Introducing: Ecoforensic

Written by Juliet Richardson (Ecoforensic Naure Narratives Project Coordinator) in collaboration with Inde Hundal and Dr Mika Peck.

Ecoforensic, a non-profit community interest company founded in 2022, focusses on and frames its work all around – as you might suspect – ‘Ecological Forensics’. This novel discipline aims to define the ecological information required to support the emergence of Rights of Nature (RoN). It aims to combine and integrate methodologies and knowledge from ecology, law, and Indigenous Traditional Knowledge (ITK) to gather scientifically robust evidence of ecological harm, enabling the enforcement of RoN. 

Fundamental to this new discipline and core to Ecoforensic are our paraecologists who are local community members who have been trained in biodiversity monitoring, water sampling and data analysis. Essentially, paraecologists can be seen as the ‘paramedics of the biodiversity and climate crises’. Our paraecologist approach blends scientific research and capacity-building with the invaluable local knowledge of paraecologists who have a deep understanding of their surroundings and its environmental, socio-cultural and spiritual significance. 

As Ecoforensic continues to support the defence of biodiversity hotspots under emerging Rights of Nature legislation, 2024 has been a year of building more robust legal cases and growing community involvement across our three partner communities in Ecuador (Notably, Ecuador became the first country to enshrine the Rights of Nature in its Constitution in 2008).

 Located in distinct ecosystems - the cloudforest, high altitude grasslands (“Páramo“) and the Amazon Forest, all three communities are threatened by mining concessions (see Fig.1). These activities threatening Ecuador's biodiversity hotspots, are of course not isolated issues: they are driven by global demand for resources like copper essential for electric vehicles and tied to global supply chains that connect directly to infrastructure, technologies, and consumption patterns in the Global North. 

In response to these global pressures, Ecoforensic exemplifies how local action can drive meaningful international change. Over 50 trained paraecologists from the three areas have been gathering essential ecological data, generating biospatial information and contributing to scientific papers and publications. Earlier this year, a study led by Prof Mika Peck, co-founder of Ecoforensic and Professor of Conservation Ecology at the University of Sussex, identified 16,000km² of highly biodiverse land in Ecuador that should be legally protected from mining.

Using spatially explicit IUCN and other internationally renowned datasets (e.g. iNaturalist, eBird), our findings are staggering: some areas were home to anywhere between 344 and 1,184 species, far surpassing the total of 240 species living in the UK.

Even more concerning is that our biospatial analyses revealed that as many as 153 species are at risk of extinction. Excitingly, in 2024, paraecologists also confirmed the existence of a Jaguar in the cloudforests of Junín - previously thought to be extinct from the area - using camera traps. To put that into perspective, the UK is home to 10 species at risk of extinction, highlighting our shared responsibility to act fast and just how critical it is to build strong Rights of Nature strategies for biodiversity hotspots.

We are continuing to refine the biospatial analyses methodology and technique developed by Prof Mika Peck, as it holds great potential for being scaled up and shared as an independent resource with other RoN-focussed projects.

While still evolving, we hope aspects of this approach will contribute to training models and inspire interdisciplinary grassroots conservation efforts, including in other contexts like the UK, where the Rights of Nature are (not yet) legally recognised. 

We also received additional funding from the University of Sussex this year to support several exciting initiatives, including a workshop in August. Over 25 experts from law, science, ecology, communications and Indigenous and Traditional Knowledge (ITK) communities came together to advance the Rights of Nature through cooperation. This collaborative effort combined diverse disciplines to develop holistic approaches that honour ecological integrity, cultural heritage, and community stewardship. Additionally, the funding enabled us and our partners to create "Voices of the Paraecologists" visuals and videos, and launch our "Nature’s Narratives” sub-project. These initiatives harness the power of storytelling and strategic communications to bridge the gap between science and law, amplify the voice of Pachamama, and elevate local communities' perspectives.

More specifically, “Nature’s Narratives”, empowers paraecologists to document and share audio-visual stories, building global awareness and support for legal Rights of Nature cases. Through specialised training sessions held in August and November last year, over 30 participants, gained hands-on skills in content creation, videography, photography, and communication techniques.

From setting up microphones and conducting interviews to capturing expressive portraits, moving subjects, and natural landscapes, the workshops focussed on how to craft powerful narratives that speak for nature. Participants are also leveraging these tools to promote alternative livelihoods like eco-tourism and agroecological farming. We’re hoping to share some examples in the coming months, with plans to showcase the efforts of our “paraecologist-communication-teams” at the next COP. 

Closer to home, Prof Peck has been contributing to the "Ripple Effect" project led by Dr Lucila Newell and Dr Ellen Rotheray (University of Sussex), which assesses water pollution and biodiversity levels in the Upper River Medway through citizen science and eDNA methods, whilst building momentum for “Rights of Rivers“ legislation in the UK. Please reach out to them directly for potential support or collaborations. 

It has been wonderful to see how we have been building and strengthening further connections thanks to the UK Rights of Nature Network. Following the gathering in July, our team is now collaborating with UK RoN members and others to advance the vision of ecosystems being recognised and protected as living entities with inherent rights. One key outcome of this was the development of an interdisciplinary research project proposal in partnership with UK RoN leaders to explore the practical implementation of the Rights of Nature centred around the new discipline of Ecological Forensics. Please reach out to them directly for potential support or collaborations.

We were also delighted to be put forward for the prestigious Earthshot Prize by Synchronicity Earth! Although unsuccessful in 2024, we have been asked to resubmit. Given the intense competitiveness of the prize, the nomination itself reaffirms that Ecoforensic offers an impactful alternative in combatting the climate and biodiversity crises - a huge recognition of our communities, partners, and team's dedication in fighting for international environmental justice.

In 2025, our focus will remain on expanding our paraecologist network, gathering further critical ecological evidence, advancing the integration of ecological forensics as a critical tool in legal frameworks and scaling our work as a blueprint for the Rights of Nature. 

References:

Illustrations created by Ecuadorian artist SoZapato to accompany the short film “Voices of the Paraecologists”, which highlights Junín as a place of resistance, unity and joy. The artwork emphasises the importance of ecological forensics and the vital role paraecologists play in grassroots conservation efforts.

Explore further:

Follow this link to explore the Ecoforensic website.

Follow this link to find the Ecoforensic YouTube channel.