They may work on opposite sides of the world, but Cornell doctoral candidates Morgan Ruelle and Michelle Baumflek have both learned that indigenous knowledge is key to preserving cultural and natural resources.
Ruelle (pictured above, far left, with natural resources professor Karim-Aly Kassam, far right) is working with indigenous communities in the Semien Mountains of northern Ethiopia as they swap out many traditional crops, including barley and wheat, for introduced species such as eucalyptus.The area has a unique landscape, with several “micro niches,” which means species can vary from valley to valley. Therefore, a single change that affects plant diversity can have multiple impacts to the ecology, culture and economics of the region, Ruelle reports in this Chronicle story.
Baumflek is working a bit closer to home. She has formed close ties with two Native American tribes in northern Maine – the Houlton Band of Maliseets and Aroostook Band of Micmacs –while cataloging some of the 120 wild plant and fungus species gathered in the St. John River watershed for a USDA report and online resource. Baumflek found that nontimber forest products make substantial contributions to the economic viability and cultural vitality of the state. “Plants are also important spiritually and are indicators of environmental health – they are all interconnected,” she reported in this Chronicle story.
