| The results of community-based conservation are mixed and varied even though it has been advocated by scholars and promoted by international agencies for achieving human well-being and biodiversity conservation. This study explores the interrelationships among community-based conservation, local knowledge and environmental education. The experiences of two community-based conservation initiatives, local knowledge and environmental education are examined using a neo-populist conservation-development paradigm. Case study research was supplemented by a review of literature from three fields: (a) community-based conservation; (b) traditional ecological knowledge as a subset of local knowledge and its transmission; and (c) environmental education with a focus on local resources conservation and sustainable development. Using a mixed-model research design, two villages (one each from the two initiatives), Amboli and Baripada from Maharashtra State of India were chosen for the field work. Data were collected and analyzed through a mix of qualitative (informal and semi-structured interviews, focus groups, interactive forest walks) and quantitative (a teacher-made rating scale to give ranking for the skills) methods. Local workshops were organized to seek participants' inputs in design, verification of interim findings and final sharing.;Though both initiatives emerged in different social-ecological contexts and used diverse strategies of self-organization and partnerships, they achieved human well-being (e.g. empowerment of local healers and women, improved agricultural production) and local biodiversity conservation goals. The most common and critical ingredient of these initiatives was the use of traditional medicinal plant knowledge (a type of traditional ecological knowledge) and the contributions of its holders.;One of the major concerns expressed by the communities is the erosion of traditional medicinal plant knowledge caused by poor transmission and declining importance placed on crucial skills by the young learners. The research demonstrated that transmission and sharing of local knowledge can improve community-based conservation. Innovative approaches such as biodiversity and recipe contests used in the study facilitated such sharing in village schools and reinforced the importance of traditional medicinal plant knowledge and its holders in enhancing community-based conservation. The research indicates that community-based traditional medicinal knowledge needs continuous experimentation, strengthening and synergizing with formal environmental education to sustain and improve community-based conservation. |
