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In many countries, complex environmental problems such as biodiversity decline are regulated at the national level by a disparate range of laws and nonstatutory policy instruments variously described by terms including plans, strategies, guidelines, statements of intent, and/or incentives. Such instruments are often grouped together by conservation policymakers and scientists under the umbrella term “policy.” However, from a legal perspective, there are critical differences between these so‐called policy instruments. In this paper, we focus on what we consider to be the critical difference: whether a policy instrument is binding, and therefore whether an administrative decision (e.g., about a development proposal) can be legally challenged due to noncompliance with that policy instrument. Drawing from international examples, the aim of this paper is to give conservation policymakers and scientists the guidance needed to critically differentiate between laws and nonstatutory policy, assess current or proposed policies, and determine whether a nonstatutory instrument gives rise to binding obligations, thus allowing for decisions to be challenged before a court. In doing so, we encourage conservation scientists, policymakers, activists, and practitioners to reflect critically on what is possible and not possible when nonstatutory “policy” instruments are designed and implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rigorous scientific practice relies on the tenet of transparency. However, despite regular transparency in areas such as data availability and methodological practice, the influence of personal and professional values in research design and dissemination is often not disclosed or discussed in conservation science. Conservation scientists are increasingly driven to work in collaboration with communities where their work takes place, which raises important questions about the research process, especially as the field remains largely represented by a Western scientific worldview. The process of reflexivity, and the creation of positionality statements as one form of a reflexive practice, is an important component of transparency, rigor, and best practice in contemporary conservation science. In our own professional practices, however, we have found that guidance on how to produce positionality statements and maintain reflexivity throughout the lifecycle of research is too often lacking. In response, we build on existing literature and our own experience to offer a primer as a starting point to the practice of reflexivity. Rather than being prescriptive, we seek to demonstrate flexible approaches that researchers may consider when communicating reflexive practice to enhance research transparency. We explore the challenges and potential pitfalls in a reflexive practice and offer considerations and advice based on our collective professional experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reptiles and amphibians are disproportionately threatened among vertebrates but are lagging behind other vertebrate taxa with regards to conservation plans. As the need to triage data-limited species becomes ever more necessary, calls for conservation priorities to be based on evolutionary considerations are increasing. Although there now exists a large body of literature documenting insight that theory can provide to conservation, complex life cycles of many reptiles and amphibians prevents a simple transference of management principles derived from other vertebrate taxa. Thus, there is a need for a set of principles that acknowledges the unique ecology and diversity of herpetofauna. Here we present 10 key principles from evolutionary ecology that can provide rules of thumb to guide management of reptiles and amphibians. Broadly, we identify five landscape-related principles and five life-history–related principles that account for novel ways in which reptiles and amphibians are shaped by the environments they inhabit. When considered in combination they can be useful in providing a holistic view of a species' status. We hope this paper facilitates identification of species that are in critical need of management intervention and provides a guide for managers and conservation scientists to proactively mitigate extinction risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing power imbalances and injustices could be exacerbated by large flows of international funding for nature recovery. Conservationists are still grappling with what social justice means in practice; a major shift in mindset is required. Conservationists are still grappling with what social justice means in practice. This Perspective argues that a major shift in mindset is required in order to achieve socially just, rights-based conservation, and that shift needs to happen now. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biodiversity conservation on farmland is the result of the interplay of many different stakeholders. Most stakeholders have developed unique communication narratives that support their own worldviews and serve their interests. Societal dissemination of scientific results inevitably lands in the playing field of the narratives from other stakeholders. Presenting evidence without communicating the implications risks inappropriate use of scientific results. Farmland biodiversity conservation scientists need clear, evidence-based communication narratives to improve societal impact. Integrating biodiversity conservation into agriculture is a pressing challenge promoted by conservationists. Although biodiversity can also provide important benefits to farmers, the adoption of biodiversity-enhancing measures is lagging behind the scientific evidence. This may partially be related to the way scientists position themselves. If scientists do not convincingly communicate about the implications of their evidence, other interested stakeholders will drive the conversations. To increase societal impact, scientists must understand the complex communication environment and take an informed and strategic position. We describe the prevailing conservation and farming narratives, highlighting how the term 'biodiversity' can be used to start dialogues between parties with conflicting demands and exemplifying how scientists can build effective narratives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent progress in the realm of imaging technologies has swiftly disseminated fresh methodologies for representing objects, broadening the horizons for scholars such as art historians, archaeologists, conservators, and conservation scientists. Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI) and three-dimensional (3D) modeling via Structure from Motion (SfM) have rapidly gained popularity and are being employed by a wide range of users, expanding the possibilities for understanding objects of material cultural heritage from different perspectives. This paper explores the outcomes achieved through the application of these techniques to gain deeper insights into the surface of a bas-relief within a confined space. This methodology enhanced our understanding of the original sandstone surfaces of the bas-relief by integrating RTI and 3D visualization, thereby acquiring a novel investigative tool with enhanced illumination possibilities. A data fusion approach is proposed using photogrammetry to produce a Virtual RTI (V-RTI). In the case study reported in this paper, focusing on one inner wall of the chapel of Ellesiya at the Museo Egizio of Turin, V-RTI was employed to obtain useful surface information in a context where conventional RTI would have been impossible to achieve. Finally, the study compares the different techniques through direct qualitative and quantitative analysis, highlighting possible future developments from both instrumental and methodological points of view. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on James Spencer Whipple's role as New York State's, U.S., "Indian Expert" and his influence on Progressive Era conservation policies. Topics include his push to bring Indigenous peoples under state control while promoting state reforestation efforts; the impact of his policies on Indigenous sovereignty and natural resource management; and his political alliances that benefited non-Indigenous landholders in Seneca territory, Native American nation territory.

This paper provides an overview of the trade in artists' materials in Canton between 1750 and 1842. Through an investigation of China's foreign trade archives and records, this study gives a picture of international trade in artists' materials, particularly pigments, during this period in Canton. Furthermore, it reveals a close trade in Western modern pigments between the West and China. The results of this research may be helpful to conservators and conservation scientists conducting treatments or technical studies on Chinese export paintings of this period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monitoring the governance and management effectiveness of area‐based conservation has long been recognized as an important foundation for achieving national and global biodiversity goals and enabling adaptive management. However, there are still many barriers that prevent conservation actors, including those affected by governance and management systems from implementing conservation activities and programs and from gathering and using data on governance and management to inform decision‐making across spatial scales and through time. We explored current and past efforts to assess governance and management effectiveness and barriers actors face in using the resulting data and insights to inform conservation decision‐making. To help overcome these barriers, we developed Elinor, a free and open‐source monitoring tool that builds on the work of Nobel Prize winner Elinor Ostrom to facilitate the gathering, storing, sharing, analyzing, and use of data on environmental governance and management across spatial scales and for areas under different governance and management types. We consider the process of codesigning and piloting Elinor with conservation scientists and practitioners and the main components of the assessment and online data system. We also consider how Elinor complements existing approaches by addressing governance and management in a single assessment at a high level for different types of area‐based conservation, providing flexible options for data collection, and integrating a data system with an assessment that can support data use and sharing across different spatial scales, including global monitoring of the Global Biodiversity Framework. Although challenges will continue, the process of developing Elinor and the tool itself offer tangible solutions to barriers that prevent the systematic collection and use of governance and management data. With broader uptake, Elinor can play a valuable role in enabling more effective, inclusive, and durable area‐based conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: By providing mentorship and by enhancing professional development skills, primatologists can help to build the professional capacity of emerging conservationists. Actions can be adjusted to specific cultural contexts and interwoven into teaching and research programs.Sharing stories about pivotal career moments creates closer connections with mentees and helps to stimulate dialogue on issues of concern.Experiential and networking opportunities assist to broaden the professional perspectives of students and young professionals poised for conservation leadership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some environmentalist writers argue human flourishing depends on rich engagement with wild ecosystems and biodiversity, such that inadequate conservation would undermine our prospects for happiness. To succeed, arguments of this kind must specify a connection between flourishing and ecological engagement that can accommodate happiness' diverse manifestations while also being sufficiently particular to require well-protected ecosystems. I argue these conditions cannot both be met. It is true that nature enriches our lives, that much of its value comes from engagement with wilderness and biodiversity, and that conservation often is a sound investment. But humans can flourish in many ways that do not involve rich relationships with nature, and meaningful ecological engagement can occur even in degraded and urbanized environments. By acknowledging these possibilities, conservationists can advocate for nature without pigeonholing themselves as proselytes for a narrow conception of the good life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Drawing upon the conservation of resources theory, this study aims to investigate whether, how and when salespeople's substantive attribution of the organization's corporate social responsibility (CSR) affects value-based selling (VBS). The authors argue that salespeople's substantive CSR attribution increase value-based selling through two mechanisms (i.e. by lowering emotional exhaustion and increasing empathy), and treatment by customers can increase or decrease the strength of these relationships. Design/methodology/approach: B2B salespeople working in various industries in China were recruited through snowball sampling to participate in the study. There were 462 volunteers (57.58% women; aged 30–55; tenure ranging from six months to 15 years) who provided valid self-report questionnaires. Findings: Hierarchical multiple regression supported the association between salespeople's substantive CSR attribution and VBS. The results showed that salespeople's emotional state (i.e. emotional exhaustion and empathy) mediated the association between substantive CSR attribution and VBS. As expected, salespeople's experiences of customer incivility weakened the mediating effect of emotional exhaustion; contrary to expectations, customer-initiated interpersonal justice weakened the mediation effect of empathy. Originality/value: This study makes a unique contribution to the existing marketing literature by first investigating the role of salespeople's attribution of CSR motives in facilitating their VBS, which answers the call to identify factors that predict VBS. In addition, to the best of the authors' knowledge, the authors are the first to test salespeople's emotions as a mechanism of the link between their CSR attributions and selling behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All over the world, individuals rely on forests for food security, nutrition, and the sustenance of their livelihoods. Forests serve as a source of personal and economic consumption, where harvested products are used directly or sold for profit. Consequently, forests play a crucial role in ensuring food security and supporting the livelihoods of people worldwide. In South Africa, natural forests and woodlands hold particular significance for the well-being of rural communities. These ecosystems provide a variety of socio-economic and ecological benefits to communities residing within or near such forested areas. The Dukuduku forest is an integral part of a sensitive ecosystem at both national and continental levels. It is intricately connected to the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, contributing to the economic development and natural diversity of South Africa. Thus, discussing one area without considering the other is impossible. This paper relies on a combination of archival sources, including newspapers, research reports, and various written and oral accounts gathered from interviews with land claimants, community leaders, traditional leaders, local farmers, and residents of the area. The central argument posited is that the primary source of conflict in the Dukuduku forest arises from the state's efforts to displace forest residents whose livelihoods have historically depended on the forest. The paper aims to illustrate that the racialization of the destruction of this indigenous forest has not served the interests of either the state or environmentalists. Forest residents have employed diverse strategies to resist evictions, resulting in the substantial destruction of the forest and at least sixty percent of the flood plain along the uMfolozi River. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monitoring is vital to conservation, enabling conservation scientists to detect population declines, identify threats and measure the effectiveness of interventions. However, not all threatened taxa are monitored, monitoring quality is variable, and the various components of monitoring are likely to differ in their rates of improvement over time. We assessed the presence of monitoring and monitoring quality, using a range of metrics, for all Australia's threatened bird taxa from 1990 to 2020 (four assessments spanning 30 years). We used our assessments to understand decadal trends in the number of taxa monitored; monitoring quality; and the groups that conduct monitoring. The monitoring of Australia's threatened birds has increased substantially since 1990, from 19% of taxa to 75% in 2020. Monitoring quality has also improved, with 24.1% of taxa assessed overall as 'Good' or 'Very Good' in 2020 (up from 4.8% in 1990). However, by 2020, most monitoring programmes still scored poorly for Data availability/reporting, Management linkage, Demographic data and Training/succession planning. In 2020, private individuals and governments accounted for 59% of monitoring contributions, with the greatest number of taxa monitored by private individuals (79 of 166 taxa assessed). Despite improvements in monitoring since 1990, only a minority of taxa had high-quality monitoring in the most recent assessment period. Monitoring is a powerful tool in conservation, justifying investment in improving how it is conducted. We draw on our results and examples of high-quality monitoring programmes to develop a set of priority actions to improve monitoring of Australia's threatened birds. Although monitoring of Australia's threatened birds has improved greatly over the last 30 years, most-threatened bird taxa still have inadequate monitoring and systemic changes are required to improve monitoring quality on the scale required. We recommend priority actions to improve monitoring including funding reforms, targeted improvements of poor performing monitoring components and actions to boost some of the current strengths in monitoring programmes. Private individuals conduct monitoring for more taxa than any other group, so boosting the quality of their monitoring is especially important. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the exchange relationship between older conservation volunteers (aged over 50 years) and paid group organisers. Using qualitative interview data from seventeen adult volunteers and four organisers recruited from three conservation groups in the North West of England we argue that the psychological contract is important for understanding how organisations can manage and retain volunteers. Our findings highlight the importance of the psychological contract between volunteers and the group organiser, with each party recognising the mutual benefits they bring to the relationship. Participants' accounts revealed that they chose to take on the often physically challenging conservation work because the natural environment was important to them, but also because there was no obligation for them to attend. Thus, being a conservation volunteer allowed them to retain control over their voluntary time commitment and avoid the pressures of responsibility associated with having people depending upon them. At the micro-level, organisers appreciated the expectations and abilities of individual volunteers, managing and adjusting their own practices accordingly to encourage volunteer retention. We consider the implications of our research in terms of both volunteer and psychological contract theory and discuss the potential implications for organisations in terms of managing and retaining older volunteers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study that accuses conservation scientists of bias against nonnative species, which the authors argue casts doubt on the entire field of invasion biology. The study reviewed 300 publications on the ecological effects of nonnative species and found that 66% of them were framed negatively. However, the article points out that there is a scientific consensus that nonnative species pose ecological, economic, and public health threats. The prevailing attitude among conservation scientists is to view all invasions as potentially harmful, although some nonnative species may have benefits from certain perspectives. The article also criticizes the methodology and selective statements made by the authors of the study. [Extracted from the article]

During the fire at Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral on April 15 th, 2019, the historic stained-glass windows were entirely protected by the action of firefighters and the resistance of the vault, which fulfilled its role as a shield. In this context, a group of art historians, stained glass experts, conservation scientists and university researchers was created to coordinate scientific research concerning the stained-glass windows of the cathedral. This "Glass" working group (GT Verre) defined the following priority research themes: the characterisation of surface deposits on stained glass, understanding the interaction of the former with materials and how to optimise conservation-restoration treatments, and general research to extend our knowledge of the 12 th to 20 th -century stained glass at Notre-Dame. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integration of entomology into xylological analysis is a new but increasingly common approach taken by heritage conservation scientists. Archaeology, however, has yet to embrace its full potential. Here, for the first time, entomology is integrated into the xylological analysis of waterlogged timber from the harbour site of a Roman port town in Rezé Saint-Lupien, France. Xylophagous insects were characterised based on the traces they had left in the timber, i.e. galleries and larval pellets. Their identification, sometimes to species level, provided clues about the nature and condition of the timber that had been used to build the harbour, and helped determine when the wood had been colonised, i.e. within the living standing tree, during storage as timber, during construction work or when part of the final structure. Combined with archaeological data, the xylological and entomological analyses have enhanced our understanding of the harbour's construction history and provided valuable insights into the timber choices made by the Roman construction workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A checklist of the cyanobacterial flora of Rudrasagar Ramsar site of Tripura (India) bordering Bangladesh was compiled based on field surveys. Altogether 98 cyanobacterial species representing 16 families and 34 genera were recorded, of which a total of 71 species were reported from Tripura for the first time and 15 species from Northeastern Region of India. The present checklist is an inclusive document of cyanobacterial diversity which could be utilized by fishery managers, conservationists, students and research scientists in Northeast India and boarding areas for designing and implementing of management strategies and scientific monitoring in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic characteristics and population structure within and among Egyptian indigenous chicken strains are important for identifying some genetic resources. The present study aimed to use microsatellite markers to determine similarity and genetic distance among different genotypes and their association with growth and production traits in Egyptian indigenous chicken strains. The current study included 800 chickens and 100 genomic DNA samples obtained from four Egyptian local chicken strains of four different areas (Dokki-4, Mandarah, Anshas, and Al-Salam) in Egypt. Their genetic characteristics, population structure, phylogenetic relationships, and their association with body weight were analyzed using seven microsatellite markers. The performance of 200 chicks from each strain was assessed in terms of individual body weight and growth rate. Al-Salam strain had a significantly higher body weight than the other strains up to 12 weeks of age among the four lines of Egyptian local chickens. Additionally, male chickens across all strains indicated significantly higher body weight than females from 2 weeks of age until the end of the experiment. The study revealed a total of 68 alleles from the 7 loci across 4 chicken strains, with an average of 9.71. The average of observed heterozygosity, expected heterozygosity, and polymorphism information content were 0.799, 0.358, and 0.707, respectively. The Mandarah strain had the highest observed allele number of 5.37; however, the lowest observed allele number was 3.12 for the Dokki strain. Analysis of population structure revealed that the four chicken strains should be divided into three clusters based on the highest log-likelihood values (ΔK value, 56.3). The results showed a degree of heterozygosity in the Mandara strain with 66.7% individual memberships, indicating a level of admixture. On the other hand, the Al-Salam strain indicated a high genetic diversity with 99% individual membership. The current study provides valuable insights for future genetic polymorphism studies, the advancement of breeding programs, and strategies for the conservation of the Egyptian local chicken strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural and social scientists everywhere are struggling to understand how to proceed in the face of continued biodiversity loss and the injustices brought upon people living in and around conservation landscapes. This has resulted in increasing calls for critical reflection on the narratives driving conservation research and practice.Narratives can be understood as part of a larger process of "framing" within an intellectual community, which includes the way studies are defined and discussed. Identifying, reflecting on and even destabilizing entrenched frames can be helpful for understanding when and where our diagnosis or understanding of a problem fails. However, we also need to understand the scholarly processes that create and reify some frames (and not others) over time.We address these needs by developing a mixed‐method approach that integrates qualitative frame analysis and quantitative science mapping to identify the origins of the dominant frame and trace its reproduction in the scientific literature over time.We demonstrate this approach using the case of the Bale Mountains, an internationally recognised centre of species endemism in Ethiopia. Our results show the enduring influence of the perceptions and values of a few early conservation scientists working with limited data. This led to erroneous assumptions and conclusions that, in some cases, were corrected by later research, but in many cases were not. This was a function of the social and intellectual structure of the scientific network, minor but consequential decisions in data interpretation and specific citational habits.Synthesizing these results, we identify several linked mechanisms that helped the dominant frame retain its tenacity and may also be at work in other contexts. We close with a discussion on how others might apply our approach and how future scientific research and conservation practice could proceed differently. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The American burying beetle, Nicrophorus americanus, is federally protected as a threatened species because of population decline in most of its historic range in North America. Recovery of the species requires observation and cataloging of individuals captured in the wild. Previous work has characterized adult beetles as teneral (young) or senescent (old) but improving age determination of adults that survive approximately 90 days is critical to future recovery outcomes. As an adult, the beetle has distinctive orange/red markings over a black background. Because a demonstrable color difference was observed under laboratory conditions, we determined that a gradual, age-based color gradient exists and can be visually assessed to estimate the age of an individual beetle within 15-day intervals. We photographed adult N. americanus at set time intervals over their lifespans and generated a pixel-based approach to age adult beetles in a nondestructive manner. The orange/red color near the head became predictably darker as the beetles aged. A color chart was created that should allow conservation practitioners to assign beetles to six distinct age categories in the field without requiring additional equipment. This technique will refine estimates of population structure and improve the selection of individuals for breeding, potentially improving reintroduction program success. The American burying beetle, Nicrophorus americanus Olivier, is a federally protected insect that once occupied most of eastern North America. Adult beetles feature distinct, recognizable markings on the pronotum and elytra, and color changes with age have been observed. Among the challenges faced by research scientists and conservation practitioners is the ability to determine beetle age in the field between and including teneral (young) and senescent (old) adult stages. Using 20 (10 male and 10 female) captive-bred beetles, we characterized the change in greyscale and red, green, and blue (RGB) color channels over the lifespan of each beetle for field-aging applications. Individual beetles were photographed at set intervals from eclosion to death, and color data were extracted using open-source ImageJ Version 1.54f software. A series of linear mixed-effects models determined that red color showed the steepest decrease among all color channels in the pronotum and elytral markings, with a more significant decrease in the pronotum. The change in greyscale between the pronotum and elytral markings was visibly different, with more rapid darkening in the pronotum. The resulting pronotum color chart was tested under field conditions in Oklahoma, aging 299 adult N. americanus, and six age categories (day range) were discernable by eye: teneral (0–15), late teneral (15–31), early mature (31–45), mature (45–59), early senescent (59–76), and senescent (76–90). The ability to more precisely estimate age will improve population structure estimates, laboratory breeding programs, and potential reintroduction efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Floridan Aquifer region, agricultural producers (farmers and ranchers) and environmentalists are essential water stakeholders, yet they are often perceived to be in conflict over water management. This perceived conflict could be a major impediment to future water policy action. Recent research examined whether there are areas of agreement that could unite producers and environmentalists in support of mutually beneficial water management strategies. A 2017–2018 study found substantial similarities of water priorities between producers and environmentalists despite some areas of disagreement. Capitalizing on shared interests could provide water communicators with a strong basis for developing partnerships and addressing areas of dispute.

Biodiversity conservation work can be challenging but rewarding, and both aspects have potential consequences for conservationists' mental health. Yet, little is known about patterns of mental health among conservationists and its associated workplace protective and risk factors. A better understanding might help improve working conditions, supporting conservationists' job satisfaction, productivity, and engagement, while reducing costs from staff turnover, absenteeism, and presenteeism. We surveyed 2311 conservation professionals working in 122 countries through an internet survey shared via mailing lists, social media, and other channels. We asked them about experiences of psychological distress, working conditions, and personal characteristics. Over half were from and worked in Europe and North America, and most had a university‐level education, were in desk‐based academic and practitioner roles, and responded in English. Heavy workload, job demands, and organizational instability were linked to higher distress, but job stability and satisfaction with one's contributions to conservation were associated with lower distress. Respondents with low dispositional and conservation‐specific optimism, poor physical health, and limited social support, women, and early‐career professionals were most at risk of distress in our sample. Our results flag important risk factors that employers could consider, although further research is needed among groups underrepresented in our sample. Drawing on evidence‐based occupational health interventions, we suggest measures that could promote better working conditions and thus may improve conservationists' mental health and abilities to protect nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effectiveness of science to address conservation issues is linked to the inclusivity and diversity of its practitioners, but scientists from biodiverse tropical countries remain underrepresented in the conservation science literature. To assess the status of sub‐Saharan Africa‐based authorship in conservation science between 2015 and 2021, we analyzed the affiliations of primary authors of research conducted in sub‐Saharan Africa as published in 10 selected conservation journals representative of a range of conservation literature: from high‐impact international journals to Africa‐specific regional journals. Out of 1176 articles, we found that approximately one‐third of the primary authors were based at a sub‐Saharan African institution. African primary authors had a higher output in African than global conservation journals, which corresponded with relatively low overall impact factors and citations for studies led by African authors. African authors were significantly underrepresented in large, multicountry studies, accounting for only 6% of primary authors and 66% of these publications contained no African author. We discuss possible limitations and solutions for African participation and representation in the international conservation literature from the perspective of African conservation scientists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is a tribute to Rasanayagam (Rudy) Rudran, a renowned primatologist and conservationist. Born in Sri Lanka, Rudy conducted groundbreaking research on langurs and blue monkeys, studying their behavior and ecology. He faced challenges and adapted to socio-political conditions during his fieldwork in Uganda and Venezuela. Rudy also made significant contributions to conservation efforts in Sri Lanka, including the establishment of national parks and raising environmental awareness among the local population. He continued to work on primate conservation even after retiring from the Smithsonian Institution. Rudy's legacy as a teacher and mentor in the field of conservation is widely recognized and respected. [Extracted from the article]

Reshaping conservation biology practices While researching lemurs in Madagascar, Wynn-Grant witnessed a glaring problem in the practice of conservation biology. "Hawaiians have called me a sellout and a puppet of the colonizer, and there's American scientists who say I'm not a scientist", Winter says. Graph: The He'eia National Estuarine Research Reserve hosts a workshop that brought together Indigenous knowledge holders and university researchers to discuss equity in authorship. [Extracted from the article]

In an era of climate change, biodiversity loss, and a global pandemic, many scientists have experienced grief, anxiety, and despair as they face ongoing ecological challenges. The practice of conservation science has also become contentious in light of increasingly polarized viewpoints and conflicts among stakeholders. These ecological and social challenges may hinder conservation scientists' ability to identify critical science needs that can inform and improve conservation policies, actions, and outcomes. Mindfulness practices provide a centering framework that supports scientists in addressing these challenges while also fostering meaningful collaborations with other conservation scientists and practitioners. In this paper, we synthesize theories from mindfulness and attitudinal foundations that offer practical steps toward the kind of resilient mindset needed to address challenges flexibly and from a solutions‐driven perspective. By cultivating equanimity, gratitude and hope, mindfulness practices bring understanding and empathy to collaborative activities, improving our collective ability to generate meaningful science that addresses pressing environmental challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Banni grasslands of Kutch, India, constitute a fragile and diverse ecosystem that faces numerous threats to its existence requiring prompt conservation measures. In the context of conservation efforts, the ecofeminist perspective advocates for the active involvement of women, recognising their unique relationship with nature and the potential for gender-sensitive solutions. This research paper employs an empirical study to provide a critical analysis of the conservation of Banni grassland and reveals an appalling absence of women's participation and representation, which undermines the effectiveness and sustainability of these efforts. Using a critical ecofeminist lens to examine the underlying causes of this exclusion, this research paper delves into the prevalent socio-cultural norms and gender roles that marginalise women by limiting their access to resources, decision-making forums, and knowledge-sharing platforms. This study calls for developing a more holistic and sustainable approach to the preservation of the Banni grasslands by incorporating ecofeminism into conservation measures, thereby enhancing the well-being of the ecosystem and the dependent communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few topics in wildlife conservation are as controversial, emotive, or command as much public and political attention, as trophy hunting. International discourses regarding trophy hunting are characterised by radically contradictory assertions, ranging from claims that trophy hunting is a humane and socially acceptable wildlife management tool which benefits more animals than it kills, to claims that it is cruel, socially unacceptable, and drives species to extinction. So, which is it? We argue that using a single, blanket term "trophy hunting" obscures substantial and important variation in how and why people pay to hunt and keep trophies. Consequently, polarised disagreements over whether "trophy hunting" is good or bad, acceptable or unacceptable, beneficial or harmful, conflate arguments about fundamentally different activities. We urge conservation scientists and practitioners, politicians, journalists, and advocates on all sides to communicate more clearly and carefully about which specific hunting activities they believe are right or wrong, beneficial or harmful, acceptable or unacceptable, to whom, and for what reasons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The knowledge produced by conservation scientists must be actionable in order to address urgent conservation challenges. To understand the process of creating actionable science, we interviewed 71 conservation scientists who had participated in 1 of 3 fellowship programs focused on training scientists to become agents of change. Using a grounded theory approach, we identified 16 activities that these researchers employed to make their scientific products more actionable. Some activities were more common than others and, arguably, more foundational. We organized these activities into 3 nested categories (motivations, strategies, and tactics). Using a co‐occurrence matrix, we found that most activities were positively correlated. These correlations allowed us to identify 5 approaches, framed as profiles, to actionable science: the discloser, focused on open access; the educator, focused on science communication; the networker, focused on user needs and building relationships; the collaborator, focused on boundary spanning; and the pluralist, focused on knowledge coproduction resulting in valuable outcomes for all parties. These profiles build on one another in a hierarchy determined by their complexity and level of engagement, their potential to support actionable science, and their proximity to ideal coproduction with knowledge users. Our results provide clear guidance for conservation scientists to generate actionable science to address the global biodiversity conservation challenge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For wide‐ranging species, it is often too expensive or politically challenging to effectively implement conservation action across their range. In these cases, conservation actions may be vigorously applied where the situation appears most dire, but inadvertently at the expense of where success is more probable. Consequently, it is prudent to use a prioritization approach that highlights areas of probable success. Using Southern Mountain Caribou as a target species, we develop a simple algorithm that integrates scaled habitat quality measures and population characteristics known to affect the demographics of caribou and weights them according to their relative importance as defined by expert opinion. The algorithm ranks subpopulations by their relative conservation status and, as a result, how likely they are to respond to additional conservation efforts and contribute to long‐term species persistence. Sensitivity analyses are then used to measure the implications of variance among key criteria and the potential variance in expert weighting. The transparent method quickly allows for real, or potential changes in criteria values, scaling, or their relative weighting, thus providing a baseline metric for conservation discussion, subpopulation comparisons, and adaptive management action. A web‐based application of the algorithm can be used directly or adapted for other species. This transparent framework can be used by conservation scientists and managers for prioritizing populations for receiving recovery actions to maximize long‐term conservation impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]