration, we seek to generate dialogue and actions of care for the wellbeing of both people and nature, with the firm conviction that they are one and the same,” said Altamirano.

Interculturality, Science, and Conservation

Situated research in dialogue with communities was one of the main focuses of the SRPI project, which developed a guide to indigenous heritage sites by gathering information on biodiversity, history, hydrology, and cultural practices to assess conservation status and design future strategies. During the presentation, Ester Rivera Kalkin emphasized the importance of conducting research with territorial relevance, adapting intercultural study protocols to the context of each community.

As she explained: “Interculturality is not the same throughout Chile: each people has its own dynamics and identities. As researchers, we must recognize that indigenous communities have been observing and understanding their environment for generations; therefore, they are the ones best prepared to guide these processes. Our role is to provide tools that strengthen that knowledge.”

Between Seeds and Knowledge: A Garden to Heal

In Cochrane, Aysén region, a collaborative process between communities, institutions, and organizations gave life to the first ethnobotanical garden at the local hospital— a space that invites people to reconnect with native flora, highlighting its therapeutic and biocultural value.

The project arose from the need to recover knowledge about the flora of the Patagonian steppe —a unique ecosystem with less than 2% represented within protected areas— and was consolidated through working groups with key territorial actors, such as the Association of Indigenous Organizations, the Union of Senior Citizens’ Clubs, and the National Forestry Corporation (CONAF).

“One of Cochrane’s strengths is that, being a small town, there are close relationships among its inhabitants. That closeness made it possible for the project to be built with everyone’s support,” explained José Cruz. “The hospital and its director played a key role: they not only supported the initiative, they also took an active part. Doctors and staff have collaborated in many ways to make this space visible and available for the community,” added Claudia Scognamillo.

Making Past Technologies Visible for Present-Day Conservation

In the highlands, visual artist Claudia del Fierro, filmmaker Patricia Albornoz, and archaeologist Magdalena García created a documentary that recovers over 2,000 years of Aymara tradition and technology surrounding the management of bofedales—high Andean wetlands known locally as champeales.

The project, launched in 2021, documented knowledge and practices in water and soil management that allow wetlands to expand, strengthening forage availability for both domestic animals and wildlife.

During the discussion, Claudia del Fierro explained that the process was profoundly participatory, integrating archaeological memory with testimonies from community members who still practice these activities, and from families who migrated to cities but preserved memories of them. “Our aim was to show how these ancient technologies can open possibilities for conservation in the future. We are not trying to create nostalgia, but rather to make visible practices that remain alive, so that future generations can maintain them,” she said.

From the Andean champeales to the Patagonian steppe, passing through the biocultural memory of Maule, these three experiences demonstrate how the articulation of communities, researchers, local knowledge, and science can broaden understanding and open new opportunities for collaboration and learning in the protection of nature.