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Community Conservation in Zimbabwe
Through social science training workshops, The Living Desert works with field conservationists across the globe to address species survival and ecosystem success within each community.
By Dr. James Danoff-Burg, Vice President of Conservation
To help combat species decline in Zimbabwe, The Living Desert’s conservation team recently lead three Building Community Conservation Success (BCCS) social science workshops for different groups of African conservation biologists and their colleagues. Traveling from Sizinda to Hwange National Park and finally Bulawayo, the team worked closely with each group to address human-wildlife conflict issues and develop a plan that is specific to each community’s needs.
First created in 2018, The Living Desert’s Building Community Conservation Success social science training workshops are transforming how conservation is being done around the world. These 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. Thus far, The Living Desert has completed 11 multi-day workshops in eight countries for a total of 241 people. The Living Desert has also offered a dozen shorter one-day courses for an additional 250 people from a total of 29 countries.
What is social science training and why is it needed? By examining the relationships of people within a community to their surrounding wildlife and ecosystem, it is possible to plan towards a holistic solution for humans and wildlife to co-exist. Most people that 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. Because conservationists are usually biologists, they are not fully equipped with the skills to learn from and work with the people living near the wildlife and ecosystems that are threatened. They need the skills and support to do social science research. This is where The Living Desert has become a world leader.
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. As such, because people are the problem, people need to also be the solution. This has led many to realize that conservation is not a biological science, rather, conservation is a social science.
By helping local conservation organizations around the world, The Living Desert is helping them address the root causes of species declines, while improving the lives and livelihoods of people living in and around invaluable natural areas.
BCCS Zimbabwe Workshops
SIZINDA, ZIMBABWE: The Living Desert partnered with Painted Dog Research Trust (PDRT) for a 5-day BCCS workshop with 28 participants, including students and conservationists from the University of Namibia, Zimbabwe Republic Police, and Matetsi Game Lodge. Participants learned foundational social science skills, then created several research projects and surveys focused on human-wildlife conflict affecting the African painted dog within the Zambezi National Park.
NEAR HWANGE NATIONAL PARK: In collaboration with Imvelo Safari Lodges and Community Rhino Conservation Initiative, The Living Desert’s second BCCS workshop included 11 students and two faculty from Lupane State University. Participants created and then implemented two interview guides geared toward local communities’ needs and, separately, their experiences with human-wildlife conflict, including white rhino reintroduction within a nearby sanctuary.
BULAWAYO, ZIMBABWE: Partnering once again with Imvelo Safari Lodges, The Living Desert’s third BCCS workshop was a 3-day version of the previous course with students from the National University of Science and Technology. Participants learned the importance of community engagement in conservation success and developed a survey that they could implement in the future.
