Indigenous peoples and local communities are the primary stewards of many of the world's most biodiverse territories. Their relationships with land, water, and living systems — grounded in cultural, ecological, and spiritual knowledge — are the foundation of biocultural conservation.

This platform brings together knowledge emerging from conservation practice, collaborative research, and long-term partnerships with Indigenous peoples and local communities. It documents experiences, strategies, and lessons from the field while advancing a shared understanding of how biocultural conservation can be strengthened across different contexts.

Conceptual Framework

Shared foundations linking Practice and Academic Contribution. Explore →
Buen Vivir
Vision of well-being and harmony
Biocultural Interdependence
Nature and culture co-evolve
Indigenous Agency
Communities as protagonists

Practice

Experiences, strategies, and lessons from the field

Biocultural conservation is grounded in the practices of Indigenous peoples and local communities — in territory, culture, and collective governance.

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Connected through
Community of Practice
Co-research · Shared learning

Academic Contribution

On tap, not on top

Academic work contributes when it is grounded in partnership and shaped by diverse knowledge systems.

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Territory
Where vision is lived, interdependence enacted, and agency exercised

This platform is organized around two complementary perspectives: Conservation in Practice, grounded in the experience of Indigenous peoples, local communities, and their partners; and Academic Contribution, which reflects on how universities and researchers can support this work on terms defined by communities themselves. These are connected through a shared conceptual framework that brings together foundational principles, relationships, and pathways for action.

Current opportunities & events

Seminar · April 15
X7ensq't: "The sky and the land will turn on you"

Dr. Marianne Ignace (Secwepemc Nation, Simon Fraser University) on traditional knowledge about human and multispecies conduct on the land, and what it means for the future of Indigenous languages, knowledges, and restoration.

Details and registration →
Opportunity · June 2026
IPBES Second Global Assessment: Call for Public Comment

The first IPBES Global Assessment to include a chapter on Indigenous and local knowledge. Gabriel Nemogá invites the network to contribute biocultural perspectives to the public review of the draft assessment.

Learn more →
Seminar · ISR-BCIP Series
Biocultural Restoration of Social-Ecological Systems in Hawaiʻi

Prof. Kawika Winter (Heʻeia National Estuarine Research Reserve, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa) on large-scale biocultural restoration, the revival of traditional resource management, and bridging academia, conservation, and policy.

Details and registration →