Catch them young: Children as bearers of indigenous ecological knowledge for biodiversity conservation in Ghana
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6522108Keywords:
biodiversity conservation, Indigenous ecological knowledge, early childhood education, children biodiversity projects, Children, GhanaAbstract
Biodiversity pivots life and it's crucial for global sustainable development. Global communities have rich indigenous knowledge systems for biodiversity conservation which are often identified with the older members of the society. Involving children in biodiversity projects is very helpful in 'catching them young' in engaging and campaigning for friendly, sound, and sustainable environmental practices. Unfortunately, efforts have not been dispensed much in instructing and/or involving children in educational projects on indigenous knowledge systems related to biodiversity conservation in Ghana due to the domination of Western knowledge systems. This conceptual paper discusses the possibility of decolonizing the Early Childhood Education curriculum by instructing children, who are the future leaders, to be knowledgeable in the indigenous knowledge systems for biodiversity conservation by picking lessons from similar practices in various countries around the globe. This would incite children in Ghana to engage in helpful biodiversity projects by tapping into the wealth of insight into indigenous ecological knowledge to engage in helpful biodiversity projects. This would charge them in joining forces with the older members of the society in repudiating all negative practices that often result in biodiversity degradation in Ghana.
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