Ginelle Gacasan
- Project name: Integrating traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) of Tagbanwa communities into the conservation of green sea turtle, Chelonia mydas, in the Calamianes Islands
- Project site: Calamianes Group of Islands, Palawan, Philippines
- EDGE species: Green turtle Chelonia mydas
- Active: 2019 - 2022
Biography
Ginelle currently works as a Senior Programme Officer for C3 Philippines, Inc., where she has previously implemented a programme to establish a dugong sanctuary through community participation. She recently started studying for an MSc at the University of the Philippines. Ginelle is passionate about working at grassroots level to develop community-based and community-managed conservation programs. She is interested in working with indigenous groups and learning about their cultures.
Ginelle hopes that being exposed to the Fellowship will help her to be more rational, open-minded and well-equipped to think critically. She is eager to learn from fellow young conservationists who share her passion for protecting important species and resources.
EDGE Project
Ginelle’s project aims to document traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) from the indigenous Calamian Tagbanwa peoples about the green turtle and its seagrass habitat, and to use this knowledge to make recommendations for conservation. Her objectives are to:
- Document TEK on sea turtles
- Identify new nesting sites and assess reproductive output of green turtles in three islands within the Calamanies
- Assess how TEK can be incorporated into long-term monitoring of nesting sites and current management planning for the species and habitat
- Undertake outreach activities in local schools to highlight the importance of the species in Tagbanwa culture and the need for conservation of the unique cultural and biological diversity of the region
