Traditional wisdom as a starting point for conservation: A review

Abstract Traditional wisdom was established on familiarity and concern for the homeland, where people are very dependent on their local resources and they developed management values based on their cultural beliefs. Traditional wisdom and its application can be useful for ecological management plans, especially conservation programs. The application of traditional wisdom as a starting point for conservation is based on: (1) Community institutional system (2) Community collective knowledge (3) Community relationship with their environment. Traditional wisdom is part of the basic theoretical framework in strengthening research designs with specific local knowledge, including environmental relationships that occur in the area. When conservationists recognize usefulness of traditional wisdom, they can engage in knowledge exchange and foster sharing of responsibilities with indigenous peoples. This type of exchange can also provide opportunities for indigenous peoples to develop scientific infrastructure.