Bridging Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Ecosystem Restoration: Community-based Native Tree Seed Conservation as a Complementary Approach to the Management of Kenya’s Highland Ecosystems

Ecosystem restoration initiatives increasingly recognize the need for meaningful collaboration with Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IP&LCs), yet practical frameworks for integrating Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) remain underdeveloped. This research addresses critical gaps in how restoration programs engage with community-held knowledge systems, particularly regarding Native Tree Species management in highland ecosystems. Situated in the Kenyan Highlands—an ecologically diverse region shaped by long-standing agroforestry traditions, indigenous stewardship practices, and complex socio-ecological gradients—the study examines how place-based TEK can strengthen restoration outcomes across montane landscapes.Current restoration frameworks prioritize ecological and biophysical data while overlooking the sophisticated TEK systems that govern seed sourcing, storage, orchard management, and habitat restoration practices. This knowledge asymmetry undermines both restoration effectiveness and community ownership, perpetuating extractive approaches that fail to hold indigenous and local knowledge in parity with conventional scientific perspectives.Our methodology employs participatory approaches—structured interviews, focus groups, and collaborative field assessments—to systematically document and analyze TEK-based practices. Rather than treating TEK as a supplementary source of data, we position it as foundational and complementary to ecosystem management, including species prioritization frameworks, restoration planning, and implementation. This transdisciplinary approach examines not only the ecological but also cultural, social, and economic factors shaping community participation in both ex situ conservation and in situ restoration to promote adaptive ecosystem management responses that remain inclusive and holistic in a climate of rapid change.This work directly contributes to evolving good practices for equitable IP&LC collaboration in restoration, moving beyond superficial "stakeholder engagement" toward genuine knowledge co-production. By re-visibilizing the inseparable human-nature and human-human relations embedded in traditional management systems, the research develops a holistic restoration model that integrates ecological, cultural, and socio-economic variables. Specifically, findings will demonstrate how using TEK and conventional, scientific methods as complementary approaches enhances restoration outcomes, strengthens community stewardship, and builds long-term resilience under changing climatic conditions—offering practical insights for practitioners seeking to transform ecosystem management through equitable knowledge partnerships.