Starting in a New Place

Good intentions are not enough. Across the Pacific, top-down and donor-driven efforts fail again and again. These experiences can erode trust, making local communities wary of collaboration with governments and organizations. The leaders stressed that community-based conservation is a long-term locally-driven process and local support is essential. The leaders offered many insights to help conservation professionals get off on the right foot when entering a new place, emphasizing that patience and thoughtful engagement of leaders, partners, and allies pays off in the long run.