Jennifer Kovecses

The role of big data and AI in building community trust and empowerment

July 19, 2024

Lately, the news has been filled with stories about the good, the bad, and the ugly of artificial intelligence (AI). From ChatGPT to AI bots popping up on all our digital devices, it feels like AI and big data tools have very quickly become omnipresent in many of our spaces. And even though we have been leveraging data in our conservation spaces for a long time, there is newfound interest in seeking meaningful and impactful ways to incorporate novel data tools into our work as we seek to reduce the impacts of climate change and reverse biodiversity loss.

I recently had the immense pleasure to attend the Greater & Greener conference in Seattle this June. This convening is one of the largest gatherings of urban parks thinkers, innovators and decision-makers in North America. Among its interlinked themes, the event focused on equity, inclusivity and climate change, all themes that echo values we hold at the Salazar Center. One of the keynotes, Jaqueline Lu, of Helpful Places, gave an inspiring and passionate talk about the potential for AI to empower local residents and to build trust between communities and local government decision-makers, all while helping to green our cities. In a space where conversations were focused on trees, parks, and people, it was a head turner. What she talked about really resonated with me in a surprising way.

Jaqueline founded Helpful Places to foster building diverse coalitions to advance the adoption of what is known in the AI world as Digital Trust for Places & Routines (DTPR), which is an open-source “system-to-people” communication standard for technology. The goal of their DTPR project is to advance greater transparency and civic dialogue about the use of digital technologies in the built environment (you can see some examples of it here and here). Jaqueline told a story of how in 2015 she worked on a city-wide participatory street tree mapping project in New York City. The effort involved 2,200 volunteers from 60 community groups, who mapped over 600,000 trees. This project was the genesis of the idea that we could better leverage data to empower communities and engage more collaboratively with city decision makers. It helped drive her to think more deeply about the ways that cities struggle with engaging communities about data. Realizing that most of the public will never attend a community feedback meeting, but everyone in a city will be using public spaces, she saw an opportunity. 

There were multiple ideas in this talk that resonated with me. First, I loved that the motivation for the tool was centered around community co-creation and trust building. To create the DTPR framework, people from a diversity of backgrounds and lived experiences co-designed and tested it along with technology, privacy, smart city and public realm experts.

This notion of community co-creation and trust aligns with our values at the Salazar Center. At our Symposium for Conservation Impact last year, several speakers elevated the idea that progress only moves at the speed of trust and this AI tool is an intriguing way to think about building trust. The talk also made me wonder about how AI tools such as what the speaker described can be better incorporated into climate and biodiversity protection, in cities or outside cities. In our current urban climate resilience work, we too have been thinking about ways that city decision makers can make better use of data to inform and accelerate decision-making and action. Are AI tools the best way to accelerate action so we can reach change faster on the climate and biodiversity fronts? We already use a lot of big data sets in biodiversity protection and climate resilience work and there are many examples of urban climate community science projects (see this example from one of other former Symposium speakers, Dr Jeremy Hoffman). Yet, what was intriguing about this presentation was how the Helpful Places DTPR project was not simply a data gathering exercise that could potentially be used to influence government decision-making, but that government decision-making was built into the process through collaborative engagement with communities.

AI is not going away – those horses have left the barn. It is therefore critically important that we think deeply and carefully about how it gets used, who gets to use it, and the best ways to make it work for nature and people.

Shoshanna Dean

Connecting the Northeast through land, water, and collaboration

July 16, 2024

I was lucky enough to attend the first ever Northeastern North America / Turtle Island Connectivity Summit (NENAM) in Montréal / Tiohtià:ke, Canada, hosted by our friends at the Quebec Labrador Foundation, the Center for Large Landscape Conservation, and the Staying Connected Initiative. The Salazar Center’s efforts focus on the continental scale, so it was especially exciting to attend a conference where the attendees were collectively focused on their impact on a shared and beloved landscape. The spirit of the gathering was centered on transcending borders and sectors to recognize that humans, plants, and wildlife need connected landscapes to thrive.

NENAM brought together practitioners, government representatives, agencies, tribal representatives, and funders to create a regional roadmap to better understand their challenges and achieve a resilient and connected Northeastern North America.

The Salazar Center also wants to protect this ecologically diverse and important geography. We plan to hold our second Peregrine Accelerator for Conservation Impact – a tailored training, mentorship, and peer-learning program designed to identify and strengthen innovative conservation projects – in the North Atlantic Transboundary region.

This region encompasses seven U.S. states and three Canadian provinces. The landscape has even been identified by The Nature Conservancy as one of their four globally significant core areas, due to the region’s critical potential to conserve biodiversity, act as a carbon sink, and provide resilience in the face of climate change. From the Atlantic coast to the Adirondacks and Appalachians, a host of plant and animal species rely on an intact and conserved landscape to survive. The collaborative work being done by the organizations at NENAM is a vital step to ensuring species can move between habitats, particularly in the face of a changing climate that is pushing many to higher elevations and latitudes.

Takeaways

I learned so much from this impressive group. These are a few of the takeaways that will stick with me from NENAM:

1. Indigenous nations are leading the way

Indigenous groups are responsible for stewarding 80% of the world’s biodiversity, despite making up only 5% of the world’s population. Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge is continuously proving to be critical for protecting intact landscapes. The tribes and First Nations of the northeast are leading a multitude of impressive efforts to establish Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs), restore free flowing rivers, and reignite the traditional stewardship of their ancestral lands. For too long the conservation community kept Indigenous groups out of critical conversations, and the time is now to elevate and collaborate with those who have stewarded the land for time immemorial. A particularly poignant moment was when Elder Dr. Albert D. Marshall Sr., Moose Clan of the Mi’kmaw Nation, Mi’ma’ki encouraged us all to “walk together with the uniqueness we have been given” when doing this critical work.

2. Conservation wins when different sectors come together

One aspect of NENAM that particularly impressed me was the diversity of sectors represented. The audience comprised transportation agencies, public works departments, environmental nonprofits, tribal organizations, state and municipal leaders, landscape scale collaboratives, and more. This diverse group of representatives meant that the discussions, particularly in the breakout groups, yielded thoughts and insights that were innovative and integrative of the many sectors represented. I am excited to see the final roadmap because it will reflect a multitude of ideas and perspectives historically kept out of the landscape connectivity conversation.

Panel on the work different organizations and entities are doing to enhance landscape connectivity efforts in the region and beyond.

3. We need innovative financing and funding

It is no secret that conservation remains one of the least funded sectors, despite the critical benefits and risk-reduction that nature provides to humans. The global $700 billion financing gap is one of the starkest examples of this, demonstrating that we can no longer afford to do business as usual when it comes to funding conservation. I was excited to hear examples of how leaders in this region are working to explore new ways of funding this critical work. From bonds for nature to cultural ecosystem service valuation, there is a need for a diverse and innovative mix of public and private financing to successfully pay for the work that needs to be done.
My colleague, Catie Boehmer, recently attended the Conservation Finance Network annual bootcamp. She shares her thoughts about the state of conservation funding here.

4. Working at all scales is critical to achieve connectivity

From the smallest wildlife crossing to a dam removal, to a thousand-acre forest reserve, we need to be thinking of landscape connectivity across all scales. This was made evident by the diversity of work that was shared throughout the summit. And importantly, a connected landscape can work to scale up solutions that are successful on the ground by sharing best practices across stakeholders. When we add it all up, landscape connectivity is the result of a multitude of projects that collectively connect and enhance natural space for humans and wildlife. Because of this, projects of every size are necessary to achieve our goals!

5. Borders are man-made

Wildlife and humans have existed without politically designated borders for millennia and will continue to do so into the future. As the climate changes dramatically and pushes species out of their natural ranges, we must ensure that habitats exist to support their movement. A deer, bear, bird, or bug is not going to care whether they are in the United States or Canada, they will only care if they have the resources needed to support their shift in range. Collaboration across these borders is critical for the ensured survival of us all. Similarly, Indigenous nations such as the Wabanaki have been separated by federal borders. They are still connected by their shared knowledge, traditions, and stewardship of the region, and demonstrate that borders are truly what we make of them.

Final thoughts

It is exciting to see the impressive collaboration towards a shared vision of what connectivity means for the Northeast Atlantic region. I am personally thrilled to be bringing the Peregrine Accelerator to the region in 2025, knowing that there is a strong base of committed and visionary practitioners working to build resilience for the region. We all have our work set out for us to meet global challenges for climate and biodiversity, and the NENAM summit proved that together, we just might get there.

Catie Boehmer

Conservation Finance: Hope for the future but a high bar for access

July 3, 2024

This June, I had the privilege to participate in the Conservation Finance Network’s (CFN) annual bootcamp, which has been running since 2007 and is designed to increase the ability of conservation professionals to apply innovative and effective funding and financing strategies to their work. Over the course of the week, I was introduced to a wide variety of funding opportunities and tools, many of which can be blended (or “mushed,” as our friend Peter Stein often says) to ultimately activate lots of different dollars for land and natural resource conservation.

I was blown away by the wealth of options, from federal grant programs to forest carbon markets to payments for ecosystem services. I was also a little overwhelmed by the complexity of many of the opportunities—especially those with the highest returns. As I listened to different experts and heard about case studies from across the U.S., the possibilities both excited and discouraged me. Many of these financing mechanisms, and the processes for accessing and mobilizing them, felt like they’d be out of reach for the community- and Tribal-led groups with whom my own work so often intersects.

Sometimes that inaccessibility is driven by how funds are allocated (or not). For example, the Forest Service’s Forest Legacy Program awarded a total of $5.5 million in its latest round of grants, but less than $500,000 of those funds when to Tribes. Sometimes, inaccessibility is a function of how much capacity a group needs to apply for funds. With something like the Natural Resource Conservation Service’s Regional Conservation Partnership program, the application often takes up to a year to complete and may require ongoing consultation with overextended federal employees or expensive consultants—with no guarantee of funding at the finish line. Other times, grants require a match to be eligible, or impact investors want to see a group demonstrate existing assets to offset liability. With all these funding options, a would-be recipient needs significant time, expertise, and relationships to be competitive, and even when those stars align, you’re up against dozens of other fund-seekers for a limited pool of resources.

Despite these barriers, I did come away from the bootcamp feeling hopeful for the future of funding conservation in new, different, and better ways. Leigh Whelpton, with Connecticut Green Bank, reflected on how innovative policy approaches can animate dollars for conservation. One example that stood out to me was the state of Connecticut’s ongoing efforts to create “resiliency improvement districts” via a ballot measure, which would deploy tax revenues toward assessments, data collection, and project implementation to address community-level climate change vulnerabilities. The measure did not pass in the most recent election, but its advocates have not given up. In the meantime, decision-makers must continue to consider how the inherently tax-base-dependent benefits of these districts can also be realized in less affluent communities (e.g., wealthy communities pay more in taxes, so a new tax will generate more dollars for those communities and less dollars for lower-income communities), who are typically more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

A trend toward “community navigator” programs was also highlighted: groups with a combination of capacity, expertise, and strong frontline relationships are stepping in to ensure Tribes, Indigenous groups, and other community-led entities have an equitable opportunity to access funding resources.

The First National Development Institute, for example, is partnering with the Forest Service to increase Tribes’ access to Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and related Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) programs and opportunities. Outside of the bootcamp, I’ve also recently encountered others stepping into this navigator role. Native Americans in Philanthropy is supporting Tribal-led applicants to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership is creating a position to support groups seeking funding for conservation work in the Rio Grande.

It also gave me hope to see that I wasn’t the only person in attendance with the goal of creating a multiplier effect for the resources and expertise showcased at the bootcamp, and that CFN is recruiting and supporting participants with that intention. The Walton Family Foundation and Global Conservation Solutions were just a few of the other organizations represented at the bootcamp with the same purpose of learning more to better support their grantees and clients.

My own goal in participating was to deepen my knowledge about conservation finance so that I can ultimately re-deploy that expertise for the benefit of the Salazar Center’s Peregrine Accelerator participants. By introducing them to new funding opportunities via our curriculum and connecting them with some of the other experts I met through the bootcamp, they will be better prepared to pursue, diversify, and maximize dollars for their on-the-ground conservation solutions. It’s a privilege to serve as this kind of conveyance for the incredible groups whose work we support through the Peregrine Accelerator. As I look to the field more broadly, I’m excited that we’re now part a growing network of like-minded organizations that are navigating—and empowering others to navigate—a complex and changing funding landscape, no matter what it looks like.

Emily Barbo

Juneteenth: Celebrating Black Environmental Leaders and Their Legacy

June 14, 2024

Juneteenth, celebrated on June 19th, marks a pivotal moment in American history when the last enslaved African Americans were emancipated in 1865. As we honor this day of freedom and reflection, we reflect on the contributions of Black leaders who have shaped and continue to shape the environmental movement. From pioneering conservationists who have dedicated their lives to protecting natural landscapes to tireless advocates for environmental justice who strive to ensure equitable access to clean air, water, and land, these influential figures remind us that the fight for justice extends beyond social and economic realms into the very fabric of our environment. Join us as we celebrate the achievements and legacies of just a few remarkable individuals who have driven change for a more sustainable future for us all.

Dr. Mustafa Santiago Ali
Environmental justice leader and Vice President of Environmental Justice, Climate, and Community Revitalization at the National Wildlife Federation

Dr. Ali has been a prominent figure in the environmental justice movement for decades. He was the Assistant Associate Administrator for Environmental Justice at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). His work addresses environmental and health disparities in marginalized communities, advocating for policies prioritizing equity and community empowerment. He works with several Fortune 500 companies as they journey towards becoming 21st-century organizations, focused on integrating justice and equity into their respective programs, policies, and activities. Dr. Ali participated in the Center’s 2020 International Symposium, giving a keynote address on climate resilience, environmental justice, community revitalization, and how we can shift our cities from “surviving to thriving.”

MaVynee Betsch
Environmentalist and activist

Known affectionately as the “Beach Lady,” MaVynee Betsch was a passionate environmentalist and advocate for African American heritage preservation. She descended from a long line of community leaders: her great-grandfather, A.L. Lewis, founded the Afro-American Life Insurance Company, becoming Florida’s first Black millionaire. She dedicated her life to preserving American Beach, a historic African American community in Florida, and raising awareness about environmental issues affecting minority communities. Former Florida Senator Bill Nelson described Betsch as “a recognized leader in preserving land and history in the South.” She campaigned against the development of “NaNa Dune,” part of the tallest dune system of Florida’s Atlantic Coast, which the National Park Service now owns. Her activism inspired generations to protect natural and cultural heritage.

Dr. Robert Bullard
Founding director of the Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice and distinguished professor of urban planning and environmental policy at Texas Southern University

As a distinguished urban planning and environmental policy professor at Texas Southern University, Dr. Bullard has pioneered research on environmental justice and race. He is the author of eighteen books that address environmental racism, urban land use, housing, transportation, sustainability, smart growth, climate justice, and community resilience. and is often called the “Father of Environmental Justice.” Dr. Bullard’s work has influenced policymaking and raised awareness about the intersection of race, poverty, and the environment.

Majora Carter
Urban revitalization strategy consultant, real estate developer, MacArthur Fellow, and Peabody Award-winning broadcaster

Majora Carter is an urban revitalization strategist known for her pioneering work in sustainable development and environmental justice. She founded Sustainable South Bronx, an organization focused on green job creation and community development. She wrote a successful $1.25M Federal Transportation planning grant to design the South Bronx Greenway – an 11-mile network of bike and pedestrian paths that connects neighborhoods to the riverfront, local entrepreneurship opportunities, and active living features that improve public health and reduce traffic congestion. Her initiatives have transformed marginalized urban areas into thriving, environmentally sustainable communities, demonstrating the potential for inclusive green development.

Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson
Marine biologist, policy expert, writer, and co-founder of Urban Ocean Lab

With a Ph.D. in marine biology from Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Dr. Johnson’s work spans marine conservation, policy, and climate change. She co-founded Urban Ocean Lab, a think tank focused on coastal cities, and is a co-creator of the All We Can Save Project, amplifying the voices of women climate leaders. Recently, she co-authored the Blue New Deal, a roadmap for including the ocean in climate policy. Her next book, “What if We Get It Right?” which will be published this summer, is a collection of interviews with leaders from various fields about promising climate possibilities. Dr. Johnson advocates for marine conservation with a social justice lens, emphasizing the importance of diverse perspectives in environmental conversations.

Vanessa Nakate
Climate justice activist and Founder of Rise Up Climate Movement

Vanessa Nakate’s conservation leadership began with a small protest on the streets of Kampala to draw attention to the climate emergency and destruction of the Congo Rainforest. As her message spread across Uganda and beyond, she founded the Rise Up Movement, to amplify the voices of activists from across Africa. In 2022, she was appointed UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and has addressed world leaders at multiple climate summits. At the 2023 UN Climate Change Conference, she urged delegates to put people first instead of profits, to make polluters pay, to cancel debt and direct climate finance toward the most vulnerable countries that did not create the climate crisis, while making sure fossil fuels are not part of their development. Her activism has brought attention to the voices of young activists from the Global South and the need for urgent action on climate change.

Dr. Jacqueline Patterson
Senior Director of the NAACP Environmental and Climate Justice Program and Founder and Executive Director of The Chisholm Legacy Project

Dr. Patterson leads the NAACP Environmental and Climate Justice Program, advocating for policies addressing environmental and climate injustices. She focuses on the disproportionate impacts of pollution and climate change on marginalized communities, working to amplify their voices in policy discussions. She named her organization after Shirley Chisholm to reflect her intersectional approach. The first Black woman elected to Congress strongly advocated uniting fragmented social movements. Dr. Patterson’s work highlights the interconnectedness of environmental issues with social justice and human rights. “Economy, food, housing, transit—all of these are civil rights issues,” she says. “And climate issues intersect with every single one.”

Dr. Samuel Ramsey
Founder and director of The Ramsey Research Foundation, Professor of entomology, and National Geographic Explorer

Described as “your friendly neighborhood entomologist,” Dr. Ramsey is the endowed professor of entomology at the University of Colorado Boulder, where he teaches about effective communication and how understanding the deep interconnectedness of all organisms can solve real-world problems. He is also the founder of The Ramsey Research Foundation, which conducts cutting-edge, novel research on issues affecting pollinator health globally — including parasite spread, disease management, and habitat preservation. He has utilized his exceptional skillset working in academia, industry, and government — including alongside the U.S. Supreme Court, House of Representatives, and the United States Department of Agriculture.

Dr. Dorceta Taylor
Scholar, professor at the Yale School for the Environment, and environmental sociologist

Dr. Taylor is a professor at the Yale School of the Environment and a leading scholar in environmental sociology. Her research examines the social dimensions of environmental issues, focusing on racial and gender disparities in access to resources and environmental decision-making. Her most recent book, The Rise of the American Conservation Movement: Power, Privilege, and Environmental Protection, was published in 2016 during the 100th anniversary of the founding of the National Park Service. The book examines how conservation ideas and politics are tied to social dynamics such as racism, classism, and gender discrimination. Dr. Taylor’s work sheds light on the lack of diversity in environmental organizations and offers insights into creating more inclusive environmental movements.

Leah Thomas
Environmental writer and intersectional environmental activist

Known as the “GreenGirlLeah,” Leah Thomas is a prominent voice in the intersectional environmental movement. She uses her platform to advocate for environmental justice and inclusivity in the outdoors. She co-founded “Intersectional Environmentalist,” a platform that promotes diversity and equity in the environmental movement. As a Daughters For Earth Advisory Circle member, a new campaign to mobilize women worldwide to support and fund women-led efforts to protect and restore the Earth, she advocates for everyone to join in the fight against climate change. Her work emphasizes the importance of addressing systemic inequalities to achieve environmental sustainability.

Jennifer Kovecses

Celebrating biodiversity action – conservation works; we should do more of it!

May 21, 2024

“Biodiversity starts in the distant past and it points toward the future.”
– Frans Lanting

At the heart of everything we do at The Salazar Center is finding equitable and inclusive solutions to reversing the loss of biodiversity. So, we love a good excuse to elevate and celebrate nature’s critical role in our lives. In this light, the International Day of Biodiversity resonates deeply with our values. For almost a quarter century, the United Nations has gathered the world to celebrate this day with the sole intent of increasing our collective understanding and awareness of biodiversity.

Supporting conservation work that protects and restores biodiversity matters. Recent studies have found that globally, almost $44 trillion of economic value generation – over half the world’s total GDP – is moderately or highly dependent on nature. Biodiversity loss is also deeply linked to human health worldwide. And yet, sometimes doing the work of conservation can feel daunting, even Sisyphean. That is why we were so encouraged to see the results from a recent meta-analysis of over 180 conservation interventions published in Science. The researchers found that in two-thirds of cases, the interventions either improved biodiversity or slowed declines. Not only did they find that the interventions were effective, but they also had large, measurable impacts.

A few things really stood out to me as I read this article. First, the results were not restricted to one type of conservation intervention. Impact was found across a spectrum of project types. Similarly, the positive impact was not restricted to one geography or ecosystem type. This shows that the tools that are already in our toolbox can and should be deployed in more places. Results such as this show that our work is not Sisyphean, and there are solid, science-backed reasons to keep doing the work. Turns out conservation works, and we should do more of it!

But as we consider how to scale up the conservation work necessary to halt and reverse biodiversity loss, we need to think about doing more of it in a way that centers people and the expertise embedded in local communities. We heard this clarion call repeatedly at our last International Symposium on Conservation Impact. When we work to convene conservation thought leaders or work to build the capacity of practitioners to lift their projects off the ground, we are always working with that lens in mind. We believe that getting to durable conservation solutions can only happen when the people on the ground – from all walks of life – are heard, empowered, and have the resources to make change happen.

This year’s International Day of Biodiversity theme is “Be Part of the Plan”. This represents a call to action for everyone around the globe to do something – big or small – to contribute to protecting biodiversity. We could not agree more! But everyone needs to be part of the plan and our policies and funding need to recognize, incentivize and support that vision of inclusive action.

From the United Nations:

The United Nations has proclaimed May 22 the International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB) to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues. When first created by the Second Committee of the UN General Assembly in late 1993, 29 December (the date of entry into force of the Convention of Biological Diversity), was designated The International Day for Biological Diversity. In December 2000, the UN General Assembly adopted 22 May as IDB, to commemorate the adoption of the text of the Convention on 22 May 1992 by the Nairobi Final Act of the Conference for the Adoption of the Agreed Text of the Convention on Biological Diversity. This was partly done because it was difficult for many countries to plan and carry out suitable celebrations for the date of 29 December, given the number of holidays that coincide around that time of year.

Emily Barbo

Symposium 2023 Cross-cutting Theme: Empower

May 16, 2024

The Salazar Center’s fifth International Symposium on Conservation Impact focused on how to achieve a nature-positive future together, to catapult our communities towards durable, high-impact outcomes for climate, biodiversity, and human well-being.

We brought together diverse thought leaders to share ideas and best practices for moving beyond individual pilot projects to build lasting systems change for nature and communities across North America. Our two-day dialogue elevated the interconnectedness of biodiversity loss and climate change, both in terms of their impacts and solutions, while highlighting how a nature-based approach can enhance the resilience of both our planet and society. By design, we assembled speakers with varied expertise and backgrounds to showcase the breadth of differing, and sometimes contrarian, opinions and ideas related to our theme. Our intent with this approach was to facilitate our attendees’ ability to deepen their understanding of the issues and perhaps challenge their perspectives.

The 2023 Symposium Synthesis Report summarizes five cross-cutting themes that emerged from the Symposium, as well as key takeaways from each session. The themes reflect ideas, needs, and opportunities raised multiple times by speakers or attendees. Like the interconnectedness of biodiversity and climate, each theme is also connected to the next. Together, they help illuminate potential shared pathways to enrich biodiversity and build long-term, stable societies and healthy economies across North America.

Don’t have time to read the full report? No problem! We’ve broken it down so you can focus on what resonates the most right now.

Cross-cutting Theme: Empower

“A vision without resources is little more than a hallucination.” – Àngel Peña

Despite unprecedented financial commitments by federal governments, we still face an enormous financing gap in achieving our climate and biodiversity goals. This is true globally and in North America, with an estimated global Biodiversity Financing Gap of $598-824 billion USD annually. While philanthropy has made large investments in NBS, we still do not have sufficient, equitably distributed financial resources to meet this moment. We need a cross-sector, all-of-government approach to find creative ways to support this work.

Building financial sustainability for NBS through private-sector investment

We heard consensus that much of the private sector supports investing in NBS and is pivoting their operations to intentionally support it. Still, significant barriers remain to the private sector’s investment in more impactful and innovative approaches and projects. Those barriers include a lack of consensus and transparency around systems for assessing risk and the impact of the work, especially when it comes to biodiversity. A clearer understanding of cost-benefit in relationship to biodiversity and to its associated metrics is needed to accelerate effective private-sector investment. Private sector companies have already implemented the easier, low-hanging fruit of NBS projects. Now they need help tackling the more challenging and complex ones. Importantly, the corporate sector needs better processes for working with frontline communities meaningfully.

Speakers reflected upon emerging carbon and biodiversity markets and how these markets can potentially supply ‘additive’ funds. However, practitioners remain concerned about these markets’ overall transparency and accountability. International efforts such as the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures and the Science-based Targets Initiative are working to help alleviate these concerns through transparent and durable reporting mechanisms. There is a tremendous need for cross-sector trust-building so that practitioners can be confident that claims of market benefits for people and nature accrue equitably and are measurable and meaningful. While funding sources, like environmental markets, are important, practitioners and policymakers can do more with existing funding sources. How can we be creative with the existing monetary sources to stack funding to drive greater and longer-lasting impacts?

The finance and corporate sectors need a clearer understanding of the benefits of biodiversity protection and how biodiversity loss puts investment at risk. This knowledge gap creates a barrier to further biodiversity investment from the finance sector. Additional data and messaging regarding biodiversity co-benefits and metrics to support tracking those co-benefits are deeply needed.

One critical opportunity that speakers raised concerning financing NBS projects is that we should not just focus on developing novel tools like environmental markets but also consider how existing financial instruments are barriers to delivering positive outcomes for biodiversity and climate efforts. We need to reform financial subsidies that harm nature and exacerbate climate impacts, such as those for fossil fuels and large-scale agriculture. This will require collaborating with policymakers across North America to examine and dismantle subsidy programs that inadvertently provide obstacles to their national and international climate and biodiversity goals.

Disinvestment in Frontline Communities

Throughout the dialogue, speakers highlighted the importance of recognizing the expertise and human capital that already exist within frontline communities. Frontline communities know what they need and have ideas for solutions to meet their communities’ challenges, but these communities often lack investment. One barrier to investment is the spatial mismatch between community-led projects and environmental markets. Investors typically require larger spatial scales for investment, while most community-led projects operate at much smaller scales. For example, the Blue Carbon projects highlighted at the Symposium struggle to access carbon markets because they are small and not aggregated.

There is a strong need to create and support a pipeline of projects ready for investment. Finally, we must develop better processes for equitable benefit sharing of financing efforts like carbon or biodiversity markets. While this is true for all frontline communities, speakers stressed a particular need for working with Indigenous communities on benefit sharing of these market and other financing tools.

Download the full 2023 Symposium Synthesis Report

Emily Barbo

Symposium 2023 Cross-cutting Theme: Learn, Monitor, Adapt

May 9, 2024

Don’t have time to read the full report? No problem! We’ve broken it down so you can focus on what resonates the most right now.

Cross-cutting Theme: Learn, Monitor, Adapt

“Are we doing the right thing?” – Lauren Oakes

Regenerating healthy biodiversity and building climate resilience is hard. Many of us put enormous amounts of energy, time, and money into creating positive change while experiencing tremendous uncertainty around our impact. We must pause and ask ourselves, ‘Are we doing the right thing?’ The lack of metrics and monitoring to support our decision-making is a barrier to answering this question. We need to identify solutions that are effective and lead to durable outcomes. Unfortunately, we are not tracking a common set of metrics to help us collectively answer the question, “Are we getting it right?” The inherent complexity of biodiversity makes a common set of metrics difficult to achieve, unlike so many of our climate solutions which are largely tied to CO2 equivalents. Not surprisingly, we have yet to fully define approaches to track and measure the suite of co-benefits associated with NBS. In order to get there, “Maybe it is less about right and wrong and more about striving for better as people learn from the challenges and successes of their work as it unfolds over time”, as suggested by Lauren Oakes.

Without consistent tracking of sufficient and comparable metrics over time, it is difficult to implement effective adaptive management programs within a project or at a larger policy scale. This gap limits our ability to appropriately advance effective approaches and techniques. Adaptive management and its associated monitoring need to be planned strategically from the beginning of a project and sustained throughout its life. Conversely, speakers noted that effective long-term monitoring can take time to produce results, which conflicts with the urgency to invest in and implement widespread solutions.

To improve adaptive management, we need a clearer understanding of what success looks like in terms of nature-based solutions and their outcomes. Developing a consensus around a common set of performance metrics related to NBS, biodiversity, and climate is required to ensure nature-positive outcomes. The full suite of NBS co-benefits is still poorly measured and understood. One of the major barriers to effective application is the lack of interest from government or philanthropic funders in supporting sustained multi-year monitoring programs. This limits the capacity of organizations to build long-term assessment and learning into their planning processes from the beginning.

Western monitoring requirements create barriers to Indigenous communities

In seeking to improve and sustain the use of metrics, monitoring, and adaptive management, speakers elevated the tension between conventional Western and TEK approaches. TEK is often built and shared around storytelling and non-quantitative measures, conflicting with conventional Western metrics and performance indicators. The limited funding available for monitoring typically prioritizes quantitative performance indicators. This creates an obstacle for Indigenous peoples’ access to critical funding for projects. Maybe more importantly, it also prevents the development of human capacity and cross-cultural trust-building. As a result, speakers called upon the conservation community to recognize and respect that Indigenous peoples do not need Western science and data to validate TEK. We must work together to fund and co-create models of support that are more respectful and inclusive of Indigenous ways of knowing.

Climate solutions must be nature-positive solutions

Another important concept emerging throughout Symposium discussions was the need for intentional planning to avoid potential conflicts between climate and biodiversity solutions. Climate change is often seen as more urgent than biodiversity loss, partly because climate threats and solutions receive better-developed messaging and measurements than fractured ecosystem services and functions. Promoting and incorporating nature-based solutions can help balance this tension. However, there is still a need for policies that fully analyze and prioritize the impacts of climate solutions to ensure no unintended consequences for biodiversity, ecosystems, and communities. We cannot let the sense of urgency around solving climate change over the long term supersede concerns about how those strategies or projects can negatively impact efforts and goals for protecting biodiversity and ensuring positive, equitable outcomes for communities.

Download the full 2023 Symposium Synthesis Report

Emily Barbo

Symposium Speaker: Sylvain Fabi

October 5, 2023

The Salazar Center is proud to announce that Sylvain Fabi, Consul General of Canada, will be joining us in Denver, Colorado for the fifth-annual International Symposium on Conservation Impact.

Sylvain joined the Consulate General of Canada in Denver in October 2020. As Canada’s Consul General in the U.S. Mountain West Region, Mr. Fabi oversees a team of 17 people who work within Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Utah and Wyoming to strengthen trade and economic ties; enhance political, academic and cultural links; and assist Canadians visiting or living in the five-state territory. He is also Canada’s chief negotiator for the modernization of the Columbia River Treaty with the United States.

Mr. Fabi joined the Trade Commissioner Service of External Affairs and International Trade Canada in 1992. He worked in various geographic and trade policy divisions in Ottawa. He was senior departmental adviser to the Minister of International Trade (2009 to 2010), Director for bilateral relations with South America and the Caribbean (2010 to 2013) and Executive Director of the North America Policy and Relations Division (2013 to 2015).

Mr. Fabi’s assignments abroad include trade commissioner at the embassy in Moscow (1995 to 1998), commercial counsellor at the embassy in Havana (2001 to 2005) and commercial counsellor at the embassy in Santiago (2005 to 2009). Mr. Fabi served as High Commissioner for Canada in Jamaica and the Bahamas (2015 to 2017). Before becoming Consul General in Denver, he was Executive Director, U.S. Transboundary Affairs Division (2017 to 2020).

Resources:

The Importance of Colorado’s Relationship with Canada featuring Sylvain Fabi and Kathryn Burkell

Emily Barbo

Symposium Speaker: Joe Neguse

October 2, 2023

The Salazar Center is proud to announce that Congressman Joe Neguse, Colorado’s 2nd District, U.S. House of Representatives, will be joining us in Denver, Colorado for the fifth-annual International Symposium on Conservation Impact.

Representative Joe Neguse has served as the Congressman for Colorado’s 2nd District in the U.S. House since being first elected in November 2018. He currently serves as Chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee (DPCC), the No. 5 elected position in House Leadership, and is the first Coloradan to serve in senior leadership in over 85 years.

During his three-terms in the House, the Congressman has earned national praise for his ability to craft and enact legislation, and as the former Chairman of the Public Lands Subcommittee, has been identified as one of the most effective legislators in the Congress. He has had 22 pieces of legislation signed into law, by presidents of both political parties, and has been recognized nationally as one of the most bipartisan lawmakers in the country, including through his role as Co-Chair of the Bipartisan Wildfire Caucus. He currently serves as a member of the Natural Resources, Judiciary, and Rules Committees.

Before being elected to Congress, Rep. Neguse led Colorado’s consumer protection and business regulatory agency as a member of then-Governor John Hickenlooper’s Cabinet and Executive Director of the Department of Regulatory Agencies. An attorney and civic leader, Rep. Neguse also served six years on the University of Colorado Board of Regents, where he earned his undergraduate degree, summa cum laude, and Juris Doctorate.

The 2nd Congressional District, which is geographically larger than eight U.S. states, is home to both of Colorado’s major research universities and includes suburban cities, rural communities, and the most iconic mountain towns in America. The district spans 11 counties in Northern and Western Colorado, stretching up to the Wyoming border and west across the Continental Divide, and includes Fort Collins, Longmont, Boulder, Vail and Steamboat Springs, among many other communities.

Resources:

Rep. Neguse Introduces Bipartisan Legislative Package to Improve Water Resilience in the West

Emily Barbo

Symposium Speaker: Crystal Upperman

October 2, 2023

The Salazar Center is proud to announce that Crystal Upperman, Senior Manager, Deloitte, will be joining us in Denver, Colorado for the fifth-annual International Symposium on Conservation Impact.

Dr. Crystal Romeo Upperman is a Senior Manager at Deloitte in the Government and Public Services practice helping to bring best-in-class sustainability, climate adaptation, and climate equity support to clients. In her role, she advises on the firm’s go-to-market strategy as part of the Sustainability, Climate, and Equity strategic growth offering. Presently she serves as a review editor for the 5th National Climate Assessment (NCA5)—which evaluates the impacts of global change across the United States—and she serves on the executive committee for the U.S. EPA’s Board of Scientific Counselors in the Office of Research and Development.

Crystal was formerly Vice President at AECOM leading climate resilience, social performance, and ESG for the Americas where she established a new portfolio of business centered on addressing climate equity and environmental justice across all business lines. She worked in tech at a San Francisco startup leading business strategy for air quality monitoring and equity mapping at Aclima. While at Aclima, she spearheaded the development of a climate and economic justice screening tool, developed meth for the integration of environmental health characterization within the platform and led external business development with private and public sector clients.

Prior, she was a Research Associate at the World Resources Institute on the Global Commission on Adaptation—which demonstrated that adapting to climate change improves human well-being and results in better, more sustainable economic development and security for all. Previous professional experiences span several notable organizations and institutions including serving as a consultant at the World Bank conducting research on sustainable agricultural development in China, the Philippines, and Vietnam. Crystal spent 4 years with the Maryland Department of Health leading the U.S. CDC’s Building Resilience Against Climate Effects grant that identified climate impacts and associated health effects in Maryland communities. She also worked for the District of Columbia’s Department of Health regulating the safe use and transport of radiation emitting devices across the district.

Her other prior experiences include extensive laboratory research in environmental remediation and catalyst products with years of regulatory compliance in air and radiation protection at the state levels. She began her career at BASF researching catalyst coatings for reducing vehicle emissions. Crystal’s research focus is in environmental science, exposure science and spatial epidemiology. Her research background includes a national assessment of the impact of climate change on chronic respiratory disease prevalence, which was funded by the US EPA. She has engaged in research projects that entail health risk assessment of climate and weather hazards, exposure assessment of pollen and extreme heat, environmental science translational research to promote sustainability and positive environmental and public health policies.

Crystal is a Trustee for The Nature Conservancy’s Maryland/DC chapter, a board member for WE ACT, a member of the advisory board for APHA’s Center for Climate, Health, and Equity, and a Steering Committee Member for the Environmental Law Institute’s (ELI) Emerging Leaders Initiative. This past presidential election cycle, she served on the Biden-Harris Campaign’s Climate, Energy, Environment policy committee and contributed to the Resilience and Environmental Justice subcommittees.

She earned a PhD in Marine, Estuarine, and Environmental Science from the University of Maryland as a U.S. EPA STAR Fellow and a National Science Foundation LSAMP Fellow. She holds a MPA in Nonprofit Management from Kennesaw State University and a BS in Environmental Science from Spelman College. Crystal hails from Trenton, NJ and spent her early formative years in the Caribbean islands of Trinidad & Tobago.

Resources:

Climate equity – Discovering the next frontier in outcome measurement in government

Emily Barbo

Symposium Speaker: Angela Kemsley

October 2, 2023

The Salazar Center is proud to announce that Angela Kemsley, Conservation Director, WILDCOAST, will be joining us in Denver, Colorado for the fifth-annual International Symposium on Conservation Impact.

Based in San Diego, California, Angie leads WILDCOAST’s conservation projects in the United States including marine protected area (MPA) compliance initiatives, MPA Watch, marine monitor radar, wetland restoration, carbon sampling and research, climate action planning, ocean-related policy, and marine debris interception and removal projects. She joined WILDCOAST’s MPA team in 2017 as the statewide coordinator of the MPA Watch Community Science Program. In 2018, Angela assumed the role of Conservation Development Manager, before expanding her position to include communications. Prior to joining WILDCOAST, Angela worked for the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, facilitating community-based conservation projects in northwest Mexico as well as leading tours of the San Diego Zoo. Angela also worked in the outdoor education department of the San Diego County Office of Education in addition to numerous field research positions throughout North and South America, the Caribbean, and Europe. Angela holds a B.S. in Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution and a B.A. in Biological Anthropology from UC-San Diego and an M.A. in Biology from Miami University in Ohio.

Newly emerging science points to tidal salt marshes and seagrass beds as carbon sequestration powerhouses, potentially storing up to 50 times the carbon of a rainforest. WILDCOAST recently founded the Blue Carbon Collaborative: a network of organizations and individuals representing science, technology, and policy with a common goal to identify gaps and standardize practices surrounding blue carbon conservation, research, policy and resources. Coastal and marine ecosystems such as mangrove forests, wetlands and seagrass areas have great potential for carbon sequestration. These blue carbon ecosystems are a natural solution to climate change. Stemming from their conservation work on mangroves in Mexico, WILDCOAST began examining wetlands in California as potential opportunities for natural solutions. Through the Collaborative, WILDCOAST has identified a need for collaboration around blue carbon research and policy in California.

Emily Barbo

Symposium Speaker: Tannia Frausto

October 2, 2023

The Salazar Center is proud to announce that Tannia Frausto, Climate Change Director for WILDCOAST, will be joining us in Denver, Colorado for the fifth-annual International Symposium on Conservation Impact.

Based in Mexico City, Mexico, Tannia oversees and coordinates WILDCOAST’s blue carbon programs in Mexico and California. She leads WILDCOAST’s blue carbon policy initiatives in Mexico to promote mangrove conservation and restoration. Tannia joined WILDCOAST in 2013 as the Oaxaca Coast Coordinator where she initiated a program to protect the coral reefs of Huatulco National Park and helped to conserve globally important sea turtle nesting beaches.

In 2015, Tannia coordinated a pioneering RAMSAR Wetlands of International Importance management program with Mexico’s National Commission for Protected Areas (CONANP), as the Conservation Management Coordinator.

In 2017, Tannia was promoted to Wetlands and Climate Change Manager and helped to launch WILDCOAST’s blue carbon mangrove conservation and carbon sequestration work. Prior to joining WILDCOAST, Tannia carried out research and conservation work for the protection of coral reefs and sea turtles. Tannia holds a B.S. in Biology from the Instituto Politécnico Nacional in Mexico City and an M.S. in Marine Ecology from Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior (CICESE) in Ensenada.