Center for Species Survival: Behavior Change
Despite decades of conservation work, wildlife continues to vanish because efforts rarely address the true cause of species decline: human behavior. The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens and the International Union for Conservation of Nature Species Survival Commission (IUCN SSC) are partnering to change that through the formation of the nation’s first Center for Species Survival: Behavior Change (CSS–BC).
This initiative marks a pivotal moment in global conservation, helping to expand focus to include social sciences as well as biology. By addressing human choices, the CSS–BC will empower communities around the world to protect species, ecosystems, and human wellbeing alike.
To date, The Living Desert has trained more than 600 individuals from over 32 countries to build capacity in social science research and related supportive evaluations of behavioral change work.
Species are not declining because they forgot how to breed, eat, or otherwise secure what they need to survive. Species are declining because of human activity and our choices. Therefore, studying and changing human behavior must be a core part of conservation work.
Why was the CSS Behavior Change created? Our Center was created in response the pressing capacity building needs of IUCN member organizations in addressing the human dimensions of conservation around the world.
The CSS Behavior Change at The Living Desert’s mission is to assist conservation organizations around the world in addressing the root causes of why species are declining.
By including behavior change as a focus in conservation, we can collectively address the underlying causes of species decline, support the recovery of endangered and threatened species, and improve the quality of life for communities surrounding vital ecosystems.
Why do conservationists need social science training? Most people who go into conservation do so because they love nature, animals, and plants — not because they love working with people. However, when they begin working where species live, they quickly learn that addressing the root causes of species decline requires working with people. Unfortunately, because conservationists are usually biologists, they are ill-equipped to learn from and work with people living near conservation projects. They need the skills and support to do social science research. This is where The Living Desert has become a world leader.
What do the programs look like? The Living Desert’s Building Community Conservation Success (BCCS) social science training workshops are transforming how conservation is being done around the world.
Our week-long workshops introduce conservation biologists to what they must know to successfully learn from their communities, understand the efficacy of their programs, and determine the best ways to structure their conservation activities to ensure communities, species, ecosystems, and economies can all succeed together.
The BCCS social science training workshops are the best thing that I have ever created. If I succeed in helping save species in my life, this will be the biggest contribution I will make.
The future of conservation must focus on working with local people who determine the success of conservation projects. The Living Desert’s social science training workshops help to promote a just world that values and conserves nature through positive action to both prevent the loss and aid the recovery of diversity of life on Earth.