Our mission is to empower local people to manage and conserve natural resources and to encourage global adoption of community-based conservation.
We and our local partners have done a lot in the last 12 months. Read on to see the biggest accomplishments our supporters and donors have made possible, separated into two categories: doing community-based conservation and spreading community-based conservation.
DOING Community-based Conservation
Working with local communities to protect biodiversity in their own backyards…
1. Wildlife Monitoring Trainings in Nepal (tiger, elephant, pangolin)
This year, we and our local partners have held three multi-day group trainings in community-managed forests in Nepal. During these trainings, community forestry groups learn how to monitor local wildlife populations (such as tiger, elephant, and pangolin), help them to identify available habitats, and make species conservation plans. This year’s trainings have a new focus on pangolins, so they also help raise awareness about the importance of pangolin conservation in Nepal. Read more about this project here.
2. Protecting Naung Sai Lake in Myanamar (tiger, clouded leopard)
The project’s goal is to protect natural resources and biodiversity around the Naung Sai and Naung Yan Lakes. The lakes are located in the watershed of Hukaung Wildlife Sanctuary, which is primarily set aside for tigers, but is also home to clouded leopards, Asian golden cats, marbled cats, leopard cats, yellow-throated marten and more.
We helped participants from an earlier Biodiversity Heroes training hold their own version of the training for the local people from their villages (the four villages around the lakes). They are conducting conservation activities in each village, researching the process for establishing community forests, raising awareness about conservation through signboards around the Naung Sai and another lake in the area (Naung Yan) and monitoring and evaluating their project activities. More about this project here.
3. Involving Women and Communities in Conservation in Borneo (orangutan)
This year we began a new project working with traditional Iban communities in Borneo. Ultimately the goal is to help them even better manage their fruit forests to support more orangutans and other wildlife. We and our partners are overseeing community conservation activities and facilitating workshops for Iban farmers and protected area staff. First, we will be working to involve more women in the ongoing camera trapping work there. Read more about this project here.
4. Protecting Primates in Peru (yellow-tailed woolly monkey and others)
Together with our partners at NPC in Peru, we’re expanding their existing network of eleven community-managed forests in the beautiful and biodiverse Andean foothills. We are helping them work with four additional communities, bringing the network to a total of 15. Not only is the area a biodiversity hotspot, but there are also three threatened primate species which are only found there: the Critically Endangered yellow tailed woolly monkey (Lagothrix flavicauda) and San Martin titi monkey (Plecturocebus oenanthe) and the Endangered Peruvian night monkey (Aotus miconax). Read more about this project here.
SPREADING Community-based Conservation
These impacts involve sharing stories of community conservation, educating conservation professionals and increasing awareness among the general public.
- Launching our Partner Network
- New video: “What is Community Conservation? in 90 seconds”
- Hosted a World Rainforest Day panel with our partners
- Educated 7,000 people per month about community-based conservation via our website and social media (DOUBLE last year’s!)
- Welcomed our new executive director Dr. Teri Allendorf
- Started a new Intro to Community Conservation class for our partners in the field, taught by Dr. Allendorf
The continuing effect of COVID-19
The parts of our work that involve gathering people together in person (such as community trainings) had to stay flexible this year. When it became safe, we were very glad to resume the wildlife monitoring trainings in Nepal in April and October.
The next Biodiversity Heroes training in Myanmar is still on hold due to a combination of political unrest and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Many continue to be staying at home more than they did pre-pandemic, so we have continued to provide new ways for people to find out about community-based conservation online, such as our new “What is Community Conservation?” video and more frequent updates on our social media.
Thank you for your support
We are so grateful to our supporters this year for your ongoing commitment to Community Conservation Inc. Our work with communities is going strong, thanks to you!
For more examples of the successes of community-based conservation, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
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