Impact story
What makes a nature conservation project a success?
Citizens play a vital role in nature conservation alongside government and businesses. Citizens can contribute to existing policy, create new ways of managing nature or food production, and put pressure on public authorities and businesses. But how can citizen led initiatives be designed to have the most effective contribution to nature conservation and nature policy? Researchers at Wageningen University & Research explored the motivations behind highly successful citizen led projects such as Tiny Forest, an initiative led by the Institute for Nature Education (IVN) and Clean Beaches, a project run by North Sea Foundation. The researchers have developed a method, a roadmap, to help local initiatives create a strategy and achieve their goal.
Successful Citizens’ Initiatives
The researchers first looked at the motivations of citizens who want to contribute when to nature conservation efforts. They found that citizens are not only motivated to do something on their own accord but also when they are unsatisfied with business or government policies, for example around efforts to remove litter. The researchers then studied two successful citizen led conservation projects. First, the Tiny Forest initiative, by the Institute for Nature Education (IVN), focuses on planting small forests with diverse species. Tiny Forests works with schools and municipalities and by 2024, 282 forests were planted. The Tiny Forests initiative is not only successful in nature conservation but also building community and providing rich nature education opportunities.
Next, the researchers studied a number of citizen initiatives that, together, clean up plastic waste from nature. One initiative is the North Sea Foundation leading the actions for Clean Beaches and has citizens working together to clean up plastic waste from nature. The researchers saw that when organisations published which brand they found the most cans from during the cleanup, the negative publicity really puts pressure on businesses to change policies and politicians to introduce a deposit system for bottles.
Big Plans
If organisations or governments want to bring about a transition, they must think strategically in advance about which activities are meaningful. Seen in the Tiny Forest and the North Sea Foundation cases they were able to achieve smart development with a clear goal in mind. Based on these insights, the researchers developed a method, a roadmap, for local initiatives with big plans to develop a strategy. This method helps citizens work together to clarify their goal, define what activities they will undertake, and what the short- and long-term results will be. There is also space to discuss assumptions, opportunities, barriers, and supplies. The method can also help citizen initiatives professionalise or apply for a grant. With this method, citizens can make a greater contribution to the development and protection of nature. They may even have an impact on the development of policies, which may lead to structural improvements. The gained insights also help public authorities and nature organisations develop an effective policy theory on how best to involve citizens in nature policy. And that, in turn, could increase support for nature.