International conservation

Conservation & Advocacy
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It is not mainly because I am not an American citizen, but because I believe there is no planet B, that I want to launch a plea here to expand this category beyond the borders of the beautiful country that the USA is. The last Webinar proved that the wonders of the world exist everywhere. I have lived and worked for quite some time in Africa and can testify that we need more, not less, attention to intense relationships with the people of that continent. Please continue to share your pictures and your views on the ways and means to develop and protect nature in low and middle income countries as well. Have a nice day. Xavier

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Xavier,

Thank you so much for raising this incredibly important point. You’re absolutely right – there is no Planet B, and the challenges facing nature and conservation extend far beyond the borders of any single country. While the immediate impetus for creating this category was the specific situation with staff reductions in the US National Park Service and Forest Service, our ultimate goal is absolutely to foster a broader discussion about global conservation efforts.

We wholeheartedly agree that the wonders of the world, and the threats to them, are not limited by national boundaries. Your experience living and working in Africa, and your call for greater attention to the relationships between conservation and communities in low and middle-income countries, is invaluable.

Here’s how we can move forward and expand the international scope of this category:

  1. Immediate Inclusion: We encourage all NPN members, regardless of location, to share their experiences, insights, and advocacy efforts related to nature conservation anywhere in the world. This category is notlimited to US-centric issues. Please feel free to start new topics discussing challenges and solutions in other countries and regions.
  2. Evolving Structure: As the category grows and more international content is added, we can adapt the structure to better reflect this global focus. This might involve creating subcategories for different regions or continents, or developing specific tags to categorize posts by location. We’ll be monitoring the activity and making adjustments as needed.
  3. Seeking Expertise: We would love to hear from members with expertise in international conservation law, policy, and on-the-ground efforts. Your knowledge and perspectives are crucial to building a truly global resource. We are particularly interested in best-practice examples of photography being used to support conservation internationally.
  4. Collaboration: We’re open to suggestions for how to best facilitate collaboration and knowledge-sharing across borders. Perhaps we could host future webinars or discussions focused on specific international conservation challenges.

In short, we completely agree with your sentiment and are committed to making this category a truly global resource. Your input, and the participation of other members with international experience, will be essential to achieving this goal. Thank you again for bringing this to our attention. We are excited to work with you and the entire NPN community to build a more inclusive and impactful platform for nature conservation advocacy.

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Dear David,
Thank you so much for this extended answer. I will look around for support to the points you raise.
Read you soon,
Xavier

Xavier de Béthune
Fortstraat 1 GLV
BE-2640 Mortsel
+32 496 502 988
xaviermortsel@gmail.com