New article in Science argues that ancient ecosystems and multispecies expertise could lead to a new, integrated conservation science in the Amazon and beyond. 

To safeguard the Amazon and avoid planetary environmental catastrophe, Western science must engage Indigenous knowledge, combining science–based conservation approaches with the restoration and biocultural diversity practices of Indigenous peoples. So argue the authors of “Indigenizing Conservation Science for a Sustainable Amazon,” published December 12th in the journal Science.

The article is the outcome of an unprecedent dialogue between Indigenous Amazonian scientists of the Tuyuka, Tukano, Bará, Baniwa, and Sateré-Mawé peoples and non-Indigenous scientists, made possible by support from Princeton University. Led by Principal Investigators João Biehl, Agustin Fuentes, and Marina Hirota, it is the fruit of two years of work, sponsored by the Princeton University Office of the Dean of Research and the High Meadows Environmental Institute, in collaboration with initiatives by the Brazilian Serrapilheira Institute and the Federal University of Santa Catarina.