In this episode, we have David Hecht, a PhD candidate in Integrative Conservation & Anthropology, in conversation with Pema Dema about his research in Bhutan and the turns it took.
While researching for a community-based approach to conservation in Bhutan, little did he expect his research to result in a traditional map artifact, which we can pass down in our community for generations to come! They discuss how a series of beautiful traditional maps of deity citadels came to be through his research and how Bhutan’s environmental leadership is derived, in part, from our communal belief in local deities.
Host: Pema Dema recently began working as an Assistant Program Coordinator at Bhutan Echoes and completed her Bachelors in Social Work. She has much appreciation for crossovers that occur between the humanities and community development.
Guest Speaker: David M Hecht is a PhD Candidate in Integrative Conservation (ICON) & Anthropology at the University of Georgia (UGA). His current research engages with integrative and collaborative methods in participatory mapping to document and center lived religion and local knowledge of Bhutanese landscapes in community-based conservation protected areas.