Bridging Knowledge Systems, Intermediary Experts and Multispecies Interactions along the Lower Danube

Abstract (English)

Anthropological literature often contrasts traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) with scientific expertise, portraying LEK as empirical and place-based, while scientific knowledge is seen as theoretical and global (Dorondel, Mitroi, Tall 2024). However, research on citizen science challenges this binary by highlighting science enthusiasts who develop self-taught expertise and assist in fieldwork. Beyond this, some individuals with formal scientific training remain unaffiliated with institutions and do not necessarily identify—or are not recognized—as scientific experts. Living in rural areas, they engage in professions that require acute observation and deep knowledge of local fauna and flora. Drawing on long-term ethnographic fieldwork in rural communities along the Lower Danube River, this study employs para-methods such as landscape walking and animal tracking, alongside ethnographic interviews, and archival research. It situates these individuals as an intermediary category—neither purely TEK holders nor institutionally sanctioned scientists. Situated at the nexus of multispecies interactions, they cultivate hybrid knowledge spanning vegetation, native and allochthonous birds, socialist-era plantations, and the traces of animals and birds in mud and sand. This assemblage forms a more-than-human archive, offering insights into the past and present environmental issues of the Lower Danube regions. By bridging knowledge from the humanities, life sciences, and engaging geostories (Latour 2014), this paper contributes to anthropological discussions on human and non-human entanglements, advancing a more integrated understanding of the world we share.