General Biocultural Conservation

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General Biocultural Conservation

• I. Social involvement on the part of scientists.
• II. Interdisciplinary Research.
• III. Working on local, regional and global
  levels.
• IV. Implementing international agreements on
  biodiversity and environmental protection.

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Addressing the Challenge

• Omura Ethnobotanical Park, a long term
  biocultural conservation at Cape Horn on the
  southern tip of South America.

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Omura Provides Three Main Conservation Actions

• Interdisciplinary Scientific Research.
• Informal and formal education
• Biocultural conservation linked to local
  sustainable developement

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Ten Criteria for Biocultural Conservation

• I. Inter-Institutional Cooperation
• Land Tenure.
• Park Functions.

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II. Particapatory Approach

• Develop a trusted rapport with the indigenous
  people of the Yahgan Community.
• Work fight the discrimination against Yahgans in
  schools.
• Help them spread their culture from elders to
  chilrden, scientists, culturists, artists, etc.
  (Helped in salvaging a dying language).
• Close social contact and intensive culture
  reletions are stressed as a priority.

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III. Interdisciplinary Biocultural Approach

• Goal of this is to connect humanities with
  sciences.
• Classes over mosses and other various subjects
  were started to raise awareness about certain
  ignored aspects of that area.
• Ecotourism is a major tool used to show people
  first hand.

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IV. Networking and International Cooperation

• Omura needs to work internationally to get the
  best possible scientists.
• Omura goes international because environmental
  problems are not just local or regional.
• Omura Works with the CONAMA (The National
  Environmental Commission).

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V. Communication Through The Media

• What is not communicated does not exist was the
  maxim of Governor of the Chilean Antarctic
  Province.
• Raise public interest through documentaries,
  nature television series, radio programs,
  articles in the newspaper, and even fashion
  magazines!

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VI. Flagship Species

• Green backed firecrown hummingbird
• Showed a lack of cultural bias to a social group.
• It is a very unique specimen from the most
  diverse family of American bird species.
• In Yahgan Culture it is known as a bird and a
  little person/spirit that maintains ecological
  order.

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VII. Outdoor Education

• They emphasize Direct encounters with nature.
• It allows people to better ponder about nature
  than a computer or mathematical model could.
• They want people to feel a sense of involvement.

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VIII. Economic Sustainability

• Ecotourism provides an opportunity for both the
  parks cause and for Chile to benefit.

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IX. Administrative Sustainability

• Close links with University of Magallanes and
  other institutions.
• Looks at relationships and collaborates with
  Chilean government organizations.

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X. Research and Conceptual Sustainability for
Conservation

• In order to make an honest conservation effort,
  things must be researched and explored
  constantly.
• Constant Research helps create a coexistence with
  biocultural diversity.