Two weeks ago, I reflected on the research efforts spearheaded by a professor of forestry and wildlife management, Samuel Oluwalana, who has made a case for the wellspring of indigenous knowledge and experience that are relevant to the establishment of forest archeological studies and enhance resource utilisation and conservation fo national development. The contents are still very relevant today.
Reflecting on the topic, “Forest: A Boundless Health and Wealth Territory”, the don has advocated revolutionary insight into forest resources rather than the current focus of making use it mainly for wood production. According to him, there is need for the establishment of a Centre for Indigenous Knowledge, stressing that indigenous knowledge remains a gold mine for prosperity of the people and the country.
Oluwalana explained that soils are ‘life production machine’ that can enhance national economy and the health of the people. “We need not wait until we start importing soil organisms from other nations before we know that we have destroyed and forfeited our own natural resources”, he cautioned, saying that soils should be seen beyond what is trodden under foot while foresters and soil scientists should be seen as important doctors of nature and be rightly accorded their prime place of importance. He also noted that animals, insects, plants and soils were of enormous contributions to the health and wealth of man and should not be taken for granted, but should rather be protected and appreciated for their enormous contributions to man’s survival, adding that there was the need for complete shift in societal attitude toward insects.
Advocating for an educational system that stimulates innovative thinking, the Professor of Forest Resources Management further recommended that interactive education should be vigorously encouraged instead of the current practice where Continuous Assessment Tests (CATs) had been allowed to more or less become Continuous Assessment Examinations (CAEs), but that homework assignments, which would stimulate innovative thinking, should be encouraged.
Oluwalana also made a case for overhauling of the teaching of forestry at all levels, stressing that indigenous knowledge, science and technology, space science and anthropology should constitute an integral part of studies in forestry. The researcher appealed to his fellow forest resources managers to become educators, ambassadors and advocates for insects, plants and soil conservation through outreach to others through formal, informal teaching and discussion as well as powerful means of increasing awareness and appreciation of these resources.
Emphasising the need for total forest conservation, “Time is running out, the extinction of forest resources may become a burden for the survival of tomorrow’s human generations. Poverty is a close ally of a destroyed environment. People are deprived of the economic and environmental services provided by forest resources when they are destroyed”, as he advocated for the addition of insect germination such as those found in cockroaches, grasshoppers, crickets and maggots, among others as being vital for the establishment of a ‘healing forest’ in the university system.
Oluwalana, who made the presentation,ĺ had stated that the problem facing the world was not deforestation per se, but nuclear radiation, saying he and his colleagues are working on this, but needed to work more by using what is called Biomimicry.
The don, who disclosed that he consults for people from different parts of the world on cancers, diabetes and ulcer treatments, added that he had developed more than 49 products that are marketable in different parts of the world. “I told myself, I am a student and as I speak I also learn. In this field one knows nothing, I have had the grace of getting ancient books and to study different countries’ medicines; everybody in this field must learn everyday and every moment, there’s no master in this field”, he added.
He, however, emphasised that good health is one’s responsibility, admonishing people to avoid anger and adulterated food, reduce electromagnetic wares at home, and stop abusing analgesic in order to live long. In conclusion, the main takeaways from the lecture are that indigenous knowledge and experience that are vital to encourage the establishment of forest archeological studies and to boost forest conservation.
Not only that, the need for the establishment of a Centre for Indigenous Knowledge and that soils are ‘life production machine’ that can enhance national economy and the health of the people and that animals, insects, plants and should be made to contribute to the health and wealth of man. Hence, they should not be taken for granted.
Furthermore, there should be in place, an educational system that stimulates innovative thinking while foresters should be allowed to become educators, ambassadors and advocates for conservation. Beyond that, more focus should be beamed on total forest conservation and the inclusion of insect germination towards the establishment of a ‘healing forest’ in the university, among others. It is only hoped that the points raised above would bring about the promotion of indigenous knowledge in our country through resource utilisation, conservation for economic wellbeing and more importantly, national development.