Participatory Biodiversity Monitoring and Biological Corridor Planning with Indigenous Communities in Oaxaca, Mexico

Abstract

This master’s project originates from a long-term partnership between Duke University and Integradora de Comunidades Indígenas y Campesinas de Oaxaca (ICICO). This partnership has assisted in the co-creation and support of community-led biological monitoring in community-managed forests in the Sierra Norte region of Oaxaca. Monitoring efforts focused on two Zapotec communities, Santa María Jaltianguis and San Miguel Abejones, with the end goal of developing a biological corridor between them. The project integrates Traditional Ecological Knowledge, community input through workshops, and wildlife survey methods. Camera traps and passive acoustic monitors were deployed across managed and unmanaged forest areas to develop baseline data on the presence of avian and mammal species. Findings from monitoring efforts contribute to ongoing evaluations of forest management practices and to identifying opportunities for biological connectivity among ICICO member communities.