Sacred ecology studies the knowledge bodies held by indigenous peoples and other rural peoples around the world and asks how we can learn from this knowledge and methods of knowledge. Perks explores the importance of local and indigenous knowledge as a complement to scientific ecology and its cultural and political significance to indigenous groups themselves.

With updates on related links for further learning and more than 180 new references, the fourth edition gives increasing voice to Aboriginal authors and reflects the marked increase in published local observations of climate change.