Participatory research on community knowledge of health, ecosystem services, and sustainability

Understanding and valuing local ecosystems requires integrating community knowledge. This study explores socio-ecological determinants of health, ecosystem services, and sustainability in a rural Irish community (N = 121) using a community-based participatory research approach. It highlights key findings, details the participatory methodology and discusses future applications.Growing research emphasises the importance of integrating community knowledge to understand and value local ecosystems. This study explores the perspectives of 121 community members in rural Ireland on ecological determinants of health, ecosystem services, and sustainability using participatory methods. Community discussion workshops revealed links between health and ecosystems, highlighting the role of participation in identifying opportunities for conservation and health by leveraging local knowledge. Participants recognised local habitats as vital for health, acknowledging the interconnected impact of health, biodiversity, and ecosystem integrity. Nature-based services have been found to be crucial for health. Community verification workshops confirmed these insights and identified challenges in integrating ecological determinants into community planning and actions. The findings suggest that participatory research processes have potential in facilitating active community engagement in ecosystem health and translating local knowledge into action but do require skilled facilitation and appropriate communication.