Local people must not only benefit from conservation, but must lead efforts to preserve land and wildlife. Woodland Park Zoo’s conservation initiatives include pioneering community-driven initiatives that conserve landscapes while ensuring local community ownership, decision-making and benefits.

Ground-breaking community projects include governance institution building, community protected area creation and management, conservation-focused one-health initiatives, sustainable livelihoods enterprises, and school and community education projects. From Tanzania to Papua New Guinea, communities are empowered to manage their lands sustainably. Communities are also given a stronger voice at the local and national level, as new governance institutions provide a platform for engaging directly with government entities and the larger international community.

 

 

Fostering Coexistence Between People and Wildlife

As species recover, or where they still exist in abundance, there may be a need to find ways to help people live side-by-side with their wild neighbors while avoiding conflict.

As the global human population increases and wild landscapes disappear or become limited in size, humans and wildlife will only interact more frequently, and the need to foster coexistence will become ever more important. Woodland Park Zoo will continue to implement coexistence strategies in all of our landscapes, including here in the Pacific Northwest.