Bio-Ecological Sensing in Indigenous Governance: Pollinator Stewardship under Seasonal Variability in Maasai Pastoral Landscapes

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This contribution documents an Indigenous system of pollinator stewardship practiced by Maasai women in the savannah biome of northern Tanzania, where wild bees function as bio-ecological sensing mechanisms that guide seasonal decision-making, ecological restraint, and landscape use under climatic variability. The Indigenous system operates through collective observation, customary governance, and women’s authority rather than through fixed schedules, external data, or technical interventions. It demonstrates how Indigenous knowledge systems function as living governance frameworks for climate adaptation by integrating biodiversity, land stewardship, and livelihood continuity through seasonal coordination and intergenerational transmission.