Welcome Jose!  I am so glad you found Wildhub!

Thank you Natalie for this post and for sharing your passion!  I really enjoyed reading about your experiences and how Elizabeth has been such an inspiration and guiding force for you.  Your post provided some great reminders for me to bring back to my team and my organization as we continue to define conservation leadership within our own organization and how it should be aligning with the field of conservation leadership.  Thank you again! 

Wow, thank you so much for this information Pablo.  This is very helpful.  We fully recognize that this word is so deeply ingrained in our field, our work and our brains and it will take some time to shift the culture around its use and its origins.  However, we are really open to conversations to learn how other organizations and groups are moving away from this word (and other words) and how they are influencing others to do the same.  Thank you! 

Hi Beckie!  Great to hear from you.  Yes, I think the conversations around this word are just starting and are emerging in different places.  However, here in Colorado it has become a high priority conversation given the history and the significance of Native American communities here.  If I get anymore information or resources that could be helpful to folks, I will certainly share them.  

Hi Alejandro!  Great to hear from you.  Thanks so much for the response. I have shared the website to the organization you shared with my colleagues.  Yes, this is a topic that is generating a lot of discussion at our organization and we want to make sure we have as much input and information as possible.  We want to make sure as an organization we are not perpetuating a culture that is not inclusive and safe.  Thank you! 

Hi Alejandro, 

We primarily focused on carnivores and vultures.  Human-carnivore conflict among ranchers and farmers and then the vulture crisis as a result of that conflict.  Maybe we could set up a Zoom call some time to chat more, so much more to share and maybe too much to put into a single post.  However, my advice for anyone looking to be integrated into more into human-wildlife interactions, I would recommend on building your capacity in the social sciences, especially in the field of Human Dimensions.  Also, have you heard of the Center for Conservation Peace Building?  This organization is led by Francine Madden who is the leader in Conservation Conflict Transformation and they are offering online trainings right now.  These trainings are critical to understanding people, conflict, the roots of conflict, how that conflict can manifest into interactions with wildlife and what are some tools and techniques for transforming that conflict into opportunities.  I would suggest you start in those places.  I teach a graduate course in Human Dimensions and would be happy to share resources. :)  See you in class next week! 

Hi Shannon, 

No I never met Dr. Stronza but I have heard of Ecoexist.  We didn't work that far north, our work focused in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve and in South West Bostwana.  But thank you for the reminder of the great work being done by others in Botswana.  Did you work with Ecoexist at all?