Maps from the Forest: Investigating Ethnobiological and Ethnogeographical Knowledge through Participatory Mapping

This talk will discuss in detail a community-based participatory mapping project that was carried out in collaboration with the Maijuna of the Peruvian Amazon.  This project will be used as a case study to explore the role that participatory mapping can play in investigating ethnobiological and ethnogeographical knowledge.  Participatory mapping can provide a wide, rich, and diverse range of data ultimately shedding light on how indigenous and local communities use, perceive, and interact with their environment and resources.  Additionally, this talk will also explore the use of participatory mapping in biocultural conservation and community empowerment to further delve into the true power of this methodology.