How many of the top decision-makers and leaders in the conservation arena have ever built a fence, pulled out invasive plants, burned a prairie, cleaned up a public campsite, chased a poacher, or installed boundary buoys in the ocean? Not many. Most are lawyers, business people, philanthropists and marketers. If any of these people have ever been in the field, it was likely part of a ceremony or a site visit, not part of their core, day-to-day work activities. Having a long-term, personal commitment to a specific place is at the heart of conservation work... and the majority of our leaders have no idea what that means or how it feels.
How are organizations supposed to protect and manage land and water if the leadership does not have a clue as to what that means?
How are organizations supposed to protect and manage land and water if the leadership does not have a clue as to what that means?
The solution is simple: Anytime someone without field experience wants to be in a leadership position tell them "no", or, as part of their "Senior Management Training," tell them they must spend at least one year in the field managing a protected area.
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