Abstract

Private land conservation has become increasingly recognised as a critical tool for meeting global and national biodiversity targets. However, little is understood about the 'co-benefits' that privately protected areas (PPAs) can have, beyond biodiversity outcomes. This research aims to develop a holistic approach for building evidence on the social, cultural and economic influences of PPAs in Australia. To this aim, a series of focus group discussions are being held with PPA managers across three Australian case study sites to identify the human and nonhuman entities that are influenced by PPAs, and how they are influenced. Preliminary results demonstrate an array of social actors who are positively influenced by PPAs through the development of social networks, knowledge and skills, and others who are negatively influenced through issues such as restricted access. The findings will contribute towards a more holistic understanding of PPA impacts and how this can inform conservation initiatives that enhance biodiversity, improve wellbeing and strengthen human-nature relationships.

Speaker Biography

Dr Jasmine Pearson (she/her) is an environmental social scientist and postdoctoral research fellow based at the Interdisciplinary Conservation (ICON) Science lab, RMIT University. She primarily focuses on how people value, relate to and connect with nature in diverse ways. Her interests include relational values, human-nature connectedness, Indigenous and local knowledge (ILK) systems and the social dimensions of climate change.

Speaker website link

https://www.rmit.edu.au/profiles/p/jasmine-pearson