Environmental education as a tool in the sustainable management of vicuña in the Altiplano of South America

Abstract

Conservation biology and wildlife management are based on practical experience as well as the application of scientific knowledge of behaviour and ecology (Gibbs et al., 1998); as such science must be integrated with contributions from nonbiologists, especially local people, who need information and training to build their capacities for action. With this in mind, when developing the Manejo Sostenible de Camlidos Silvestres (MACS) project, environmental education (EE) was included as the "glue" to paste the scientific research into the Andean communities, in an attempt to change the Andean people from receivers of information and research findings to actors in the process, mapping out their own future in the sustainable use of wild camelids. Environmental issues are complex, and the issues addressed by the MACS project have been no exception. These are: a) the situations involved are risky and uncertain b) several ethical values are in dispute; c) the product involved is valuable, d) decisions are urgently required; e) research is not only based on curiosity but is also issue-driven; and f) there is a possibility of uncontrolled or runaway consequences of intervention (Funtowicz and Ravetz, 1993; Fontowicz et al., 1998). Management of wild and vulnerable species, including actors from the natural and socio-cultural worlds, needs what Fourez (1997) called "an interdisciplinary island of rationality", meaning a simple interdisciplinary model with knowledge coming from both scientists and the members of the communities. The MACS project, which simultaneously looked at the ecology of vicuña, the fibre market, Andean culture, biodiversity, equity, household economy and welfare of vicuña, employed environmental education to ensure that the results of the research did not lose their importance to the Andean communities. EE also helped to create a link between the vicuña and Andean teachers and children who now recognise not only the potential of the species for sustainable use but its impact as a grazer in the ecosystem, its conservation history, its importance in terms of the indigenous vision of the environment as well as subjective appreciation of the beauty and elegance of these animals. Thus, the vicuña was used as a flagship species for promoting attitudes and values towards the local environment in the Puna ecosystem.