How can we make conservation more effective for everyone?
This question has driven Conservation International since the very beginning. For too long, communities who live closest to nature have been excluded from conservation, even though their lands were directly impacted by decisions made elsewhere.
Conservation International puts people and their needs at the very heart of our work. We’re embedding the voices of Indigenous Peoples in both science and fieldwork, creating meaningful opportunities for local communities to play a direct role in decision-making, and reviving ancient practices that have helped sustain nature for millennia.
How we’ll do it
Keep our approach focused on people, ensuring we listen to and collaborate with the communities we work alongside.
Launch new training programs that promote conservation practices rooted in human rights.
Establish the Conservation International Center for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities to guide our efforts and give Indigenous leaders and local community members a seat at the table
Expand and accelerate our grantmaking to more than US$ 85 million a year, increasing the number and average size of grants to organizations led by Indigenous people, local communities and the organizations they lead.
Support women and girls to become conservation leaders in their communities.
In action
Indigenous Women’s Forest, Peru
In Peru’s Alto Mayo region, Conservation International partnered with the women of the Shampuyacu Indigenous community to set aside land for growing native medicinal plants.
This area, called the “Nuwas Forest” (meaning woman in the Awajún language), serves as an important space for preserving ancestral knowledge, passing down traditions and offering a safe gathering place for women. The women also generate income through the production of handicrafts, cassava and herbal teas using traditional knowledge of medicinal plants.
Though they account for only 5 percent of the world’s population, Indigenous Peoples steward or hold tenure rights to more than a quarter of Earth’s surface, representing at least 37 percent of the world’s natural lands.
YOU CAN HELP HEAL OUR PLANET AND PROTECT OUR FUTURE
Join a passionate, visionary collective of donors as we work together to heal our planet and protect our future. In today’s unpredictable world, the need to be nimble and responsive has never been clearer. Whether in times of crisis, opportunity or new discoveries, plans must evolve. Flexible funding enables Conservation International’s scientists and experts to act with intention, agility and courage.
You can make a campaign gift to help Conservation International heal our planet to protect our future.