WCS 3-Sentence Science

Scientists + Wildlife Managers = Better Conservation

September 6, 2019

CREDIT: JULIE LARSEN MAHER/WCS

Each year, Wildlife Conservation Society scientists publish more than 300 peer-reviewed studies and papers. “WCS 3-Sentence Science” is a regular tip-sheet — in bite sized helpings — of some of this published work.

Here we present work by WCS’s Sarah Durant on how conservation scientists need to work with wildlife managers to achieve inclusive success.

1. Even though wildlife managers view science as critical to their decision-making processes and strongly support scientific research, particularly when research directly addresses their information needs, they reported problems in accessing final results and highlighted the need to access raw ecological data from research undertaken within protected areas.
2. Scientists need to engage more with managers through all steps of the research process, from project design and implementation through to scientific publication and end-of-project agreements.
3. The analysis calls for a greater awareness of the geo-political context under which science is undertaken, and for increased scientific participation through an inclusive approach that recognizes, and gives credit to, a wider diversity of scientific contributions and expertise.

Study and Journal: “Bridging the divide between scientists and decision-makers: How behavioural ecologists can increase the conservation impact of their research?” from Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
WCS Co-Author(s): Sarah Durant, WCS Tanzania program

For more information, contact: Stephen Sautner, 718–220–3682, ssautner@wcs.org.