Lessons for Successful Coexistence
When I began working at Defenders of Wildlife three months ago, I arrived a wildlife conservation neophyte. I had experience with other types of environmental protection, but I had never had the chance to do extensive work with wildlife — although perhaps I could get some conservation credit for bungling a memorable, chaotic crabbing operation on the Chesapeake Bay and saving several bushels of Maryland’s beloved crustaceans in the process.
Nevertheless, I was imbued with a sense of purpose borne of countless hours growing up spent outdoors in nature. I was eager to begin my role as the field conservation intern and learn about the aspect of Defenders’ work that would be my central focus for the summer: human-wildlife coexistence.
A basic definition of “coexistence” as it pertains to conservation is seeking out nonlethal ways to prevent conflicts with wildlife. A classic example of this coexistence is fencing off a herd of sheep to prevent wolf depredations rather than simply shooting the wolves.
If that definition seems narrow, that is because it is. Defining coexistence in that way clarifies it as distinct from other conservation work that does not affect a direct interaction between humans and wildlife that typically leads to the animal’s death. In doing so it provides a useful, if vague, distinction between some types of conservation work and others.
My central task this summer was to compile information on all of Defenders’ coexistence work into a central location to serve as a reference for the entire organization. Initially, I thought that coexistence work would be relatively straightforward projects, like fencing and fladry or bear-safe food storage containers.
However, as I spoke with field staff I quickly learned that while those projects are very important, they don’t capture the full breadth of coexistence work at Defenders. During my time working with the field staff and learning about their work, I found myself most impressed by two main tenets of coexistence: creative innovation and community participation.
The first of these, creative innovation, is something that I experienced time and again while talking to field staff about the projects they were working on. In Alaska, for instance, Defenders is working with a research team at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks to utilize a new technology — an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) equipped with thermal imaging cameras — to map the locations of polar and brown bear maternal dens beneath snow and ice. The maps produced using this new approach will be used to ensure human development does not disturb critical denning habitat.
In the lower 48, many of Defenders’ newest innovative coexistence projects are designed to reduce wolf depredations. My personal favorite project — and perhaps the most creative — is a ten-foot “air dancer” like those found on the corners of used car lots. Defenders helped a rancher in Oregon install this prototype deterrent in February to keep wolves away from his llamas. That is a sentence I certainly could not have expected to write when I began this internship.
In addition to these innovative tools and strategies for furthering coexistence efforts, Defenders works creatively to involve all stakeholders in coexistence efforts, respecting the interests of people in addition to wild species.
Ranchers out west, for instance, often opposed wolves being reintroduced to their historic range, particularly when proposed by groups such as Defenders headquartered far away in D.C. It would be easy to accept that the two groups are diametrically opposed. What impressed me about Defenders was how willing the organization is to try to find solutions that doesn’t compromise their values or mission.
In eastern Arizona, Defenders works closely with the White Mountain Apache Tribe to promote coexistence between ranchers and Mexican gray wolves on reservation land, including sponsoring a youth conservation program for aspiring conservationists and biologists. In Florida, Defenders helps landowners finance and construct predator resistant enclosures to protect attractants such as chickens or goats from Florida panthers.
These projects not only help entrench nonlethal coexistence approaches in the region, but also develop relationships with the community. Including all stakeholders is critical in conservation work, but especially in coexistence, in which the wildlife that need protection are also often perceived as threats to a stakeholder’s livelihood.
Those two core elements of coexistence work stand out the most to me as I reflect on this internship, but still don’t do justice to the entire body of work I am fortunate enough to have experienced at Defenders. Few people even within the organization get the chance to learn about each field office’s coexistence programs like I did. I count myself lucky to have had this opportunity, and grateful for the chance to make meaningful contributions to Defenders’ coexistence work. With so many moving parts and such high stakes, coexistence does not come easy, but Defenders is clearly at the forefront of this endeavor to help people live peacefully beside wildlife.
