Practitioners have to make decisions quickly but without perfect information about what works, or doesn’t work, to achieve conservation outcomes. When conservation doesn’t work, it can result in wasted resources or have unintended consequences for people or biodiversity. The recent controversy surrounding carbon offset projects is a cautionary tale about what can go wrong. While the evidence base for conservation is growing, it’s unrealistic to expect practitioners to wade through the sea of research and find relevant and credible information.  In this session, we will take a look at the hidden wonders of evidence - different types, different sources, and clever ways to use data, information, knowledge, and wisdom. We will ask for participants to share ideas and experiences via  storytelling, brainstorming and discussion highlighting ways for researchers and practitioners  to collaborate and create and use evidence to improve conservation practice.

Hosts: Rachel Neugarten, Nico Boenisch, Stephan Funk