A new comment in the journal Nature argues that conservation’s impact on the world is being hindered by the field’s lack of inclusiveness — particularly its failure to consistently include both the many different values people hold for nature, and the viewpoints of women and diverse ethnicities and cultures. The comment is coauthored by Heather Tallis, lead scientist for The Nature Conservancy; Jane Lubchenco, former NOAA administrator, currently professor at Oregon State University and member of The Nature Conservancy’s board of directors; and 238 other leading conservationists.
The field of conservation is facing two massive issues at once, says Tallis: a clash of core values, and persistent gender and cultural bias. The comment’s authors aim to address both by raising the voices of women and men from around the world in support of a “unified and diverse conservation ethic” that can align with “the values of the many audiences we need to engage” by recognizing and accepting “all values of nature from intrinsic to instrumental.”
To add your name to the call for inclusive conservation, click here to sign the petition.
