Session: OS-A3
Beyond insights for managers and toward resolving conflicts and creating conservation: applied human dimensions

Human dimensions (HD) in wildlife management has clearly an important research aspect which focuses upon understanding beliefs, attitudes, values, behavioral intention and predicting and documenting behavior regarding human-wildlife related activities. These research studies, often conducted within theoretical frameworks, offer valuable insights to managers as they explore potential support or opposition for possible management actions,... [ view more ]

Human dimensions (HD) in wildlife management has clearly an important research aspect which focuses upon understanding beliefs, attitudes, values, behavioral intention and predicting and documenting behavior regarding human-wildlife related activities. These research studies, often conducted within theoretical frameworks, offer valuable insights to managers as they explore potential support or opposition for possible management actions, identify types of conflict within an issue, and better understand the motivations behind why people do what they do. Innovations such as the Potential for Conflict Index (PCI2) even offer managers a visual means to see consensus and conflict within wildlife management issues. Yet, all this research doesn't resolve issues for managers who are dealing with immediate conflict on the ground. HD scientists are indeed becoming better at studying people, but unfortunately are not working with people to achieve conservation and resolve real issues in the field.

Despite our field of human dimensions being created to resolve conflicts, this applied HD work receives less attention by academics as publications generally focus on such applied work are less likely published. While such engagement work is more encouraged within academic institutions, it remains a low priority in comparison to traditional knowledge dissemination of the published paper. This session focuses on tested tools that achieve conservation: 1) implementing experiential education programs focused on reducing fear amongst local residents after a human fatality caused by coyotes occurred in Nova Scotia, Canada, 2) achieving lion conservation and preserving cultures by working with traditional pastoralists in East Africa and 3) applying a HD facilitated workshop approach to gaining consensus with various interest groups on a wood bison restoration plan in Alaska, USA. Each speaker outlines the nature of the tools and how such applied HD resolves issues and achieves conservation, thus solving challenges faced by wildlife managers. A brief introduction to the session offers context followed by three presentations and an interactive panel discussion where further examples of each applied tool will be shared and ideas put forward to increase our impact of applied HD work. [ view less ]