Science: Building resilience to climate change through ecological and spatial analyses

Science is the bedrock that anchors Round River’s conservation efforts. As the science of conservation has evolved, we have learned 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 science-based, landscape-scale efforts can we ensure the survival of large wildlife populations.

Through our early efforts, Round River realized that our local partners possess a wealth of information. These indigenous and local residents provide insights into present and past conditions; they understand regional ecological dynamics and know the locations of valued features such as rare, critical or high quality habitat. This knowledge not only forms the basis for our scientific research but also contributes to our building of positive and respectful relationships with these communities.

What makes Round River unique is our ability to deploy science dynamically as we continually explore and adopt new approaches tailored to local needs. Sometimes this requires complex, multi-year endeavors; other times, we simply provide technical or logistical support for collection and analysis of critical data. Increasingly, we are integrating climate change into our science and spatial analyses as we seek to build more resilient communities and wildlife populations.

 

Communities: Protecting traditional lands and livelihoods

Our first step upon approaching a community is to listen.

Round River’s approach to developing partnerships is rooted in the belief that local people and indigenous communities in particular are the strongest and most appropriate stewards of the land. Protecting and maintaining vast, wild places requires an enduring commitment, one that indigenous and aboriginal peoples innately possess. In hearing their stories, we learn about past and present land use practices that help us craft strategies which empower communities to prosper while sustaining the ecological integrity and wildness of landscapes. 

Listening to and working with local peoples enables us to establish a framework of mutual trust and respect, and the resulting plans balance environmental considerations with community interests regarding society, culture, and economy. It is our fervent belief that when the protection and maintenance of wild places is situated within this broad and multidimensional framework, the chances of success are greatly enhanced.

Such efforts may include the protection of traditional lands, creation of jobs, educational and vocational training, support of business ventures, and cultural revitalization. These measures empower local communities to carry out their long-term vision for themselves and their land.

 

Land Planning: Creating conservation strategies for big, wild places

The particular conservation strategies employed to achieve desired conservation goals in a given region are always tailored to the local context and thus vary from region to region. Detailed project planning is undertaken for each of Round River’s conservation initiatives, usually on an annual basis. Such planning typically includes clarification of project rationale and conservation goals, identification of project objectives, including interim milestones and key outcomes, and confirmation of conservation strategies to be employed.

Examples of such conservation strategies include:

• Background Information and Baseline Data Compilation: Compilation and assessment of baseline data and past research products, so that local decision makers have access to up-to-date information;
• Situational Analysis: The completion of detailed situational analyses, including a detailed assessment of stakeholder interests and relationships, so that the context for each conservation project is well understood and to guide the identification of local partners for Round River;
• Field Research: Design and implementation of targeted field research projects, to determine the scope or status of conservation values or threats, and to inform project planning;
• Regional Ecological Assessment: Preparation of a regional-scale ecological assessment, often incorporating both western science and local knowledge, to help determine conservation goals and priorities, and to provide sophisticated decision support tools for subsequent planning efforts;
• Land Use and Wildlife Management Planning: The provision of technical support and planning capacity for development of management plans for wildlife or other conservation values, in cooperation with local users, indigenous communities, and/or resource agencies;
• Negotiation Support: Technical support, strategic advice and/or participation in negotiations related to conservation plans and initiatives on behalf of local project partners;
• Conservation Incentives: Design and deployment of financial or other incentives for the completion of conservation plans or agreements, or to support the long-term implementation of such plans or agreements;
• Institutional Support and Community Development: Where requested by local project partners and where resources and technical capacity allow, assistance with strategic planning, organizational development, and selected local community development projects to complement conservation planning efforts;
• Capacity Building: Transfer of skills and knowledge to and from local project partners, to ensure conservation outcomes are durable, and to reduce the reliance on external technical expertise.

Each Project Director also coordinates closely with the Round River education program so that field activities and research projects completed by students can contribute substantively toward the completion of project objectives.

 

Education: Preparing the next generation of conservation leaders

From the outset, Round River recognized the importance of sharing our work with young adults, as well as the value of the landscape as the most visceral of educators. 

The focus of Round River’s Education Programs is to encourage and expand the commitments, minds and spirits of future conservationists by cultivating an active, informed and inspired constituency of young scholars as conservation scientists, artists, and advocates by providing innovative conservation education and leadership training.

Round River’s conservation projects in Africa, Asia, South America, Central America and North America involve small groups of students in wildlife, cultural and exploratory research projects that are finding and implementing solutions to real sustainability and environmental issues. Our students are vital contributors to the conservation initiatives of Round River and our local partners. They also allow us to engage in environmental education activities with youth in local communities to inspire and be inspired by the world’s next generation of conservation leaders.