Round River Conservation Projects

Michael Soulé, considered by many to be progenitor of the science of Conservation Biology, is Round River’s founding science advisor and trustee. Following Dr. Soulé’s edict—that to be effective over the long-term, conservation planning must be on a regional scale, protect large core reserves, include large carnivores, and maintain connectivity— Round River has established recognition for its development of innovative conservation designs and its strategic land planning implementation activities.

North America Program: Our principal project is with the Taku River Tlingit First Nation in northwestern British Columbia. Round River has also been involved and maintans ties to the Great Bear Rainforest and the Heitsuk First Nation, as well as, to the Muskwa-Kechika, NWT and the Northern Nations Alliance. In 2008 Round River is developing a new project to assist with conservation efforts on the Colorado Plateau.

Africa Program: We operate in the deserts of northwestern Namibia in partnership with Ths Natue Conservancy and Save the Rhino Trust, a group dedicated to protecting the black rhino. We recently began an ecological analysis of the Greater Kunene Region (in cooperation with the Namibian Ministry of Environment and Tourism) to aid in the creation of a new national park in one of southern Africa’s last true wildernesses.

South America Program: Our efforts are centered in the highly diverse cloud forests of southern Ecuador and in the immense tropical rainforests of the Alto Purus in the Amazon Basin of Peru.

Oceania Program: Round River is exploring possibilities to work in the Solomon Islands, as well as, in Northern Australia.

For each of these projects, we strive to develop innovative approaches to land protection grounded in the principles of conservation biology. These regions were chosen because:

• they contain relatively large areas of intact wild lands with unique compositions of species, including many endemics;

• they are threatened by resource extraction and unsustainable development; and finally,

• favorable conditions still exist to improve conservation education, and strengthen long-term conservation plans and sustainable resource use through local community involvement.

Round River’s Science

Traditionally, the measure of success for conservation has been the number of acres saved. As the science of conservation biology has developed, we know now that even the world’s largest protected areas are too small to maintain viable populations of many wide-ranging species, and that whole landscapes are necessary to preserve robust functioning ecosystems. Only through landscape-scale science-based planning can we ensure the survival of our largest and/or carnivorous wildlife.

All but the most remote regions of the world have altered dynamics due to landscape fragmentation. Round River chooses to work in these remote areas because they provide the best opportunities for pro-active, large-scale and ecologically meaningful conservation. This allows us to understand the broader implications of conservation efforts, including both the biological and social consequences of management decisions. To this end, our first scientific effort in a given area is to complete a regional ecological analysis.

Through our early efforts in remote regions, we learned that our local partners often possess a wealth of information. These indigenous residents provide insight into present and past conditions; they understand regional ecological dynamics, and know the locations of valued features such as rare, critical or highly valued habitat. This knowledge not only forms the basis for our regional assessments, but also contributes to our building of positive and respectful relationships with these communities. In addition, we use other available data sources, as well as, the results of our own field research. We purposely use redundant data inputs and analytical methods; our goal is not analytical efficiency but ensuring we have good results.

These regional analyses assist our partners in their land planning decisions and/or activist campaigns. The conservation designs resulting from these regional analyses have been used on the coast of British Columbia by organizations campaigning for the Great Bear Rainforest; by the Taku River Tlingit First Nation in their negotiations with the provincial government; and by Namibians to inform the creation of a new national park.

Beyond the regional scale analyses, we identify and pursue applied research and analyses to fill critical information gaps and support better decision-making. In Namibia, we assist Save the Rhino Trust by conducting black rhino habitat and population research. Our work in British Columbia includes establishing long-term ecological monitoring regimes, grizzly bear and salmon population studies, and developing habitat models for northern woodland caribou. In Ecuador, we investigate the habitat use of spectacled bears, conduct surveys for amphibians, and carry out studies to document the ecological services provided by intact watersheds.

The breadth of Round River science is as diverse as the landscapes within which we work. Our scope is defined only by what is required to support place-based conservation efforts. To accomplish our goals, it is critical that our science be dynamic and responsive to local needs, and that we continually explore and adopt new approaches. Some times, this requires complex, multi-year endeavors; in other instances, we simply provide technical or logistical support for the collection and analysis of hard-to-come-by field census information.

Round River’s Community Partnerships

Round River’s approach to developing partnerships is rooted in the belief that local people and indigenous communities in particular can be the strongest and most eloquent stewards of the land. Protecting and maintaining vast wild places requires from us an enduring commitment to locals who share and broaden our land ethic. Such commitments are particularly important with respect to indigenous and aboriginal people, since they inhabit most of the world’s remaining big wild places. These landscapes are their homes and traditional territories, inextricably connected with their history, culture, and way of life.

Our first step upon approaching such a community is to listen. In hearing their stories, we learn about both past and contemporary land use practices, and then can begin to develop a collective vision for a future where the local people can prosper in a meaningful manner while sustaining the ecological integrity and wildness of that landscape for themselves and future generations.

Listening to and working with local people enables us to establish a framework of mutual trust and respect, and the resulting plans balance environmental considerations with community concerns regarding social, cultural, and economic factors. It is our fervent belief that when the protection and maintenance of wild places is situated in this broad and multi-dimensional framework, the chances of success are greatly enhanced.

After this initial stage, Round River broadens its partnership by supporting existing and emerging forms of environmental governance. These measures give voice to local communities by empowering them to carry out the long-term vision they have for themselves and their land.

Round River is committed to long-term relationships with local communities, and dedicated to their efforts to realize a vision that situates environmental concerns within a broader context, and that values the relationship between land and community in a more comprehensive manner. To this end, we carry out community-based development projects that encourage and foster a sustainable approach to the land while simultaneously building social, economic, and cultural wealth. Such efforts may include the creation of jobs, educational and vocational training, support of business ventures, and cultural revitalization projects.