Conservation Planning

From the CCNet Chair:
It hasn’t been long since I touched down after our fifth Conservation Coaches Network Rally at Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, Georgia. I feel more optimistic than ever about the future of our Network. The Rally report in this newsletter will give you a sense of the rich learning environment and the fun we had celebrating the work of Network coaches and friends.

Since returning from Georgia, I’ve been reflecting on how this Rally contributed to CCNet’s broader mission. The CCNet partnership was chartered in 2009 because our planning process pointed out that we needed to evolve the Network management model to a more diverse partnership model. In this way, we felt we could better adapt and respond to the needs of the global conservation community and ensure more innovation and growth. At the Rally, it was rewarding to see evidence that those objectives are being met.

At the outset in 2009, our coaches were predominantly North Americans from a single partner organization. Five years later, approximately 140 attendees arrived at the Rally from 29 countries and 47 different institutions. Our coaches now come from 87 organizations, 47 of which are new to the Network since our last Rally.
And we’re growing steadily. Since our last Rally in 2010, 165 coaches have joined the Network, bringing our total to more than 400. At the recent Rally, we welcomed the leaders of four new Franchises in Europe, Africa, Mesoamerica, and South America. With these new Franchises, CCNet has reached every continent.

Demonstrating the value of this global growth, our coaches brought their diverse experiences to bear in adapting our methods and meeting new challenges in their own geographical and cultural contexts. This rich base of experience translated into over 30 workshops. These included a moving workshop with our Australian and South American colleagues on using the Open Standards with indigenous peoples to a workshop on integrating human well-being targets. We also learned of the growing success we are having with government agencies adopting and universities teaching the Open Standards.

To quote from a sign on the grounds at Callaway Gardens, the Rally offered “nourishment for the soul, consolation for the heart, and inspiration for the mind.” Many thanks to all of you who contributed to the success of our meeting and to everyone who contributes to our important work throughout the year.