Communities, conservation & the ECGG: an international partnership

Earlier this month, four ECGG members headed to beautiful Tofino, British Columbia as part of the Community Conservation Research Network (CCRN). The SSHRC-funded CCRN is an international partnership of university researchers, aboriginal and government organizations, community partners, and non-government organizations that have come together to explore linkages between communities, conservation and livelihoods around the world. Drawing on over 70 researchers and partners working across 18 countries, the network provides a unique opportunity to foster synergies and novel collaborations.

The week-long meeting included plenty of updates and networking with familiar and not-yet-familiar faces, and explored new initiatives for the CCRN moving forward. In particular, meeting organizers and local members shared with us the culture and histories of Vancouver Island’s Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations, whose fishing rights and traditional livelihoods issues comprise one of the CCRN’s study foci. ECGG’s own Samantha Berdej, Cheryl Chan and Prateep Nayak presented on their ongoing field research, while Derek Armitage – a founding partner of the CCRN – hosted a productive meeting of the Governance Working Group. The Group recently drafted a working paper on Governance and Community Conservation to identify some of the key ‘ingredients’ of governance arrangements that promote conservation initiatives/practices to sustain human well-being and ecosystem services.

Following three years of productive study, the CCRN is entering the second half of its six-year term. Where is it heading next? Moving forward, the Network is looking to leverage the widespread expertise and experiences of its members to generate new thinking and improved practices on how communities initiate and participate in environmental conservation and stewardship. The CCRN will create a portfolio of resources to be used and applied to other communities. Stay tuned!

Many thanks to Tony Charles and John Abraham for orchestrating the event, and to all the wonderful folks in Tofino for their hospitality.