Culture
Getting the Right End of the Stick: Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation in an Organizational ContextBackgroundThis chapter documents the process by which CARE Zambia institutionalized a learning approach to their internal management and a participatory model of monitoring and evaluation as well as the results of this transition, using a food security project as a case study. CARE Zambia used seven principles to turn themselves into a 'learning organization': 1) thrive on change, 2) facilitate learning from the surrounding environment, 3) facilitate learning from staff, 4) encourage experimentation, 5) communicate sucesses and failures, 6) reward learning, and 7) promote a sense of caring. Open access copy available |
Environmentality: Community, Intimate Government, and the Making of Environmental Subjects in Kumaon, IndiaBackgroundAgrawal writes about the relationship between government and subjectivity, particularly about the processes that create “environmental subjects” (people who care about the environment), using an example of changing interests in forest protection following the creation of community-forest management groups in Kumaon, India. Open access copy available |
Motivations for the Restoration of EcosystemsBackgroundThe underlying reasons to restore ecosystems are numerous yet they remain understated and unappreciated. Therefore, this article attempts to answer the question of why ecosystems are restored. The authors recognize and explore 5 rationales or motivations for restoration: technocratic, biotic, heuristic, idealistic and pragmatic Available with subscription or purchase |
Artisan Non-Timber Forest Products in Darien Province in Panama: The Importance of ContextBackgroundNon-timber forest products (NTFP) have been used for centuries to obtain useful materials. There has been a recent shift in the study of NTFP use, expanding from focusing on a single species or a single community to consider more variables, such as spatial, temporal and socio-political variables of NTFP harvest, use and management. This study aims to continue this trend by examining the use of NTFP by artisans of Wounaan and Emberâ households in Panama. Open access copy available |
Green pretexts: Ecotourism, neoliberal conservation and land grabbing in Tayrona National Natural Park, ColombiaBackgroundAvailable with subscription or purchase |
The ecology of peace: preparing Colombia for new political and planetary climatesBackgroundWritten in 2018, this article recognizes that Colombia is emerging from a decades long conflict and this newfound social peace will have ecological and environmental effects. The authors aim to examine how the current, stable state of Colombia along with the continuing changes in global climate may shape both the ecological character and biodiversity of the country. They do so by first reviewing the socio-political state of Colombia and then go on to identify challenges in research and policy and discuss management decisions in the country that may lead to beneficial outcomes. Open access copy available |
Native trees and shrubs for the productive rehabilitation of tropical cattle ranching landsBackgroundLatin America, much like the rest of the rest of the world, has experienced significant deforestation rates. In this region, the primary driver has been large-scale land conversion to unsustainable uses, like industrial cattle ranching and agriculture. This article recognizes the deep-rootedness of cattle in Latin American economies and cultures, yet stresses the need to shift the paradigm by adopting intensive silvopastoral systems (ISS) that utilize native species. Available with subscription or purchase |
A local perspective on drivers and measures to slow deforestation in the Andean-Amazonian foothills of ColombiaBackgroundThe Andean-Amazonian foothills in Colombia are highly valuable economically, ecologically, and socially, yet they continue to be under extreme threat of deforestation. This study aims to identify drivers and trends of this deforestation, using a unique methodological approach, seeking to compliment past monitoring studies with on-the-ground information. Open access copy available |
Foresters' beliefs about farmers: a priority for social science research in social forestryBackgroundThe author states that social science research is largely lacking throughout forestry, not due to its inadequacy but a failure to select relevant topics to be explore through social science research. The paper attempts to show that conducting social science research about foresters' belief is valid and necessary. Open access copy available |
Lacandon Maya Ecosystem Management: Sustainable Design for Subsistence and Environmental RestorationbackgroundThis study examines swidden agroforestry used by the Lacandon Maya, an indigenous group living in Chiapas, Mexico, linking soil ecology to previous studies on plant communities. Open access copy available |
