Recent article unpacking colonial history & current realities in conservation science

Fig. 1 (adapted). Time line of Indigenous resilience, resistance, and resurgence through colonization. Displayed are key historic events in colonial history and the making of settler colonial conservation, from pre-colonization through to a decolonial future.

Our own (Dr.!) Tamara Layden recently published one of their dissertation chapters that unpacks settler colonial histories and current realities related to conservation science research and practice. This article was a joint endeavor, with contributions from Dr. Dominique David-Chavez, Gemara Gifford, and other colleagues from Colorado State University and UC-Boulder. With the authorship team being predominantly women of color, this article draws from a collective of lived experiences, learnings, challenges, and hopes for the field of conservation and beyond.

In this article, Tamara and colleagues synthesize the origins of conventional (a.k.a. settler colonial) conservation, resulting disparities, and pathways, mechanisms, and further resources for re-centering relationships and honoring Indigenous rights in conservation science. Check it out to take a deep dive and learn more about building more just and equitable conservation practices!