Folklore and conservation in Nigeria : using PRA to learn from the elders

This paper is about the use of PRA in exploring indigenous technical knowledge which could be useful in the management of natural resources. The ways of discovering such knowledge, such as folklore, from the elders and how participatory research can help in understanding the indigenous knowledge systems are explained. Specific examples suggesting the harmony between nature and people in the old days and erosion of these institutions after the establishment of formal legal systems at the beginning of this century are discussed.