In 2021, we sent out a call:
“Will you help us tell the stories of how cultural and spiritual connections to wildlife can drive conservation success?”
Today, after years of collaborative effort, passion, patience — and no small amount of perseverance — we are thrilled to share the fruits of that labor:
Our paper, The Role of Community Spiritual and Cultural Connections in Wildlife Conservation: A Thematic Model of Social Justice and Sustainability from Cases Across the World, has been published in Community Development!
A True Labor of Love
Unlike many academic publications, this paper didn’t emerge from a funded research grant or traditional fieldwork model. Instead, it grew out of the shared passion of 20+ co-authors and collaborators around the world.
There was no funding for any of the authors — only a common belief that these stories needed to be heard.
Conservationists, community leaders, researchers, and Indigenous knowledge holders stepped forward to share case studies from Central Asia, India, Belize, South Africa, Indonesia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and China. Each case is grounded in lived experience, local leadership, and cultural wisdom.
Together, we met in virtual roundtables, discussed our cases, teased out common themes, and co-created a model for how conservation can — and must — center cultural and spiritual connections if it is to succeed in the long term.
It wasn’t always easy. The nontraditional, story-based, community-centered approach challenged standard academic processes. It took years to get through review and publication. But we persisted — because these voices, and these lessons, matter.
We’re proud to acknowledge and thank every co-author who poured heart, mind, and spirit into this work:
Beth Allgood, Craig Talmage, Brien K. Ashdown, Caroline Stillitano, Indu Kumari, Sally Coxe, Zhou Jinfeng, Linda Wong, Ma Sheng, Jessie Young, Murthy Kantimahanti, Qothrun Izza, Cao Dafan, Ma Chenyue, Maria Azhunova, Jill Korach, John Waugh, Ashleigh Lutz-Nelson, Dorothy Ruth Queiros, and Rupa Gandhi Chaudhary.
Why This Matters
Our paper offers a thematic model that shows how:
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Multiple Ways of Knowing — combining Indigenous and Traditional Knowledge with modern science — strengthen conservation.
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Cultural Keystone Species — species that are spiritually and culturally significant — can catalyze deeper community engagement.
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Women’s Leadership — plays a critical role in sustainable conservation outcomes.
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Community Ownership — not outsider control — leads to lasting change.
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Spiritual and Ancestral Ties — are vital for reconnecting conservation to justice and sustainability.
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It’s not about imposing outside values — it’s about honoring the wisdom already alive in communities and landscapes across the world.
What’s Next?
We hope this paper inspires new conversations, new partnerships, and new actions.
If you’re working at the intersection of culture, community, and conservation — we want to hear your stories too. 🌍
Thank you to everyone who made this possible.
It’s been a long road — but an important one.Warm wishes
Beth & OneNature Team