Louise Fortmann 
Participatory Research in Conservation and Rural Livelihoods 
Doing Science Together

Participatory Research in Conservation and Rural Livelihoods: Doing Science Together starts from the understanding that all people create knowledge and that the creation of sustainable livelihoods and of conditions that protect and sustain rural ecosystems are interrelated.

Here local experts and professional researchers write independently about the participatory research processes through which they created new knowledge together. They demonstrate that interdependent science can produce more accurate and locally appropriate data, while frankly addressing persisting issues such as unequal power, whose knowledge and what ways of knowing count, whose voice can be heard or appear in print, and other dilemmas of this practice. Conservation scientists and practitioners will both benefit from reading this book.

* First book to examine community participatory research techniques that focuses on conservation aims

* Unique book in that it is written from the perspective of participating community volunteers and researching scientists

* Part of the prestigious Conservation Science and Practice series published in association with the Zoological Society of London

‘Participatory Research in Conservation and Rural Livelihoods is brilliant, passionate, and inspiring…’
–Richa Nagar, University of Minnesota, co-author of Playing with Fire

Table of Content

Contributors.

Foreword: Marshall W. Murphree.

Acknowledgements.

Acronyms and abbreviations.

Non-English words.

Introduction: doing science together: Louise Fortmann.

1. How participatory research convinced a sceptic: Robin
Buruchara.

2. Sharing in innovation: reflections on a partnership to
improve livelihoods and resource conservation in the Honduran
hillsides: Sally Humphries, José Jiménez, Fredy Sierra
and Omar Gallardo.

3. Campesinos cientificios: farmer philosophies on participatory
research: members of the Association of CIALs of Honduras: Dionisia
Corea, Ana Rosa Estrada, Reinaldo Funez, Isidora García,
Claros Gómez, Maria Guada, Bonifacio Gutiérrez,
Ángel Hernández, José Amado Hernández, Melvin
Hernández, Nora Hernández, Wilmer Hernández,
Cayetana Herrera, Gavina Herrera, José Santos Herrera, Juan
Pedro Herrera, Toribia Herrera, Marco López, Diógenes
Matute, Hilda Mencía, Rosalío Mencía, Luís
Alonso Meza, Manuel Meza, Enrique Murillo, Heladia Murillo, Amalia
Núñez, Ubaldo Olvera, Andrea Orellana, Damiana Pérez
and Simeona Pérez with Lauren Classen.

4. Retracing the trail to wisdom: doing science together in
Cibecue L Jonathan W. Long.

5. The land has wisdom: Benrita ‘Mae’ Burnette and
Judy De Hose.

6. What makes a scientist? studying the impacts of harvest in
the Pacific Northwest: Heidi L. Ballard.

7. ‘She fell out of the sky’: salal
harvesters’ reflections on participatory research: Don
Collins, Juan Cruz, Bob Smith and members of the Northwest Research
and Harvester Association.

8. ‘Research sounds so big …’: collaborative
inquiry with women in Drevdagen, Sweden: Seema Arora-Jonsson.

9. För oss är naturen en lisa för själen
(where peace comes dropping slow): the forests and nature for us:
Åsa Bergelin, Margareta Emretsson, Anne Lundgren Halvarsson,
Ewa Halvarsson and Anna Ryen.

10. From participation to partnership: devolution, forest
communities and CIFOR in Malinau, Indonesia: Eva Wollenberg, Ramses
Iwan, Goodwin Limberg, Moira Moeliono, Made Sudana, Asung Uluk,
Njau Anau and Miriam van Heist.

11. Malinau villagers’ relationship with CIFOR: high
hopes, unmet expectations and trusted confidante: Ramses Iwan and
Steve Rhee.

12. Rediscovering participation: reflections on the Mhondoro
Tree Project: Nontokozo Nemarundwe and Louise Fortmann.

13. Unofanira Kuzvininipisa (you have to be humble): Gift
Chidari, Francisca Chirambaguwa, Patricia Matsvimbo and Wisdom
Muza.

14. New seeds, new selves, new societies: rural women’s
reflections on participatory research in plant breeding: Elicelda
Guardado Martinez, Lastenia Mendez and Leonarda Ramos Mejia with
Jennifer Casolo.

15. Conclusions: Seema Arora-Jonsson, Heidi L. Ballard, Robin
Buruchara, Jennifer Casolo, Lauren Classen, Judy De Hose, Margareta
Emretsson, Louise Fortmann, Anne Lundgren Halvarsson, Ewa
Halvarsson, Sally Humphries, Jonathan W. Long, Marshall W.
Murphree, Nontokozo Nemarundwe, Anne Olssen, Steve Rhee, Anna Ryen,
Carl Wilmsen and Eva Wollenberg.

Appendix A Publications from the participatory research
projects.

Index

About the author

Louise Fortmann is a Professor of Natural Resource Sociology and holds the Rudy Grah Chair in Forestry and Sustainable Development in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management at the University of California at Berkeley.