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In this presentation I will share findings from a series of 19 interviews with long -term residents of McIntosh County Georgia. The interviews were designed to gather basic information about local perceptions of land -use and environmental change in this coastal county over the last 50 years. They were also conducted in order to gather information about resident's primary environmental concerns and explore local ecological knowledge held by long-term residents. I will share the way participants voiced concerns about the loss of wetlands, changes in freshwater flow and salinity, and changes in populations of marine organ isms. Some commonly shared ideas raise additional questions about perceptions of environmental health. For example, the idea that trawling in areas like Sapelo Sound may have been beneficial and that the absence of this activity may have lead to a decline in water quality and the health of shellfish and finfish populations.

Addes, D. 2014. Presentation: Listening to and learning from local ecological knowledge: A social science pilot study in McIntosh County, GA. Exploring the Values of the Coast. Social Coast Forum 2014, February 18-20, 2014, Charleston, South Carolina.