About Community Conservation

Our Mission
History, Philosophy, and our Approach to Communities
What Community Conservation Provides to Communities
Why is Community Conservation so Effective?
Community Conservation Personnel

Our Mission

"In order to promote global biodiversity and sustainable land use, Community Conservation catalyzes, facilitates and empowers local people to manage and conserve natural resources within the social, cultural and economic context of their communities"

Our History

Community Conservation Inc., based in Gays Mills, Wisconsin, originated in 1989, and operates as a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Community Conservation was formed to provide support to experimental grassroots conservation efforts in Belize, but has expanded our work to projects from Wisconsin to New Guinea.

Our Philosophy

Community Conservation strives to establish community-based conservation programs with a strong emphasis on voluntary local participation and respect for rural people as being the best stewards of their own lands. Our goal is to empower local communities to manage their lands with minimal outside interference. Our programs work toward leaving a local group in charge of managing and perpetuating the newly formed community conservation program. We also seek to achieve a balance between economic development and conservation.

The Community Conservation Approach to Communities

We recognize that the needs of each community and its bioregion are unique and that community-based conservation therefore demands creative approaches to each individual situation. We address specific program needs through integration of our four main divisions -

Conservation and Resource Management
Ecotourism and Sustainable Development
Research, and Education
Publications.

We link scientists and professionals directly with communities to provide support and training in crucial areas. Together, local people and Community Conservation professionals solve problems and develop programs appropriate to the community. Community Conservation provides commuities with the tools to manage, monitor and benefit from their own resources, while shaping flexible programs with greater likelihood of achieving long-term success.

What Community Conservation Provides to Communities

We provide support and facilitate involvement of local people in the following areas:

Project Identification, Conceptualizations and Design

Proposal development
Community support development
Work with government

Site Assessment

Vegetation mapping
Land use assessment
Watershed information

Development of Management Goals and Strategies

Land management plans
Zoning plans

Data Collection and Site Monitoring

Resource monitoring programs
Wildlife population counts
Phenology studies
Monitoring hunting and fishing activity

Project Publicity

Media coverage
Scientific publications
Education material

Assistance in Securing Resources

Grant writing
Network funding sources with communities

Sustainable Development

Ecotourism programs
Agricultural programs
Local crafts production
Establish resource use guidelines

Community Conservation is unique and effective

Community-based conservation programs initiated by Community Conservation have proven to be successful conservation models. Our approach to conservation possesses a number of positive qualities that render it uniquely viable.

The Community Conservation approach:

Creates economic incentives for environmental protection
Offers potential to involve large numbers of local people
Nurtures community pride in their environment
Sets the stage for effective conservation education
Empowers local people to control their environment and lives
Reinforces local support of the project
Volunteering is integrated into the program
Effective use of limited resources