Field synthesis of Sacred Groves as living social ecological systems: Traditional Ecological Knowledges in biocultural conservation and resource management in the Eastern Himalaya

By Abriti Moktan Originally published by Pennsylvania State University Department of Ecosystem Science and Management "In the sacred landscape—mountain, river, and land—of the eastern Himalayan region, the sacred groves braid the biodiversity and cultural diversity, contributing to the living bridges of the region’s biocultural conservation.." “Jal Jangal Jamin”–translates as water forest land– rhetoric, quipped by [...]

Confronting colonial history: toward healing, just, and equitable Indigenous conservation futures

  "Overall, developing an understanding of the intersections between settler colonialism and conventional conservation generates pathways toward healing Indigenous landscapes and lifeways." Pursuing strategies for support social and ecological resilience and recovery requires cultivating a shared understanding of the full scope of settler colonial legacies, which continue to impede justice efforts in conservation and environmentalism [...]

By |2026-04-07T20:59:20-06:00April 7th, 2026|Categories: Hot off the Press, Mountain Sentinels Blog, Mountain Sustainability|Tags: |

Changing Patterns of Indigenous Knowledge Systems Used for Water Conservation and Adaptation to Climate Change in Mount Kenya Region (2012–2022)

  "Very little attention has been paid to this indigenous ecological, cultural, social, political, and spiritual knowledge systems for solving water issues in the course of climate change, particularly in Kenyan ASALs [arid and semi-arid lands]." Climate change exacerbates three categories of water shocks: too little, too much, and/or too dirty water. The resulting water [...]

By |2026-02-25T11:50:36-07:00February 25th, 2026|Categories: Hot off the Press, Mountain Sentinels Blog, Mountain Sustainability|Tags: |

Gender vulnerability and climate adaptation in high mountain regions: evidence from remote valleys in Gilgit-Baltistan

  "In the remote mountains of Gilgit-Baltistan, women’s disproportionate exposure to climate change impacts, compounded by socio-cultural barriers to empowerment, necessitates an inclusive and gender-sensitive approach to resilience planning." This study focuses on communities in the the Darkut and Sosat valleys in the Ghizer district of Gilgit-Baltistan, and highlights how climate events disproportionately impact the [...]

By |2026-01-29T14:46:33-07:00January 29th, 2026|Categories: Mountain Sustainability|Tags: |

Tools for Climate Action: Hope and Celebration of Nature

  "Climate communication is an important pathway to action that we don’t speak about enough. Many academic scientists, who are also teachers, are already deeply invested in it. But we haven’t paid enough attention to communication beyond the classroom." For years, scientific data has shown alarming indicators of a changing climate and looming environmental crisis-- [...]

By |2025-12-17T12:44:41-07:00December 17th, 2025|Categories: Mountain Sustainability|Tags: |

New Article in Nature Examines the Role of Science in Legal Accountability for Climate Change

Can the world's largest creators of greenhouse gas emissions be held liable for their role in changes to climate that occur hundreds -- even thousands -- of miles away? The article Carbon majors and the scientific case for climate liability by Christopher W. Callahan & Justin S. Mankin examines the scientific and legal implications of [...]

By |2025-09-02T16:46:34-06:00August 6th, 2025|Categories: Mountain Sustainability|Tags: |

yorK Institute for Tropical Ecosystems (KITE) Research on East African Mountain Ranges

Are you interested in East African mountain ranges? Curious about the intersections of biodiversity, land-use and climate change? Are you invested in the risks and opportunities associated with the anthropogenic impacts affecting the biodiversity and ecosystem services of the mountains? Mountain Sentinel network partners yorK Institute for Tropical Ecosystems (KITE)'s Rob Marchant and AfriMont's Aida [...]

ICIMOD and GMBA: Multi-methods in conservation and development to achieve the SDGs

Are you interested in how to achieve the United Nations SDGs? Curious about the intersections of the various SDGs in practice? Are you invested in how development practitioners and conservationists collaborate, co-create, and intersect in their methods? Mountain Sentinel network partners GMBA and ICIMOD authored a paper alongside PhD student Biraj Adhikari that sparks exciting [...]

Special Issue: Exploring the Past, Present, and Future of Mountain and Island Systems

Biologists have long been fascinated by islands and island-like systems, such as mountain tops and edaphic islands, due to their unique biotas and high endemism resulting from their geographical and environmental isolation. These systems have been referred to as natural laboratories for studying evolutionary processes, dispersal, establishment, and adaptive radiation. Lineages that have adapted to [...]

By |2023-05-06T05:20:18-06:00April 27th, 2023|Categories: Mountain Sustainability, Opportunities|Tags: , |

AfriMont: Climate Change Perceptions and Adaptations among Smallholder Farmers in the Mountains of Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo

Are you interested in adaptations of agricultural practices in the mountains? Curious about the extremities of climate change impacting mountain communities' ways of life? Are you invested in the gaps of knowledge for mountain research in the Democratic Republic of the Congo? Mountain Sentinel network partners AfriMont authored a paper that sparks exciting discourse on [...]

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