Spotted in the ICCA Field: How Communities Read Ecosystem Health Through Wildlife Signals

World Wildlife Day | Field Notes from Jaycee Abaquita (NTFP-EP Philippines – Mindanao)

World Wildlife Day is the perfect day to highlight and talk about the charismatic stars of the forest. But it’s also a chance to honor something far more powerful: the way Indigenous communities read the land through species, seasons, waters, and subtle changes that outsiders often miss.

In many indigenous territories, wildlife and plants serve as signals (or indicators) of a healthy ecosystem. They are part of a living system of observation, responsibility, and care.

This reflection from Jaycee Abaquita, NTFP-EP Philippines’ Resource Management Staff from Mindanao, began as a routine field day, then it turned into something more meaningful. He was reminded that life does not need to justify its right to exist.

The endangered jade vine and lip vine were documented in the AGMIHICU (Agtulawon Mintapod Higaonon Cumadon) ICCA, locally known as Patagonan daw Bahaw-bahaw.

The pitcher plant was documented in the Pamalihi CADT Inc. ICCA, within the Mt. Sumagaya–Mt. Pamalihi-Balatukan range, part of the ICCA landscape known locally as Pina, Iglalaw daw Bahaw-bahaw.

Field Notes from Jaycee (verbatim)

"Away from civilization, where you are closer to forests than to people, the beauty of nature truly reveals itself. Every field activity is a wonderful experience in its own way.

But every now and then, what seems to be a simple inventory of Almaciga trees or a routine site survey for a reforestation project turns into something far more meaningful, an unexpected discovery.

It was a rainy day, and the trail was slippery. Along the path, we spotted an endangered jade vine, the Strongylodon pulcher. It was covered in a beautiful blend of white, blue, and a hint of violet. One glance at this remarkable plant is enough to remind any environmentalist why they must keep going.

"Extraordinary species exist in nature, and we must do everything in our power to ensure they continue to thrive."

We also encountered a lip vine, Aeschynanthus urdanetensis, radiating vibrant red as it made its presence known despite being a speck among the surrounding greenery. A quiet declaration of its uniqueness.

While doing inventory of Almaciga trees, a pitcher plant, Nepenthes alata was spotted along the peak trails of the mountain, hanging delicately yet with purpose. Its elegant form presents a fascinating survival strategy, trapping insects to supplement nutrients from poor soils. In landscapes where competition is thick and the ground offers little, it adapts, persists, and thrives. A reminder that resilience often comes in unexpected forms.

 Sometimes, we feel the need to justify a species’ existence, to measure its worth by how useful it is to humans. Is it ornamental? A symbol of beauty? A pollinator? Ecologically valuable? Perhaps all of these."

"But a species does not need to justify its existence to deserve it. To be here, to exist within this complex and interconnected world, is a right in itself."

Traditional indicator species: how communities “read” ecosystem health

In ecology, an indicator species is a species whose presence, absence, or condition can reveal something about the broader environment. It’s like habitat quality, water integrity, soil conditions, or disturbance.

In many Indigenous territories, communities hold an even deeper layer of this practice through traditional ecological knowledge: generations of observation that track how species behave, where they thrive, and what their appearance (or disappearance) might mean.

These are often Traditional Indicator Species, which are species that help communities sense:

• whether a forest is still intact enough to support sensitive life

• whether water sources and microclimates are stable

• whether the land is shifting due to extraction, pollution, or climate stress

• whether certain areas require rest, protection, or specific protocols

This is an applied system of environmental monitoring that is rooted in place, relationship, and responsibility.

One species story → one territory protection message

Jaycee’s field notes mention three remarkable plants:

• Jade vine (Strongylodon pulcher): a forest jewel that depends on the right conditions of shade, humidity, and healthy forest structure.

• Lip vine (Aeschynanthus urdanetensis):  small but striking, a reminder that biodiversity includes the easily-missed lives that rely on intact niches.

• Pitcher plant (Nepenthes alata): a specialist species with a fascinating survival strategy, adapting to low-nutrient environments in ways

Connectio to ICCAs

Species survival is inseparable from territory governance of Indigenous peoples.

When Indigenous communities protect their territories through their own customary laws, collective decision-making, seasonal practices, and stewardship roles, they are able to protect the conditions that allow life to persist in their ancestral domains / forest territroies.

Why this matters for ICCAs

ICCAs (Indigenous Communities Conserved Territories and Areas) are living territories conserved through community governance, often long before formal conservation systems existed, or what is comonly termed “before time immemorial”.

ICCAs matter because they protect:

• habitats (forests, watersheds, sacred sites, wildlife corridors)

• relationships (people–land reciprocity, cultural protocols, stewardship)

• knowledge systems (including indicator species knowledge and place-based monitoring)

• continuity (intergenerational responsibility, enforcement, care)

So when we celebrate wildlife on World Wildlife Day, we are also reminded of a deeper truth:

Protecting wildlife means protecting the territories, governance systems, and cultures that keep ecosystems functioning.

Jaycee’s final reflection lands right on the heart: A species does not need to justify its existence.And neither does a living territory need to “prove” its value through extraction to deserve protection.

Learn more / take action

• Read more about ICCAs and why they matter: https://www.ntfpepphilippines.org/icca

• Explore the Global ICCA Registry: https://www.iccaregistry.org/

• Follow NTFP-EP Philippines for ICCA updates, field stories, and community conservation work.