Summary
This study compares seven case studies of conservation collaboration, and examines the success of each one. The study found that:
1) Collaboration between government, NGOs and associations of cattle farmers resulted in conservation efforts which benefited the jaguar, ecosystems and locals.
2) Grevy’s Zebra Trust collaborated with local actors, which resulted in sustainable zebra conservation.
3) An initiative encouraging beekeeping as a livelihood option instead of depleting forest resources in Tanzania was successful in promoting long term conservation.
4) The authors of a Mexican doctoral project which spanned 20 years collaborated with local actors to suggest conflict management surrounding the jaguar population.
5) The Andean Cat Alliance collaborated with local communities to encourage ecotourism.
6) The Vigía Chico fishing cooperative collaborations with academia and NGOs to educate fishermen about resources.
7) Collaboration between schools, local communities and actors allowed for exchange of information about conservation and local knowledge.
A strength of this study was that the author’s’ created a detailed table of factors for each case study to use for comparisons. A limitation was the information about the collaborative conservation efforts for each case study was limited. In the discussion, the authors detail aspects which contribute to successful conservation collaboration: time; trust; tools, tasks, topics; transformation, and; transition from participation to partnership. An implication of this study, as stated by the authors, is that collaborative conservation efforts should be continuously managed, even after the study is completed.
Conservation biology is a mission-driven discipline that must navigate a new relationship between conservation and science. Because conservation is a social and political as well as an ecological project, conservation biologists must practice interdisciplinarity and collaboration. In a comparative study of 7 cases (Jaguars in the Chaco, Grevy's zebra in Kenya, Beekeeping in Tanzania, Andean cats in Argentina, Jaguars in Mexico, Lobster fishing, and Black bears in Mexico), we examined motivations for collaboration in conservation, who can collaborate in conservation, and how conservation professionals can work well together. In 5 case studies, successful conservation outcomes were prioritized over livelihood benefits. In the other 2 cases, livelihoods were prioritized. All case studies employed participatory approaches. There were multiple external actors, including local and Indigenous communities, nongovernmental organizations, agencies, regional and national governments, and international organizations, which enhanced conservation and wider sustainability outcomes. Key collaboration aspects considered across the case studies were time (mismatch between relationship building and project schedules), trust required for meaningful partnerships, tools employed, and transformative potential for people, nature, and the discipline of conservation biology. We developed guidelines for successful collaboration, including long-term commitment, knowledge integration, multiscalar and plural approaches, cultivation of trust, appropriate engagement, evaluation, supporting students, and efforts for transformation.