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On this page, you’ll find case studies of collaborative conservation in action. First, we share case studies relevant to the 5 Foundations of Collaborative Conservation. Then, we showcase examples of people “Putting It All Together”.
To continue building your skills in collaborative conservation, we recommend you learn more about the 5 Foundations on our “How-To” page. Also, check out our “Publications” page, our “Colorado Atlas of Collaborative Conservation”, and our “Toolbox” page for more resources.
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At a 2022 Western Collaborative Conservative Network All Partners Meeting, Joe Zebrowski and Alan Barton of the New Mexico Forest & Watershed Restoration Institute, present two case studies about doing collaborative collaboration work with stakeholders New Mexico.
In 2019, the CCC co-hosted a workshop on, “Unsettling collaborative conservation through a decolonizing lens: Engagement and collaboration with Indigenous peoples and communities”. This 2.5 day workshop brought together Indigenous scholars, community members and leaders, and collaborative conservation researchers and practitioners, to share experiences and lessons learned about research partnerships that simultaneously address critical conservation and
community needs.
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Lost livestock is one of the major triggers of conflict between Maasai pastoralists and lions, and we’ve observed that the number of lost livestock is on the rise in our operating area in the Amboseli-Tsavo ecosystem. Lion Guardians is committed to helping develop long-term, sustainable, and community-based solutions to help keep livestock safe and improve the relationship between communities and lions. The project presented in the video below is part of the CCC Fellows Program.
At a 2024 session of the Western Collaborative Conservation Network All-Partners meeting, WCCN partner James Calabaza from Trees Water & People presented, “Honest, Transparent Conversations – Keys for Effective Tribal Collaboration”. James shares their engagement model, which demonstrates the appropriate approach to engage with Tribes.
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In 2012, ranchers, researchers, state and federal land managers, and staff from environmental conservation organizations set a common goal to manage the land for future generations. Thus, the Collaborative Adaptive Rangeland Management experiment was born: a 10-year adaptive grazing management experiment implemented in northeastern Colorado.
There are increasing calls for knowledge integration around the world in monitoring and resource management. The results of in-depth field interviews with 26 Mongolian herders highlight the importance of developing a common language of monitoring terminology shared by herders, government monitoring agencies, and researchers.
could use some help on this section – case studies on theory of change/project planning in collaborative conservation would be good
I don’t love the ones I’ve found for this section
Adaptive Grazing Management Project: An Effort to Bridge the Rangeland Science / Management Divide through Collaboration – CCC Fellows – link
Conservation practitioners are evolving the mainstream practice to include consideration of social equity. In forests, urban districts, and foundation boardrooms, they’re infusing the history of past wrongs into forward-looking strategies. The case studies here cap a semester of research and invite practitioners to a new phase of impact.
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Maasai are possibly the world’s most photographed indigenous people. What if, instead, Maasai were the photographers? Anthropologist Joana Roque de Pinho (CCC Fellow) facilitated just this in the summer of 2009, during the worst drought in living memory at the time. Putting cameras in the hands of Kenyan Maasai volunteers, she proposed that they use photography to tell stories of their lives, in their own terms. Following them through training, practice, storytelling, formation of the Maasai Photographers for Conservation Association, it documents their hopes for the future.
In a 2024 Storyteller’s Circle session, “Telling Funding Success Stories: Part 2”, communicators shared examples of their efforts to advance conservation storytelling around federally funded projects. This session features guest speakers from: Audubon Rockies, National Wildlife Federation, The Nature Conservancy, and Backcountry Hunters and Anglers.
Grasslands form one of North America’s largest and most vital ecosystems, supporting crucial environmental functions like water supply, soil health, and biodiversity. Grasslands are also essential for agriculture, which has provided us with food and livelihoods for millennia. In recent decades, the tension between conserving grasslands and developing them to accommodate a growing population has only increased, exacerbated further by the impacts of climate change. What does a truly sustainable and resilient future for our continent’s grasslands look like? What will it take to achieve it? How can you help? Learn more about the series here.
Episode 1: The Science of Grasslands
Watch here
Episode 2: People & Grasslands
Watch here
Episode 3: Back From the Brink in Larimer County
Watch here
Episode 4: The Path Ahead
Watch here
In this webinar series done in partnership with the Institute for Science and Policy, we have wide-ranging conversations with a broad set of panelists from around the region about the decisions, impacts, and stewardship principles that guide our collective approach to forest management and fire.
Part One: Kindling & Sparks
Watch here
Part Two: The Historic Fires of 2020
Watch here
Part Three: The Human Element
Watch here
Part Four: The Future of Western Wildfires
Watch here
Part 5: The Marshall Fire Tragedy and the Changing Wildland Urban Interface
Watch here
In this 2023 session of the Colorado Forest Collaboratives Network “Branching Out” series, we hear five success stories of local collaboratives partnering with the US Forest Service on projects along the Colorado Front Range. We’ll learn about how collaboratives engaged with the US Forest Service, then hear recommendations on how other groups across Colorado can build and maintain meaningful relationships with the US Forest Service.
Our speaker lineup includes:
Monte Williams – Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forest Supervisor | touches on all topics
Maya MacHamer – Boulder Watershed Collective | Forsythe Prescribed Burn
Hally Strevey – Coalition for the Poudre River Watershed | Cameron Peak Post-Fire Restoration
Chiara Forrester – formerly with The Watershed Center | St. Vrain Forest Health Project/Partnership NEPA
Paul Orbuch – Boulder County Fireshed Coordinator | Establishing the Boulder County Fireshed
Ch’aska Huayhuaca-Frye – The Colorado Forest Restoration Institute at CSU | The Northern Colorado Fireshed Fund
In this special six-part series, diverse panelists join us to explore wolf reintroduction through the lens of science, policy, and lived experiences.
Episode 1: The Science of Restoring Wolves to Colorado
Watch here
Episode 2: Media Coverage and Public Perspectives on Wolves
Watch here
Episode 3: Community Perspectives and Conflict over Wolves
Watch the recording
Episode 4: The Values and Costs of Wolves
Watch here
Episode 5: The Experience of Living With Wolves
Watch here
Episode 6: After the Vote
Watch here
The Life in the Land project is a film and podcast series that elevates voices from around Montana, speaking to the value of community-guided and collaborative approaches on the landscape. With a focus on rural and tribal communities, this series shows the value in fostering healthy relationships; not only between people who have varied perspectives, but also between people and their environments. Explore Montana by region below, or check out all of them on their website.
Learn more about the Western Collaborative Conservation Network’s Confluence, and about a storyteller’s workshop put on by Life in the Land filmmaker Lara Tomov at the event in 2022 in Montana.
Central Montana Plains
Watch & listen here
Amskapi Piikani – Blackfeet Nation
Watch & listen here
The Seeley-Swan Region
Watch & listen here
The Big Hole Valley
Watch & listen here
The Upper Yellowstone River
Watch & listen here
The Mighty Few
Watch & listen here
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