Our Approach

Community-Centred Conservation

We start with people. So it can last for generations.

It’s unrealistic – and almost impossible – to stop deforestation if a community’s only source of fuel is local timber. Likewise, you can’t end the bushmeat trade if it’s their only source of income. Our founder, Dr. Jane Goodall, realized the key to conservation is to find solutions that meet a community’s needs.

In Africa, we focus on “Chimpscapes” where there are keystone chimpanzee habitats. We take our cues from local partners, supporting communities to find conservation solutions that serve their needs, protect local habitats, and will last for generations to come.

In Canada, our Roots & Shoots program helps young people map their communities to find the biggest problems, then helps them design and implement the solutions.

Inspiration to Action

We have the evidence. We have the data. What we need is action. And that starts with inspiration.

Jane’s superpower is her ability to inspire others through storytelling. That’s why we work to share stories and information that help inspire sweeping behaviour changes in individuals and organizations.

Integrated Solutions

Science is increasingly teaching us how interconnected animals, people and the environment truly are. That’s why we work with a One Health model to address the convergence of issues that affect conservation.

One Health is an approach to conservation that acknowledges the connective tissue between all living and non-living things. Human health is directly impacted by animal health, which is impacted by ecosystem health, which is impacted by human activity, and so on. The COVID-19 pandemic is a perfect example of how dependent human health is on proximity to – and wellness of – animal populations.

The One Health approach takes humans, animals, and ecosystems into account at every step of the program design process. We work with experts and community members from multiple fields, and seek nature-based solutions that serve all living creatures.

Partners in Conservation

Partnerships are central to our work in Canada and Africa. By approaching partnerships and relationships with transparency, humility, accountability and respect, we ensure that our work has meaning and serves real needs. We:

• Focus on our community-centred approach;
• Navigate partnerships in an ethical space;
• Prioritize a “do no harm” approach;
• Use an intersectional lens when doing needs assessments and data collection;
• Centre sustainability for all people, animals and the environment, now and for the future;
• Build initiatives based on partner-driven needs assessments;
• Involve partners in all steps of programming;
• Work collaboratively through governance structures that center our partners’ voices;
• Acknowledge that change is multifaceted, and that to contribute to sustainable change, we must acknowledge the intersectionality of factors of vulnerability, especially considering that people benefit from interventions differently.