People in conservation 2.6

Who is actually in charge of conservation?

-No single person or agency—responsibility is shared.

-National governments create and enforce laws and policies.

-NGOs, communities, Indigenous groups, and individual people all fill gaps and push for action.

-Ordinary citizens matter through voting, comments on projects, and community organizing.

Why are multiple strong conservation actors (govts, NGOs, communities, individuals) needed today?

-Species face overlapping threats: habitat loss, overexploitation, climate change, pollution, invasive species, and disease.

-Climate change forces species to shift ranges, so habitat connectivity and viable population sizes are crucial.

-Laws can slow threats, but only work if communities and individuals actually enforce, monitor, and defend ecosystems.

What does the ESA do for conservation in the U.S.?

-Lists species as threatened or endangered and makes it illegal to directly kill or harm them.

-Historically required protection of habitat needed to maintain a minimum viable population.

-Forced developers to consider impacts on listed species and their ecosystems before projects.

-Recent policy changes weakened the habitat-protection part, making it harder to safeguard ecosystems.

What is the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and its main conservation role?

-A broad U.S. law that applies to any federal agency or project using federal money.

-Requires environmental reviews (Environmental Assessments / Environmental Impact Statements).

-Forces agencies to analyze environmental effects using sound science and share results with the public.

-Gives communities a legal way to comment, criticize projects, and push for alternatives.

How can NEPA and the ESA still fall short?

-They don't automatically stop harmful projects; they mainly require review and process.

-Political pressure and big money can push bad projects through anyway.

-Recent administrations have weakened both laws' interpretations, especially around habitat protection.

-They only apply within U.S. borders, not in other countries.

Example: Resolution Copper Mine

Why is the Resolution Copper Mine project controversial?

-Located near Globe, AZ; would drastically alter a large landscape.

-Water use would be roughly equivalent to the City of Tempe's use for ~25 years.

-Economic gain is mostly for one mining company, while local tourism and ecosystem services lose out.

-Shows how NEPA findings can be ignored when corporate interests win.

If U.S. laws don't apply in places like India or Afghanistan, what can the U.S. still do?

-Apply diplomatic and economic pressure (tariffs, trade limits, visa restrictions).

-Work with other nations to form coalitions that demand better wildlife protection.

-Support international agreements and standards to encourage conservation policies abroad.

What is the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES)?

-An intergovernmental body that synthesizes global science on biodiversity and ecosystem services.

-Similar role to the IPCC, but for biodiversity instead of climate.

-Provides assessments and scenarios that governments can use to guide conservation policy.

What are conservation NGOs and what are their strengths?

-Non-profit organizations that work like a business but are not profit-driven.

-Can be smaller and very targeted (specific species, regions, or issues).

-Not paralyzed by government shutdowns and can move faster or be more flexible than agencies.

-Can work across borders and partner directly with local communities.

What are some downsides or cautions when working with NGOs?

-Funding is always a challenge; they rely on donations and grants.

-Some NGOs may have strong ideological or religious biases that can distort science or messaging (e.g., mistranslating scientific talks about mating systems).

-Donors should check how much money goes to on-the-ground conservation vs. overhead and salaries.

-Important to evaluate real outcomes, not just branding.

Why are local communities so important for conservation success?

-People who live in a place long-term have the most power to defend or destroy it.

-When residents organize, they can resist harmful projects and shape land use to match their values.

-Community-rooted efforts can avoid backlash that comes when people feel "forced" by outside government.

-Community transiency (everyone just moving away when things get bad) leaves room for exploiters and creates environmental injustice.

-Case study: Amargosa Toad (Anaxyrus nelsoni)

What is special about the Amargosa Toad (common & scientific name)?

-Common name: Amargosa toad; scientific name: Anaxyrus nelsoni (formerly Bufo nelsoni).

-Endemic to Oasis Valley in the Amargosa Desert of Nevada (tiny range tied to a few springs).

-Lives in a broad, dry desert with isolated open-water springs.

-Classified as a high-priority, state-protected species; threatened by habitat loss and non-native species.

How did community-based conservation help the Amargosa Toad (Anaxyrus nelsoni)

-Federal listing under the ESA would have brought strong government control over private lands, which locals opposed.

-Instead, ranchers and landowners cooperated voluntarily with agencies to restore springs and maintain open water.

-Habitat improvements boosted toad numbers and helped keep it off the federal endangered list while still protecting it.

-The toad became a local symbol of cooperation rather than a "villain" blamed for regulations.

How do Indigenous communities contribute to global conservation?

-They steward a large share of Earth's remaining intact ecosystems and biodiversity.

-Cultures are deeply place-based, encouraging long-term thinking about land and resources.

-Their land-management knowledge predates Western conservation and often maintains high ecological integrity.

-Modern conservation increasingly tries to support Indigenous sovereignty and leadership rather than replace it.

How did Ernesto Carman contribute to conserving the Unspotted Saw-whet Owl?

-Species: Unspotted Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius ridgwayi), a small owl restricted to high-elevation cloud forests in Central America.

-Climate: cool, wet montane forests with difficult, nocturnal survey conditions.

-Carman used his own time and money to repeatedly survey private lands at night, mapping owl territories and nest trees.

-He built relationships with farmers and convinced them to keep specific cavity trees, protecting many nesting sites.

What is special about the Three-wattled Bellbird (Procnias tricarunculatus)?

-Common name: Three-wattled bellbird; scientific name: Procnias tricarunculatus.

-Males have one of the loudest bird calls on Earth, calling ~2,000 times a day in breeding season.

-Altitudinal migrant in Central America, following fruiting trees up and down mountain slopes.

-Needs connected habitat corridors and fruiting trees across both lowlands and highlands; cattle conversion has removed many of these trees.

How did Deb Hamilton help conserve the Three-wattled Bellbird (Procnias tricarunculatus)?

-She stayed in Costa Rica after grad work, running a small shop for income while focusing on conservation in her off time.

-Identified a "Bellbird Biological Corridor" connecting critical habitats across degraded cattle country.

-Started a nursery and, with volunteers and farmers, planted tens of thousands of key fruit trees in pastures.

-Showed ranchers that scattered trees benefit cattle (shade, windbreaks) and bellbirds—creating a win-win scenario.

What is Leonard Fidelis doing for conservation in rural Tanzania?

-Rural Tanzanian who founded the Makuyu School near safari areas.

-Trains local youth in language skills, natural history, guiding, and practical skills (like mechanics/driving) to access ecotourism jobs.

-Runs the school on a shoestring; lets students stay until they get jobs, often living in tents.

-Even when students don't end up guides, they return to villages with stronger environmental awareness and pride in local wildlife.

What is the monarch butterfly and why is its migration important?

-Common name: monarch butterfly; scientific name: Danaus plexippus. U.S.

-Eastern North American populations migrate 1,200-3,000+ miles to overwinter on just a few forested mountain sites in central Mexico.

-Migration is multi-generational; several generations complete the round trip.

-Overwintering colonies are incredibly dense and visually spectacular but highly vulnerable to forest loss and climate change.

Who was Homero Gómez González and what did he do for monarchs (Danaus plexippus)?

-Mexican environmental activist and manager of the El Rosario Monarch Butterfly Preserve.

-Former logger who turned into a strong anti-logging advocate after seeing deforestation impacts.

-Fought illegal logging, organized patrols and protests, and promoted monarch tourism to support local livelihoods.

-Was murdered in 2020 for his activism, highlighting how dangerous conservation work can be.

What risks do conservation activists sometimes face?

-In some regions, opposing poaching, logging, or other illegal activities threatens powerful economic interests.

-Conservationists have been assassinated for protecting elephants, forests, and other wildlife.

-From 2010-2020, around 2,000 land and environmental defenders were killed worldwide.

El País Conservation can require sacrifices of money, time, safety, and sometimes even lives.