PLA Notes CD-ROM 1988-2001 17 The use of RRA in conservation expeditions: experiences from Sierra Leone

Document begins: PLA Notes CD-ROM 1988­2001 17 The use of RRA in conservation expeditions: experiences from Sierra Leone Sarah Pocknell and Danny Annaly Introduction wanted to obtain detailed information in two months and needed a flexible approach that Northern conservation expeditions and surveys would involve local people. We wanted to in the South often concentrate on recording investigate: rare species or habitat types using conventional ecological methods, ignoring · The distribution of habitat types in and both the resource of local peoples' ecological around the reserve; knowledge and the ecology of indigenous · Changes in land use and habitat resource use. The result can often be that distribution in villagers' lifetimes; government bodies and conservation groups · The importance and source of non- ignore the needs of local people when planning agricultural resources; protected areas and that a less than accurate · Sustainability of current land use picture of local ecology is obtained. practices and economic trends likely to affect them; and, In Sierra Leone, as part of a graduate · Attitudes to the reserve and to expedition1 to the Mount Loma Forest conservation. Reserve, we used RRA techniques to obtain information on local land use patterns and Preliminary visit ...