Impacts of human-dimensions of wildlife training on participants

Abstract

ABSTRACT People who live in areas with high diversity often do not have access to training opportunities because of the gaps in critical training areas, although a wealth of opportunities are available to conservation practitioners. There is a need to offer cost-effective, strategic, evidence-based, sustainable, equitable, and adaptive capacity-building training to African conservation practitioners. Concerted training platforms could fill these gaps by providing learning opportunities while leveraging limited time and money. Forty-two African trainees participated in 13 training sessions in Windhoek, Namibia, in 2018. Surveys were administered before and after training. Sixty-six percent of participants strongly agreed that the training was applicable to their work before and after training. Our results provide insight on the importance of conservation training opportunities for mid-career wildlife managers, conservationists, and practitioners, including the need to ensure training opportunities are accessible and relevant to various people and their needs.