Reconciling culture and conservation of wildlife: Field insights regarding sustainable community development projects and stakeholder well‐being

Abstract

AbstractThis article showcases tensions between local culture and wildlife conservation work. The community capitals framework is applied drawing specifically on cultural capital, natural capital, and economic capital for elucidation of notable insights. Five cases from across the world are leveraged to identify where and how culture and conservation can be reconciled to enhance the well‐being for humans and wildlife. The five cases include: Whaling in Iceland; elephants in Thailand; monk seals in Hawaii; koalas in Australia; and, wildlife in Alaska. The article demonstrates how different communities have and can shift values to view animals as co‐producers of well‐being rather than commodities. These communities can find ways to examine and take advantage of the intersections of economic, cultural, and natural capital. Moreover, the nature of how species are culturally defined as important is examined leaving many questions regarding power, ownership, and leadership in future sustainable development efforts including wildlife conservation.