Gary Severson, a founding member of the WCCN, has shared an article with that tackles an important issue of his career that extends to many of us. Gary discusses the idea of productive harmony–a concept highlighting the balance of groups and organizations to maintain natural resources. This concept offers a jumping off point for a bigger question: Why does collaborative conservation work? Filled with real-life examples, this article is an ode to collaboration.
“The collaborative conservation landscape is a complicated and intricate mosaic of ecosystem
dynamics, governmental jurisdictions, land ownership, legal precedent, regulatory authority,
administrative policy interpretation, technological constraints, competing public interests,
economic fluctuations, and social and cultural values. When viewed by concerned citizens, it
seems a labyrinth that is at best daunting, and at worst impossible. How do stakeholders begin
to make a difference?…”
