CC acts as a catalyst to create community-based organizations in the places where biodiversity is threatened. We bring enthusiasm and information to local residents, highlighting the uniqueness of their area’s forests and wildlife and then ask for their help to protect them. No community that we have approached has ever said no.

• Community Conservation establishes community-based conservation programs with voluntary local participation.

• We promote the highest level of community participation and encourage the formation of community-based organizations (CBOs) to manage their lands and projects.

• We empower local communities to manage their lands with minimal outside interference

Measuring Our Success

• Social sustainability: 96% of our 25 projects are on-going, some for 23-30 years. In 72% of our projects, new community-based organizations were formed. 

• Protected areas: 44% of our projects created new protected areas.  40% of our projects help protect already formed protected areas.

• Protecting forests: In 52% of the projects, communities are actively protecting the forests.

• Protecting species: In 52% of the projects there has been an increase in focal species or other wildlife.  In no case was a decrease found.

• Monitoring: 48% of the projects are actively monitoring either wildlife or forest.

The Cost

• Our community partners protect their forests and wildlife for under $25 per Km2

• Compare this cost to $925 per Km2 projected by scientists necessary to protect tigers (Walston, J., et al.2010. Bringing the tiger back from the brink – the six percent solution.PLOS Biology 8(9):1-4)

• With community conservation methods, the world’s forests could be brought back in 10 years for about $3 billion per year

• Compare this to the projected costs of protecting further loss of species at $78 billion per year (Butchart et al. 2010  Global Biodiversity: Indicators of recent declines. Science, 328 (5982): 1164-1168 )