Powerful Tools, Meaningful Involvement: Continuing the Discussion

For more than a decade, the State of the Rockies Project has been influencing the public discussion of resource management, connecting people with the places where they live, and developing the next generation of resource managers and conservationists. One issue that we, and many others, see as critical to the continued success of LLC, is providing meaningful involvement for the next generation.

The major goal of this proposal is to spark a discussion about solutions that would enfold the next generation into this important work, and, more critically, to do so in a way that simultaneously creates valuable services and tools for practitioners. By creating a tool that is valuable to practitioners, you also create a network that is considerably more valuable to students and volunteers. 

One example that we have considered is developing a robust database. Building off of the 2013-14 Rockies Project work and work being conducted by the University of Montana’s Center for Natural Resource and Environmental Policy, a searchable database containing information about best practices, funding, lessons learned, and more, could be created. Such a database would create the perfect opportunity for students to network, learn about LLC, and do meaningful work; while at the same time provide practitioners with a reliable resource that will further their ability to protect these vast landscapes.

The above, however, is just an idea. It would be foolish to attempt to develop a tool for practitioners without speaking to any! This poster is therefore intended to continue the discussion started in our presentation and serve as another platform for dialogue between preactitioners and educators; creating the type of conversation that can lead to a truly useful product for both current and future leaders in the field of conservation.