• Absent for 80 years, bears once more roam

    Absent for 80 years, bears once more roam

    the eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains and Great Basin

    WCS sound science helped reduce conflicts with people allowing bears to expand back into Nevada
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  • Tiger populations recovering under effective protection

    Tiger populations recovering under effective protection

    In Thailand

    WCS engagement has brought additional Government spending for tiger conservation, reduced threats and increased tiger numbers
    Read the story  
  • Improved protected area management to reduce poaching

    Improved protected area management to reduce poaching

    In Congo

    A co-management agreement with the Republic of Congo allowed WCS to secure new funding, increase the effectiveness of ranger patrols, and protect wildlife populations in the Nouable-Ndoki National Park.
    Read the story  
  • Ranger patrols save forest elephants

    Ranger patrols save forest elephants

    In Central Africa

    WCS led widllife surveys in areas with and without active ranger patrolling, demonstrated that well managed national parks are effective in protecting elephants, and great apes.
    Read the story  
  • New sanctuaries for dolphins and whales

    New sanctuaries for dolphins and whales

    In Bangladesh

    Tracking the movements of dolphins and whales allowed WCS to advise the government of Bangladesh where to establish the nation's first coastal and marine protected areas.
    Read the story  
  • Improved protected area governance through technology

    Improved protected area governance through technology

    By working with park agency staff to increase the effectiveness of ranger patrols, WCS is reducing illegal activity and protecting elephants and great apes.
    Read the story  

  • Riverine communities are helping WCS monitor and protect turtle populations in the Lower Rio Negro Mosaic of the Brazilian Amazon
    Read the story  

  • WCS is supporting our indigenous communities partners to restore and protect river turtles in Yasuní National Park
    Read the story  
  • Chimpanzees living in the corridors forests of the Murchison-Semliki Landscape

    Chimpanzees living in the corridors forests of the Murchison-Semliki Landscape

    In Uganda

    Deforestation in corridors between national parks in Uganda is declining as farmers adopt WCS conservation farming practices
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  • Garbage company pays to protect people and bears

    Garbage company pays to protect people and bears

    In Montana

    To expand bear friendly lands beyond parks preventing them from getting a taste for trash makes life safer for people and bears.
    Read the story  
  • WCS balances growth with conservation

    WCS balances growth with conservation

    In the Rocky Mountain West

    With WCS training citizen scientists helped identify and protect critical wildlife habitat in over 40% of the city of Fort Collins.
    Read the story  
  • WCS shows that sustainable ranching can halt deforestation

    WCS shows that sustainable ranching can halt deforestation

    In Paraguay

    In the first two years of conservation work with WCS all but one rancher had stopped clearing forest on his land, the other reduce deforestation to less than half the national average.
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  • Tacana indigenous people benefit from protecting caiman

    Tacana indigenous people benefit from protecting caiman

    In Bolivia

    Selling sustainably hunted caiman skins to Gucci has increased the household income of the Tacana indigenous people of Bolivia over 530%, providing a tangible incentive to protect this once endangered crocodile
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  • Protecting indigenous rights reduces deforestation

    Protecting indigenous rights reduces deforestation

    In Cambodia

    Helping the indigenous Bunong people to secure legal title to their land prevented 140km2 of forest from being cleared, protecting habitat for endangered gibbons.
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  • Indigenous partners reduce deforestation

    Indigenous partners reduce deforestation

    In the Bolivian Amazon

    A trusting partnership between WCS and the Tacana indigenous people secured title over their territory, protected their cultural identity, and kept deforestation lower than surrounding areas.
    Read the story  
  • Translating policy into practice for Manta Rays

    Translating policy into practice for Manta Rays

    In Indonesia

    Helping the Indonesian government to enforce their closure of the unsustainable trade in Manta Rays has resulted in a sharp decline in prices and a move by fishers and traders into other businesses.
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  • Locally managed marine areas increase fish abundance

    Locally managed marine areas increase fish abundance

    In Madagascar

    Securing the rights of local families to fish, exclusively, in their tradition waters, reduced destructive gear use, increased fish biomass, and secured the livelihoods of fishers.
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  • Avoiding deforestation and securing livelihoods

    Avoiding deforestation and securing livelihoods

    In Makira, Madagascar

    By co-managing Makira National Park WCS is reducing global carbon emissions, conserving endemic forest plants and animals, and protecting the cultural identity and wellbeing of our local community partners.
    Read the story  
  • Absent for 80 years, bears once more roam
  • Tiger populations recovering under effective protection
  • Improved protected area management to reduce poaching
  • Ranger patrols save forest elephants
  • New sanctuaries for dolphins and whales
  • Improved protected area governance through technology
  • Chimpanzees living in the corridors forests of the Murchison-Semliki Landscape
  • Garbage company pays to protect people and bears
  • WCS balances growth with conservation
  • WCS shows that sustainable ranching can halt deforestation
  • Tacana indigenous people benefit from protecting caiman
  • Protecting indigenous rights reduces deforestation
  • Indigenous partners reduce deforestation
  • Translating policy into practice for Manta Rays
  • Locally managed marine areas increase fish abundance
  • Avoiding deforestation and securing livelihoods

Building Effective Governance Systems

Successful wildlife conservation is predicated on the sustainable governance of natural resources within any given landscape or seascape. We assess sustainable governance through three core attributes. First, stakeholders must perceive the governance group to have the authority to govern (i.e., governing in their interests). Second, the governance group must have the capacity to govern (i.e., the skills and knowledge, staff, financial resources, regulatory framework and motivation). Lastly, the governance group must have the power to exert their legitimate authority, use their capacity, and have confidence that their decisions will not be undermined by other less legitimate but more politically or economically powerful actors. WCS uses a low cost, expert-opinion tool to assess the authority, capacity and power of governance groups with jurisdiction over the management of natural resources within the landscapes or seascapes where we work.

Copyright 2019-2021 by Wildlife Conservation Society

WCS, the "W" logo, WE STAND FOR WILDLIFE, I STAND FOR WILDLIFE, and STAND FOR WILDLIFE are service marks of Wildlife Conservation Society.

Contact Information
Address: 2300 Southern Boulevard Bronx, New York 10460 | (718) 220-5100