Building Conservation Success Through Social Science

Last week, staff of the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) had the privilege of taking part in the ‘Building Community Conservation Success: Answering Perception and Evaluation Research Questions’ workshop, held at CCF from 5-9 May 2026.

The workshop was run by Dr. James A. Danoff-Burg and Katie Shaw from The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, in partnership with CCF, and linked to the Center for Species Survival: Behavior Change. We were also joined by external participants from the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) in Kenya and Elephant Human Relations Aid (EHRA) in Namibia, who brought valuable perspectives and experience to the week.

The workshop focused on the growing importance of social science in conservation, particularly how we ask better questions, understand community perceptions, evaluate conservation interventions, and build more effective, people-centred approaches. Conservation today is not only about wildlife and ecosystems, but also about people, values, livelihoods, attitudes, behaviour, and the relationships between communities and the landscapes they share with wildlife.

Throughout the week, participants developed their own social science surveys, using the tools and information shared during the workshop to refine research questions, design interview guides, consider sampling methods, develop protocols, and plan for data analysis and interpretation.

Alongside the sessions, participants also enjoyed sundowners in the reserve, night drives, seeing a cheetah run, and meeting both the scat detection dogs and livestock guardian dogs.

A sincere thank you to The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens for making this valuable experience possible for our CCF staff.