Why Collaborate?
Historically, conservation focused on saving species and protecting natural resources, paying little attention to people. Yet without the involvement of local people and communities, many past conservation successes were short-lived. Collaboration supports more enduring conservation outcomes because it taps the power of diverse viewpoints while addressing local communities’ social, economic and ecological concerns. Collaboration is inclusive, fosters innovation, and builds trust for concerted action. The scale, scope and complexity of current conservation challenges require collaborative conservation solutions. For instance, to keep whole watersheds or ecosystems healthy, we need all the land owners and managers to be at the table, working together to negotiate how they use and manage land across the different ownership and administrative boundaries. What does collaboration in conservation do for us?
