Culture in Conservation

For centuries, African societies have used knowledge of their local environments to sustain themselves and to maintain their cultural identity. Only recently has this knowledge been recognized by the western scientific community as a valuable source of environmental and social information. Today, large quantities of information exist which demonstrate the existence of effective indigenous strategies for ensuring sustainable use of resources. The application of indigenous knowledge and strategies ensures the survival of traditional societies and promotes environmental conservation in East Africa.

African Art had its foundation on the flora and fauna of the particular area, depending on the natural materials that were at the community’s disposal. The Highland communities of Kigezi were experts on papyrus based art, while the communities around Lake Victoria were expects with banana plant materials based Artifacts. Due to most of the indigenous plants getting extinct, the art has lost a lot of quality and due to lack of the raw materials, most communities have lost the craft to make the original master pieces.