“Folklore” As a Tool for Environmental Conservation and Traditional Ecological Knowledge

Abstract

A living repository of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), folklore captures valuable practices for sustainability, biodiversity conservation, and harmony between people and nature. Grounded in oral traditions, narratives, myths, rituals, and proverbs demonstrate generations’ worth of observations and relations with their surroundings. Folklore through a cultural lens which advocates for environmental conservatism especially in indigenous and rural settings. The knowledge encoded in story becomes generations of resource management methods, knowledge of seasonal patterns, animal behaviour, etc, passed from community to community. But sacred groves, frequently rooted in oral tradition, safeguard centres of biodiversity as they instil reverence for nature. Harvest practices have associated rituals and taboos which dissuade over-exploitation and promote sustainability. The research emphasizes the importance of incorporating TEK into current environmental practices, acting as a bridge between traditional ecological knowledge and modern scientific knowledge. Through the re-envisioning of folklore, conservation efforts can be given cultural legitimacy, leading to greater community participation and resilience. This expedition method emphasizes the importance of preservation of intangible cultural heritage as a catalyst for preservation of natural ecosystems when addressing issues of climate change and biodiversity loss. Folklore, therefore, appears not just as a means of handing down stories but rather as a powerful tool of environmental consciousness and activism, showcasing the link between culture and its preservation and that of the environment.