From Lab to Life: How Indigenous Knowledge Informs Science Today

Stat: 150%-300%: Beaches maintained with Indigenous management techniques experience 150% to 300% more clam production than beaches without.

Story: Conserving the environment sometimes requires people to actively manage a natural place and Indigenous communities across North America have shown the way for centuries. In this episode, Marco Hatch, associate professor of environmental science at Western Washington University and member of the Samish Indian Nation, discusses Indigenous stewardship practices, such as clam gardens on beaches, and how they inform conservation efforts today.

Related Resources:

• Marco Hatch, 2023 Pew Marine Fellow
• Merging Ocean Science and Community-Driven Environmental Restoration
• How Indigenous Sea Gardens Produced Massive Amounts of Food for Millennia
• Clam Garden Network