A recent global report delivered a stark warning: 49% of the 1,200+ unique species protected under the Convention on Migratory Species have declining populations, up from 44% two years ago. Confronting this newest evidence that birds, fish, insects, and mammals that cross national borders are increasingly at risk, government and conservation leaders gathered in late March for the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS/CoP-15) in Campo Grande, Brazil.  

These multilateral governmental negotiations, convened under the theme “Connecting Nature to Sustain Life,” reinforced the critical need to conserve the ecological connectivity of our globally shared natural heritage of migratory species. Linking ecosystems, cultures, and economies across country borders and continents, wild species undertake increasingly perilous journeys throughout their lifecycles.

Participants at CoP-15, including the Center for Large Landscape Conservation, demonstrated resolve by adopting commitments to address compounding threats to the survival of migratory species. This included agreeing on new or enhanced international protections for 40 species in danger of extinction such as the cheetah, snowy owl, giant otter, and great hammerhead shark. Read the full list of species here.

Throughout the week, participants also addressed more than 100 agenda items ranging from illegal and unsustainable taking of migratory species to impacts of deep sea mining. By close of CMS/CoP-15, Parties also adopted a diversity of policies to address threats and implement actions with a strengthened focus on ecological connectivity, international cooperation, and expanding partnerships.

Campo Grande provided a fitting backdrop for this meeting of the world’s only international agreement recognizing countries as the stewards of migratory species living within or passing through their national jurisdictions. As the capital of the state of Mato Grosso do Sul in southwestern Brazil, it is the southern gateway to the Pantanal—the world’s largest tropical wetland—at the intersection of Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay. This landscape supports more than 1,000 bird, 300 mammal, 500 reptile, 400 fish, and thousands of invertebrate species. It is one of the most biodiverse regions on Earth and a powerful example of the importance of connected, functional ecosystems and why the work of the Convention on Migratory Species matters so much.

High-level Commitment for Wildlife 

An ambitious tone was set at the preceding High Level Segment chaired by Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva who was joined by the President of Paraguay, ministers, and other stakeholders. Together, these country representatives adopted the Pantanal Declaration “Promoting Connectivity to Protect Migratory Wildlife.” It highlights the need to maintain, enhance, and restore ecological connectivity; include measures to prevent negative impacts on migration routes in economic development strategies; and use available resources to support developing countries to more effectively conserve migratory wildlife.  

The importance of the Convention and key role of ecological connectivity was highlighted by President Lula:   

“The Convention on Migratory Species conveys a simple but powerful message: migration is natural. By crossing continents and connecting distant ecosystems, these species show that nature does not recognize the limits between States. The jaguar moves across nearly all preserved territories of the Americas in search of safe areas to hunt and reproduce. Like it, every year, millions of birds, mammals, reptiles, fish, and even insects cross continents and oceans. These journeys connect ecosystems, preserve natural cycles, and ensure the balance that makes life possible. Protecting these animals means protecting life itself on the planet. The survival of these species depends on collective action.”  

During his address, President Lula also announced Brazil’s newest conservation commitments including the creation of a the new Córregos dos Vales do Norte de Minas Gerais Reserve, and significant expansions of Pantanal National Park and Taiamã Ecological Station, together representing approximately 145,000 hectares (559 square miles) of newly protected lands. 

CLLC’s Ongoing Leadership 

Joining more than 2,000 attendees, including delegates from 105 of the 133 country “Parties” to the Convention on Migratory Species, the Center for Large Landscape Conservation was represented by three team members: Katie Deuel (Chief Program Officer), Aaron Laur (Manager, International Connectivity Program), and Fernanda Teixeira (Linear Infrastructure Ecology Advisor).  

As an official NGO Observer to CMS, the Center continued advancing the aims of the convention by emphasizing the fundamental importance of conserving ecological connectivity to more efficiently and effectively achieve the great diversity of international treaty agreements for conserving nature. In preparations and over the course of the conference, the team contributed expertise and worked with partners to showcase innovative collaboration for maintaining, enhancing, and restoring ecological connectivity to conserve migratory species.  

Over the course of the conference, Katie, Aaron, and Fernanda followed negotiations, shared expertise through presentations, and participated in official events especially promoting leading joint efforts focused on conserving migratory species, their habitats, and migration routes. Aaron, who also serves as Co-Chair of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) Connectivity Conservation Specialist Group (CCSG), represented the World Commission on Protected Areas as part of IUCN’s official delegation throughout the negotiations and associated events. 

Official Side Events Promoting Collaboration 

Among the nearly 60 official side events held in Campo Grande, CLLC was proud to lead co-organization of the event “Nature Positive Infrastructure – Avoiding and mitigating impacts of linear infrastructure on migratory species and ecological connectivity” with numerous partners. Participants learned about new and expanded initiatives around the world building capacity and mobilizing resources to mainstream biodiversity conservation into infrastructure policy, planning, investment, and development. 

Additionally, the Center contributed to back-to-back events emphasizing the growing, collaborative action that is being scaled up by the Global Partnership on Ecological Connectivity (GPEC) titled “Ecological Connectivity: A Cross-Cutting Solution for Achieving Multiple Environmental and Socio-Economic Priorities” and “From Partnerships to Practice: Advancing ecological connectivity action on the ground”.

Toward the end of the conference, Aaron was moderator for the event Bridging the gap: Leveraging animal movement and mapped migration corridors to inform national conservation policy” that provided insights into how movement data, with a focus on migration, can be better integrated into conservation planning and policy.

Renewed Policies for Connectivity and Addressing Impacts of Infrastructure 

As part of formal negotiations, Parties considered a raft of background documents, reaching consensus by the last day to adopt new and updated policy resolutions and decisions about a diversity of issues and topics. Specific to the Center’s mission, the Resolution on “Ecological Connectivity” advances previous related commitments urging Parties to identify, strengthen, and expand ecological networks and corridors to conserve migratory species, and for the CMS Secretariat to support their establishment and management.

Additionally, the “Resolution on Impact Assessment and Migratory Species” advances commitments that migratory species, their habitats, and ecological connectivity “[…] be given high priority in biodiversity-related aspects of environmental impact assessment”  

Looking Ahead  

João Paulo Ribeiro Capobianco, in his role as President of CMS/CoP-15, and as Executive Secretary at the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change, made the closing speech, including the following statement: 

“From the Pantanal to the Arctic, from the oceans to the savannas, migratory species connect our planet in ways no political map ever could. They remind us that ecological integrity depends on continuity of flows that must remain alive, uninterrupted, and resilient. And this is precisely what is at stake. Connectivity is not an abstract concept. It is the difference between survival and collapse. Between ecosystems that function and those that fail. To protect migratory routes, ecological corridors, and critical habitats is to protect the very fabric of life on Earth.” 

The outcomes of CMS/CoP-15 represent meaningful and durable progress in the global effort to conserve ecological connectivity for migratory species and the ecosystems they depend upon. For the Center, CMS/CoP-15 reaffirmed that bringing high quality science, field experience, partnerships and networks, and technical expertise to negotiations and side events shapes innovative and actionable decisions. We look forward to building on these outcomes in the months ahead, in collaboration with our many valued partners.  

Additional information: 

• IISD – Earth Negotiations Bulletin with full, daily, detailed coverage including photos 

• WWF – CMS COP15 delivers progress for migratory species, including jaguars, sharks, marine turtles, and birds  

• Mongabay – Migratory species summit adopts new marine protections amid extinction warnings 

_{*Photo of presenters, left to right: Fernanda Abra (President, Reconecta Institute); Fernanda Teixeira (Linear Infrastructure Ecology Advisor, Center for Large Landscape Conservation); Tremaine Gregory (Senior Scientist, Sustainable Infrastructure Team, WWF-US); Steffen Mumme (Spatial Ecologist, Global Initiative on Ungulate Migration); Ruth Tiffer Sotomayor (Senior Environmental Specialist, Global Environment Department, The World Bank); Aaron Laur (Manager, International Connectivity Program, Center for Large Landscape Conservation); Kate Newman (Vice President, Sustainable Infrastructure and Public Sector Initiatives, WWF-US); Duncan Lang (Principal Environment Specialist, Nature and Environment Division, Asian Development Bank); and Katie Deuel (Chief Program Officer, Center for Large Landscape Conservation).}

_{Top image: The Jabiru stork (Jabiru mycteria), locally known as the tuiuiú, is a symbol of the Pantanal in Brazil. Adobe Stock photo.}

The post Moving the Needle for Ecological Connectivity and Migratory Species appeared first on Center for Large Landscape Conservation.

We set off early, dressed for a hot, half-day drive along Brazil Federal Highway 262 (BR-262). The busy road passes through the tropical savanna of the Cerrado biome and into a corner of the Pantanal biome, the world’s largest tropical wetland, which spans parts of Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay.   

Known worldwide as an ecotourism destination for its rich biodiversity, the Pantanal biome (a biome is a landscape-scale region delineated by its unique ecology, including climate, plants and animals), is home to many of Brazil’s quirky—to this North American—and elegant, iconic species. They include the feathery tailed, gentle-looking giant anteater, the stub-nosed, water-loving capybara (the world’s largest rodent!), and the tapir, a three toed ungulate with an elongated snout that is most closely related to the rhinoceros.

However, wildlife habitat in and around this vast, tropical landscape is gradually shrinking as land is cleared for production of some of the country’s biggest exports such as beef and soybeans.  

And wildlife movement is increasingly hampered by highways. 

Our CLLC team of three had recently arrived at Campo Grande, Brazil, from our distant homes in mountain towns of Montana and the beach town of Florianopolis, Brazil, in advance of the Convention on Migratory Species’ CoP-15. This international gathering of leaders aimed to address urgent conservation challenges facing migratory species, and this was our side trip to see some of these challenges first-hand. 

“I expected to get out of the car a few times to look at wildlife crossing structures with their new fencing and maybe a road-killed animal or two. But what we actually saw was deeply disturbing: an unfolding pantheon of animals that I had only dreamed of glimpsing in the wild in my lifetime, but laid out on the road, killed by vehicles.” 

Our team consisted of Fernanda Teixeira, Linear Infrastructure Program Advisor; Aaron Laur, International Connectivity Program Manager; and myself, Chief Program Officer. We arrived well into our own mental journeys of understanding the deep challenges of, and increasing opportunities to address, the impacts to wildlife of linear transport infrastructure like roads, railways, canals and powerlines. We were especially eager to experience the Pantanal and surrounding area, location of a multi-year project we have engaged in to identify and conserve jaguar movement corridors, and to travel on BR-262 through a corner of the biome. 

The “Highway of Death”

BR-262 is known as the “highway of death” for its high rates of wildlife mortality caused by vehicle strikes. In just one year, 2,263 animal carcasses were recorded on this stretch of road. Several factors converge to create this deadly effect. The road runs through a biodiversity hotspot filled with species that aren’t adapted to running from predators, such as the anteaters that sit down when threatened, ready to attack with the long sharp digging claws instead of fleeing. This particular highway is a heavily used transport route for large ore trucks from active regional mines that are unlikely to brake for wildlife. During our journey we saw many, many of these trucks traveling at high speeds on BR-262. 

To address this deadly combination, conservationists have been working for years with Brazil’s government to put in place effective signage for motorists and fencing and underpasses designed for wildlife. We came to look at how the implementation of these mitigation measures was progressing and if it was helping. 

I expected to get out of the car a few times to look at wildlife crossing structures with their new fencing and maybe a road-killed animal or two. But what we actually saw was deeply disturbing: an unfolding pantheon of animals that I had only dreamed of glimpsing in the wild in my lifetime, but laid out on the road, killed by vehicles.  

I confess that I have rarely taken the time to pull over and examine roadkill, though I do occasionally keep a running tally of the animals I see as I travel high-speed highways notorious for wildlife-vehicle collisions in my home state of Montana. What I learned on that narrow, 60-mile-per-hour speed limit road in the humid heat of Brazil’s western Cerrado/eastern Pantanal region was this: There is something extraordinarily intimate—infused with wonder, both satisfying and horrifying to my intense curiosity, and deeply, deeply sad about examining a dead animal that has been killed by human intrusion to its native home.  

Standing over the animals was, for me, a moment out of time, as I considered exquisite ears, odd-shaped mouths, noses, feet, hooves, claws, and hides evolved so perfectly for exactly the role they play in their home ecosystems. But these ecosystems they had originally adapted for did not include roads. 

For the record, and because we were all keeping a tally that day on Highway 262, we observed: five armadillos (there are several kinds), three capybaras, two crab-eating foxes, two giant anteaters, two southern tamandua (arboreal anteaters), an alligator, and a South American tapir. It took us all day, cost us sunburns and heartache and dehydration, but we could not go any faster and still both truly experience what was happening and honor the animals laid out along the road. 

Signs of Hope

On balance, we did also observe progress towards de-fragmenting the landscape through mitigation measures prompted by years of research, advocacy, and cooperation across entities. Roadside fences are going up, there are new underpasses in place, and we found a new sign designed to both capture drivers’ attention and encourage them to slow down. While there were many existing signs with written warnings, this new sign was tested with citizens and is thought to be more attention-grabbing and effective in reducing speed (see photo, above).   

I am a scientist and a conservationist, a mother, and a consumer of food and energy, a citizen of planet Earth. I am not new to the grief of seeing an area that was once wildlife habitat become a place of danger riddled with barriers to movement. I have spent my life recognizing and working to reverse the impacts of the human footprint on the natural world that ultimately sustains us all. 

I am proud to work at CLLC, with colleagues like Fernanda and Aaron, where we strive to ensure that these animals in Brazil and species all over the world can live safely in their natural environments, that they have room and safe passages to move in the face of climate change, habitat impacts, and fragmentation. Much of our work happens off the roads—analyzing habitat and wildlife movement data, creating the conditions that drive conservation, working with communities to find solutions, and consulting with those designing crossings—but it is important to also see first-hand the impacts of human infrastructure. Sadly, BR-262 is not unique. The same problems are occurring all over the world and it is essential that solutions are scaled up for widespread implementation. 

One of the many ways we are doing this is through our leadership in the Latin American and Caribbean Transport Working Group, Asian Elephant Transport Working Group, and the IUCN WCPA Connectivity Conservation Specialist Group, as well as providing consultation to governments—such as Costa Rica—on how to make wildlife-friendly roads and other linear infrastructure the norm. CLLC is committed, with the help of partners and supporters, to conserving ecological connectivity and safe passage for wildlife in landscapes throughout the world.

Katie Deuel is the Chief Program Officer at the Center for Large Landscape Conservation. She works across our diverse programs to ensure they are strategic, effective, inclusive, connected and supported.  She has been a leader in biodiversity and large landscape conservation, nature-based education, and building sustainable, circular economies, as well as working extensively as a facilitator and mediator in complex systems. At the center of her work is a passion for systems thinking, cold water, and empowering people. She lives with her family in Missoula and enjoys time outside in most any form.

_{All photos by CLLC}

The post Report from the Field: A Road Trip of Wonder and Horror Along a Brazilian Highway appeared first on Center for Large Landscape Conservation.

The Trifinio-Fraternidad Transboundary Biosphere Reserve (TFTBR) is a land of steep mountains covered by dense tropical forest, home to iconic species such as quetzal and puma, small cities and rural villages, and a thriving coffee-growing economy. Spanning parts of Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, the TFTBR is a model in transboundary environmental governance, established primarily to safeguard vital water sources that originate in the mountains and flow to major population centers in all three countries.

In 2025, the Center for Large Landscape Conservation worked with UNESCO and partners in the TFTBR on the project “Scaling up Connectivity in the Trifinio-Fraternidad Biosphere Reserve.” 

“We aimed to strengthen ecological connectivity and landscape resilience by combining science, local knowledge, and community priorities,” said Gabriel Oppler, International Connectivity Specialist at CLLC. “It also enabled cross-border cooperation for biodiversity conservation and sustainable land use in one of Central America’s most vital ecosystems.”

Oppler helped facilitate these workshops and visited reserves and national parks to better understand the landscape’s priorities and challenges. Reconvening for a trinational workshop in November, Oppler was joined by CLLC’s Linear Infrastructure Ecology Advisor Fernanda Teixeira. Participants worked together to prioritize ecological corridors—connections between habitat that allow animals to move and other ecological processes to flow—and identify specific land management actions in each corridor.

Production of corridor maps combining science, local knowledge, and community priorities

In between workshops, UNESCO and its scientific team at the University of Heidelberg and CLLC used stakeholder feedback to generate different structural connectivity models for the biosphere reserve. These models indicate areas which are likely to be easiest for wildlife to move across the landscape. The models integrate satellite imagery and around 30 datasets on factors like urban development, linear infrastructure like roads, or agricultural zones.

“The modelling involved determining the path of least resistance for species movement between the core areas of the TFTBR, nearby protected areas and other biosphere reserves, assuming that species move more freely across intact habitats like forests and other types of vegetation than across more modified lands,” explained Oppler.

The way forward: implementation of ecological corridors at scale in the biosphere reserve

In only eight months, this project laid the foundations for the implementation of ecological corridors by involving a wide range of actors, institutions, and stakeholders engaged in the TFTBR across the three countries. The products developed include:

• Definition of a shared vision for ecological connectivity, including key focal species, conservation values and challenges to guide corridor planning.
• 2025 land-use and land-cover map (validated on the ground) covering the TFTBR and surrounding areas to support planning and analysis.
• Structural connectivity models and maps using LinkageMapper and Omniscape to support connectivity planning.
• Co-constructed corridor prioritization framework to guide priority conservation actions to be implemented in the coming years.
• Multi-level connectivity funding plan based on sustainable development and biodiversity conservation initiatives.
• A set of indicators measuring the current state of ecological corridors to allow monitoring of changes over time.

The project has also produced colorful and informative materials to engage local communities, including a 14-page brochure and poster, as well as videos such as the one below.

Building on this momentum, UNESCO and its partners will move forward in the coming year with a larger-scale initiative to turn collaboration into actions, supporting ecological restoration, protecting biodiversity and creating durable economic opportunities for communities in and around the Biosphere Reserve.

This project was funded by the Kunming Biodiversity Fund (KBF) and Spain’s Autonomous Agency for National Parks (OAPN).

Check out this video, which features CLLC International Connectivity Specialist Gabriel Oppler and CLLC Linear Infrastructure Ecology Advisor Fernanda Teixeira talking about the project:

_{Top photo: Within the biosphere reserve and adjacent to Montecristo National Park in El Salvador, many producers grow coffee under the shade of banana trees and other tall trees, resulting in more flavorful coffee beans. Credit: CLLC/Gabriel Oppler}

This growing recognition that connecting protected areas is key to stemming biodiversity loss has been fueled in large part by dedicated professionals collaborating in the Connectivity Conservation Specialist Group (CCSG). The CCSG was established in 2016 under the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) CCSG’s mission to serve as the global hub providing scientific, policy, and technical advice that mainstreams connectivity conservation as a nature-based solution to enhance the integrity of protected areas, save biodiversity, and increase resilience to climate change across all lands and waters.

While international in scope, composed of 1200+ volunteer members from 125+ countries, much of the CCSG’s day-to-day coordination is conducted from the offices of the Center for Large Landscape Conservation (CLLC) based in Bozeman and Missoula, Montana, in the United States.

CLLC has served this role as the “Secretariat” of CCSG since its inception, acting as the group’s central administration and providing crucial coordination, communication, and logistical support to the growing network of volunteer connectivity conservation experts around the world. Staff members also play leading roles in the Specialist Group and its working groups.

Connectivity Conservation Leadership

Center for Large Landscape Conservation founder and CEO Gary Tabor was the CCSG’s first Chair and has served for the last eight years with Deputy Chair Jodi Hilty, President and Chief Scientist at the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative. Both Tabor and Hilty recently reached the leadership term limit allowed by WCPA and are passing the torch to three new Co-chairs.

“I am proud to have inspired and supported the ambitions of this wonderful, growing community,” Tabor said in a message to the CCSG membership.  “And now, as I leave and take on the new sage role of Senior Advisor, I congratulate you all on our numerous achievements and look forward to seeing our new cohort of leaders continue to build upon them.”

WCPA Chair Madhu Rao has selected three new co-chairs: Aaron Laur from the Center for Large Landscape Conservation in Bozeman, Montana, USA; Jordan Reeves from the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative, also in Bozeman; and Zhicong Zhao from the Institute for National Parks at Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.

CLLC’s Laur assumes the role of Co-chair after nearly 20 years of experience in international conservation that has always had a focus on contributing to and advancing the mission of IUCN.

When asked about his hopes for the future as he steps into the role of Co-chair, Laur said, “I look forward to working with fellow Co-Chairs to build on the outstanding example set by IUCN’s and CCSG’s pioneering leadership fostering innovation, collaboration, and a dedicated community that has inspired a fully-fledged worldwide movement for connectivity conservation. Together, CCSG will seize the momentum it has generated in science, policy, and practice to support each other and partners around the world to more efficiently and effectively conserve nature at large, connected scales.”  

The Co-chairs will now lead CCSG into its next, exciting chapter. They will govern the group membership, guide its strategic direction, foster inclusivity and collaboration, and continue supporting the development of knowledge products, tools, and policy advice. Leadership will also include representing the Specialist Group across IUCN and coordinating members for local to global gatherings, including the World Conservation Congress.

CCSG’s Global Impact

CCSG is one of IUCN WCPA’s most active Specialist Groups. Thanks to its dedicated members, connectivity conservation has moved from an outlier to the mainstream of conservation. Among many collaborative activities, its efforts are the basis for Canada’s National Program for Ecological Corridors, Asian Elephant range states prioritizing connectivity and wildlife-friendly linear infrastructure, and establishment of the Global Partnership on Ecological Connectivity.

Furthermore, thanks to the leadership of this group, connectivity is now embedded in several global conservation agreements, including the Convention on Biological Diversity’s Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) for 2030 and beyond.

Developing Conservation Tools and Guidance

CCSG Members have produced dozens of peer-reviewed papers, technical reports, and guidance documents to help inform and guide connectivity conservation worldwide. Among the largest collaborative efforts are IUCN’s groundbreaking Guidelines for conserving connectivity through ecological networks and corridors and Technical Report Addressing ecological connectivity in the development of roads, railways and canals.

Behind the scenes, CLLC staff members Laur and Gabriel Oppler have shepherded many of these publications from concept through completion by editing, facilitating reviews, overseeing photos and layout, and navigating all official manuscripts through the IUCN approval processes.

Key to making the work of the CCSG available to all, its website features ongoing projects and activities along with a sizable resource library and digests synthesizing the latest news, science, and policy surrounding connectivity conservation.

What’s ahead for CCSG

Recent adoption of IUCN Resolution WCC-2025-Res-126, Recognising and Reporting Ecological Corridors, provides a strong mandate for CCSG and its working groups to lead coordination and collaboration over the next four years. Priorities will include advocating for an authoritative international definition and frameworks to delineate and manage ecological corridors; applying the IUCN Connectivity Guidelines globally to strengthen consistent corridor design, governance, monitoring, and implementation; launching the World Database on Ecological Corridors to improve tracking and reporting; and encouraging sustained funding and investment for long-term corridor conservation.

CCSG will also continue implementing IUCN Resolution WCC 2020 Res 071, Wildlife-friendly linear infrastructure, to address fragmentation caused by transport infrastructure through cross-sector collaboration. In parallel, the group will contribute to preparations for CMS CoP-15 (2026 in Brazil), CBD CoP-17 (2026 in Armenia), and the World Protected and Conserved Areas Congress (2027 in Panama).

Top photo: CCSG Outgoing Deputy Chair Jodi Hilty (far left) and Outgoing Chair Gary Tabor (second from right) with the team from CLLC in Romania in 2019. (credit: CLLC)

The post Saving the Spaces in Between: CLLC Promotes International Collaboration for Connectivity appeared first on Center for Large Landscape Conservation.

This diverse group of experts and decision-makers, including representatives from the Center for Large Landscape Conservation (CLLC), gathered in the capital city of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, for the 8^th IUCN World Conservation Congress in October 2025. Over the course of the Congress, nearly 10,000 participants from more than 189 countries represented governments, civil society, Indigenous peoples, business, and academia.

The Center for Large Landscape Conservation (CLLC) was represented in Abu Dhabi by Gary Tabor, Aaron Laur, and Gabriel Oppler who all contributed their unique and combined skillsets. As a National Non-governmental Member of IUCN since 2016, CLLC has been fortunate to have the leadership of Founder and CEO Gary Tabor also serving as Chair of the Connectivity Conservation Specialist Group under the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA). This has increased opportunities for CLLC to work with a broad community of experts and institutions to foster the mainstreaming of ecological connectivity conservation through science, policy, and on-the-ground implementation around the world.

CLLC’s role at the World Conservation Congress

In Abu Dhabi, CLLC actively promoted connectivity and combatting habitat fragmentation as a more comprehensive strategy to save biodiversity, increase resilience to climate change, and benefit people. Preparing for and attending this WCC provided an opportunity for CLLC to collaborate even more closely with long-time partners and friends, get acquainted with new colleagues and topics, and engage more deeply in efforts spanning IUCN.

Especially important to advancing connectivity conservation, CLLC led the drafting, co-sponsor coordination, submission, and negotiation of the adopted Motion 127 “Recognising and reporting ecological corridors”. Now an official policy Resolution, it calls on all of IUCN to strengthen global coordination and reporting on the specific location and management of corridors.

In tandem, the 2021 Resolution 071 “Wildlife-friendly linear infrastructure,” also led by CLLC, remains in effect. A growing number of efforts are implementing this first-ever IUCN policy addressing the environmental impacts of linear transport infrastructure (LTI) and CLLC will continue to engage with existing and new partners to amplify and apply solutions for avoiding and mitigating this fragmenting force.

Overall, these Resolutions now form part of IUCN’s official policy commitments and actions over the next four years until the 9th WCC.

What happened at the World Conservation Congress?

Over the course of the week, participants sought to arrest the ongoing decline of nature through a wide variety of activities. In addition to a Forum and Exhibition with events showcasing research and innovation, the IUCN Members’ Assembly—IUCN’s highest decision-making body—elected the Union’s leadership for the next four years and adopted 140+ policy motions. It also approved the Abu Dhabi Call to Action and IUCN’s 20-year Strategic Vision and 2026-2029 Programme focused on halting and reversing the compounding crises facing the planet. Additionally, the WCC emphasized the important role that youth leaders play in conservation.

With just five years left until the 2030 deadline for countries to meet commitments under several international agreements—including the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF), and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals—this WCC aimed to drive immediate and bold actions across all lands and waters.

Sharing Solutions and Celebrating Milestones

Many WCC attendees spent time visiting, presenting, and participating at more than 1,000 thematic Forum Events and Exhibition Pavilions. During these events they engaged in discussions about leading science, policy, practice, and innovation  focused on themes such as scaling up resilient conservation action and transitioning to nature-positive economies and societies.

Contributing toward the overall WCC theme “Powering transformative conservation”, CLLC and partners organized and participated in a diversity of these events. Some highlights included:

• Launch of the newest Global Land Outlook Thematic Report on Ecological Connectivity and Land Restoration. With contributions from CLLC staff members, the Report introduces the guiding principle of ‘Connect to restore; Restore to connect’ for large-scale landscape conservation.
• Presentation of the now fully operational Global Partnership on Ecological Connectivity (GPEC) bringing organizations together from around the world to strengthen collective and coherent action across landscapes and seascapes.
• A Youth Summit kicked-off a series of events over the course of the Congress focused on gathering and increasing contributions from young people around the world. CLLC’s Gabriel Oppler served on IUCN’s Youth Advisory Committee throughout the last four years and supported events at a dedicated Pavilion highlighting career opportunities in conservation leadership for young professionals.

Providing Hope for the Future

For CLLC, this gathering brought back memories of all the people that have devoted their time, expertise, and passion to IUCN over its nearly 80 years of existence.

In Abu Dhabi, the Union came together to take stock of accomplishments, setbacks, and priorities, while setting out ambitious plans to address international to local issues through scaled-up action and transformative change.

Before the close of the WCC, IUCN Members approved the Abu Dhabi Call to Action, concluding that:

From Abu Dhabi, we reaffirm our collective commitment to defending life on Earth. We are the voice of nature and we stand united – One Nature, One Humanity, One Future – a global movement of individuals, communities, organisations, and nations determined to turn the tide for a just, resilient and nature-positive world. Together and united in action, we will move from promises and commitments to action.

Yes, together we can – and together, we will!

CLLC commends IUCN for its ongoing leadership and inspiration and will remain persistent in its pursuit of a world where nature and people thrive across connected, resilient landscapes and seascapes.

Photos: All photos by CLLC unless otherwise indicated

The post Collaboration in Action: CLLC at the World Conservation Congress appeared first on Center for Large Landscape Conservation.

With complex, sprawling ranges across the high mountains of South and Central Asia and low population densities, snow leopards are an elusive species. Over the last decade, however, urban centers and communities surrounding their habitats have become increasingly connected, with many more investments in infrastructure on the horizon. How can new linear infrastructure—including roads, railways, and power lines—meet human needs while protecting snow leopards, their prey, and the fragile ecosystems they depend on to survive?

The Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Program (GSLEP), an alliance of the 12 countries comprising the snow leopard’s range, formed a working group of scientists and conservationists to create guidance for how infrastructure development can integrate protections for these big cats. Led by the International Snow Leopard Trust, WWF, and the Center for Large Landscape Conservation, the working group presented a guidance document, Guiding the Future of Linear Infrastructure Development in Snow Leopard Landscapes, at the 9^th GSLEP Steering Committee Meeting in Cholpon Ata, Kyrgyz Republic, in June 2025, attended by environment ministers or their representatives.

The document provides initial recommendations for how snow leopard range country governments can use avoidance and mitigation techniques to address the impacts of infrastructure development, building on a policy advisory released at the GSLEP Steering Committee Meeting last year. The recommendations reduce risks to local communities, wildlife and ecosystems, and even the infrastructure itself. The document also identifies knowledge gaps that require additional research—for example, understanding what structures and conditions would work for snow leopards and using experimental and field-based studies to design effective and context-specific mitigation measures.

How is infrastructure impacting snow leopard habitat?

Infrastructure serves as the backbone of our societies, delivering basic necessities like the roads we travel on and the electricity that powers our homes and livelihoods. However, linear infrastructure poses an array of threats to snow leopards. Habitat fragmentation, illegal hunting and trade, wildlife-vehicle collisions, and other forms of human-wildlife conflict—along with the introduction of feral dogs, pathogens, and pollutants—are some of the ways in which roads, rail, fencing, and other forms of linear infrastructure cause landscape-level changes that lead to major environmental disturbances. Climate change exacerbates these threats, putting linear infrastructure projects at high ecological and economic risk.

To avoid causing significant problems for biodiversity, particularly wildlife, and harming the communities it is intended to serve, the coming wave of development must be built sustainably and strategically. It must also integrate the values, knowledge, and perspectives of Indigenous peoples and local communities—who are often the people most affected by this development—while being sensitive to sites of cultural importance.

The new guidance is a crucial step in helping policymakers, engineers, and conservationists address the threats to the magnificent snow leopard as the demand for new infrastructure spreads across their habitat. As an umbrella species, snow leopards are an indicator of the health and stability of their ecosystems. Protecting these big cats also protects the region’s biodiversity and natural services—like clean air and water—for local communities and people across the globe.

What’s in the guidance?

The guidance describes initial strategies and interventions at each stage of the infrastructure project lifecycle to implement the mitigation hierarchy—a four-step framework to avoid, manage, and reduce negative environmental impacts and protect and promote biodiversity and ecosystem health. The goal is to establish practices that avoid areas of high snow leopard use and value; mitigate the impact of linear infrastructure where avoidance is not possible or existing structures impede the natural flows of ecosystems; and restore habitats where development has caused disruptions. The recommendations also include maintaining the needs and values of local communities and environmental sustainability at the center of decision-making during infrastructure projects and establishing long-term monitoring to evaluate the effectiveness of the measures.

The document also identifies knowledge gaps that should be addressed in future work. These include mapping all forms of linear infrastructure across snow leopard ranges and establishing stronger baseline data on snow leopard movement and habitat corridors.

By engaging decision-makers and practitioners from all sectors involved in infrastructure development in snow leopard range countries, these measures and future research will not only protect snow leopards and their prey but also support the human communities living in snow leopard ranges and preserve ecosystem services essential to people all over the world.

This story is a collaboration between the International Snow Leopard Trust, WWF, and the Center for Large Landscape Conservation. This article was first published on worldwildlife.org.

_{Top photo: Snow leopard (Unica unica) – © Muhammad Osama / WWF-Pakistan}

The post Designing Infrastructure With Snow Leopards in Mind appeared first on Center for Large Landscape Conservation.

Strengthening Monitoring and Management

A major focus of the project was improving wildlife monitoring using the SMART (Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool) system. SMART helps rangers consistently track patrols, species sightings, and illegal activity, including grazing livestock in the reserves and wildlife poaching. In Turkmenistan, the tool was introduced in Koytendag SNR and eventually adopted across the national protected area system. In Uzbekistan, 20 additional rangers were trained, and SMART is now actively used in Surkhan SNR.

Biodiversity surveys conducted across both reserves confirmed relatively stable populations of lynx and markhor. However, urial sheep were found to be at risk, especially in areas where habitat is fragmented or overgrazed. The findings helped guide updates to reserve management plans and inform strategies for wildlife monitoring.

Cross-Border Cooperation

Recognizing that wildlife does not follow political borders, the project emphasized transboundary coordination. The Center helped support planning and facilitated two multi-day workshops which were instrumental in building momentum for connectivity conservation within and between the countries.

The first was held in 2023 in the capital Ashgabat, Turkmenistan with 21 participants from the reserves, national and regional government agencies, universities, and research institutions. The second was held in December 2024 in Termez, Uzbekistan near Surkhan SNR, with 29 participants from both countries. These events increased focus within and beyond the SNRs with strategies for ecological corridor planning, improving wildlife connectivity between reserves, and strengthening cross-border cooperation. A successful ranger exchange program between the two reserves further enhanced coordination, knowledge sharing, and joint conservation efforts.

A key outcome of this cooperation is progress toward a joint UNESCO World Heritage nomination for the Kugitang Mountains region to be recognized as one of the planet’s most outstanding sites for long-term conservation and sustainable development. With a wealth of new scientific information collected throughout the project, representatives from both countries agreed on a phased nomination process and submitted their respective transboundary nominations for “Karst, Canyons, and Caves of Kugitang” to UNESCO in August 2025. A preliminary assessment of the nomination is planned for 2026, with a full submission by 2029, and a final World Heritage decision anticipated by 2030.

By the Numbers

• 38 rangers trained in SMART (Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool)
• 43,000 hectares of Koytendag and Surkhan SNR with improved management
• 10,292 feet—the elevation of Mount Ayrybaba, the highest point along this shared border
• 59 participants at the Ashgabat and Termez connectivity workshops

Laying the Groundwork for What’s Next

While obstacles persist, the project laid a strong foundation for:

• Strengthening conservation efforts through improved reserve management;
• Enhancing biodiversity protection by addressing critical habitat threats;
• Building long-term transboundary cooperation between Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan; and
• Progressing toward UNESCO World Heritage status, which could bring global recognition and long-term support for conservation in the region.

Conservation progress in remote regions is often incremental. Over the past five years, the Center has continued advancing its Central Asian Ecological Connectivity Initiative, including being privileged to work with inspirational partners in Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. By building and deploying practical tools, building trust, and aligning efforts across borders, this project has helped set the stage for dedicated rangers, scientists, and policymakers to practice more effective conservation in the Kugitang Mountains for years to come.

The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund is a joint initiative of l’Agence Française de Développement, Conservation International, the European Union, the Global Environment Facility, the Government of Japan and the World Bank. A fundamental goal is to ensure civil society is engaged in biodiversity conservation.

^{Top photo: Eurasian Lynx are one of several endangered species in this region. (Camera trap image courtesy of Team Bars).}

The post Advancing Transboundary Connectivity Conservation for Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan appeared first on Center for Large Landscape Conservation.

Across deciduous and evergreen forests, lakes, streams and wetlands, working farms and timber lands, Québec, Canada is enormously rich in ecological diversity. However, pressures from people—residential and commercial development, climate change, and pollution—increasingly threaten the biodiversity that depends on intact habitats. Black bears and eastern wolves need wide swaths of land in their home ranges to find food and mates, wood turtles rely on unfragmented corridors to safely reach water sources, and migratory birds need stepping stones of habitat for their seasonal movements.

While habitat fragmentation is a constant risk, ecological connectivity may be the antidote: the “unimpeded movement of species, connection of habitats without hindrance and the flow of natural processes that sustain life on Earth.” Ecological corridors, as the physical spaces which sustain connectivity for living beings as they traverse from one core habitat to another, are thus a key conservation strategy now being used in Québec for upholding long-term ecological health.

Building partnerships for corridors

Since April 2023, the Center for Large Landscape Conservation (CLLC) has been working alongside the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) and partners of the Québec Ecological Corridors Initiative (QECI) to advance planning and implementation of ecological corridors across the province. 

This partnership is a natural fit. By working together, CLLC, NCC, and three local NGOs as a cohort for this pilot project saw the dual opportunity to bolster long-standing efforts of the QECI to designate formalized corridors in a stakeholder-led, collaborative manner, while simultaneously implementing the IUCN Guidelines for conserving connectivity through ecological networks and corridors. These Guidelines were published in 2020 by the IUCN WCPA Connectivity Conservation Specialist Group, for which CLLC serves as Secretariat, and has since been used to guide corridor planning in Romania, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and now Québec. This effort is the most comprehensive and collaborative application of the IUCN Guidelines since their publication.

Within the QECI, ecological corridors have varying objectives, rightsholders and stakeholders, and kinds of data available. QECI was launched in 2017 by NCC to accelerate learning and action among many local groups interested in conserving corridors throughout the province. The group offers a collective approach to land use planning and advises provincial and municipal governments, woodlot owners, farmers, and other key stakeholders. The group also carries out mobilization, capacity building, recognition, and support activities throughout southern Québec.

Within the scope of the CLLC-QECI partnership, three pilot corridors were identified to undertake collaborative planning towards creation of management and monitoring plans: Mauricie, Plaisance-to-Tremblant, and Oka-to-Tremblant. These plans will detail the specific actions landowners and managers should take to maintain or restore connectivity: everything from removing barbed-wire fencing to allow free passage of wildlife to restoring streambank vegetation to improve riparian habitat.

• The Mauricie Corridor links Mauricie National Park with other intact habitats in south-central Québec along the Saint Lawrence River, a complex mosaic of public, private, and developed land crisscrossed by wetlands and forests rich with species from wolves and bears to turtles and salamanders. This project is led by Environnement Mauricie.
• The Plaisance-to-Tremblant Corridor traverses the Laurentians from Mont Tremblant National Park to Plaisance National Park — an expanse of land dotted with agriculture, timber, smaller protected areas, and popular with recreationists. This project is lead by Le Conseil régional de l’environnement et du développement durable de l’Outaouais (CREDDO) and Éco-corridors laurentiens.
• The Oka-to-Tremblant Corridor, also located in the Laurentians, seeks to link Oka National Park to Tremblant National Park. This project is led by Éco-corridors laurentiens.

In all three corridors, a two-phase approach is being taken. In Phase 1, local NGO and regional partners are hosting workshops with a broad swath of stakeholders to gather input on the corridor’s objectives, values, threats, and governance. (To see an example, peruse this connectivity plan from Mauricie). Phase 2 focuses on specific management actions to achieve the corridors’ objectives, and monitoring schemes to track certain indicators of progress. 

Policy mandates for improved connectivity

The timing of this project is serendipitous. In December, 2024, new Guidelines for Spatial Planning of the gouvernement du Québec (Orientations gouvernementales en aménagement du territoire, OGAT) came into effect which strengthen the policy mandate to identify ecological corridors and compatible uses in regional land use plans.

Under the terms of the updated OGAT, regional governments are expected to identify and manage for ecological corridors based on ecological importance and factors such as forest cover. Land use plans are also required to stipulate “compatible uses” — ways that people can use the land without hindering ecological connectivity. ” Additionally, counties are invited to “promote the creation of wildlife passages (aquatic and terrestrial)” when repairing or constructing new roads.

As updated land use plans are written and reviewed, now is the opportunity for ecological corridors to take center stage in meeting conservation objectives. Co-produced management and monitoring plans are coming to life throughout the Québec Ecological Corridors Initiative just as the policy environment is most ripe for turning collaborative ideals into enforceable action.

Meanwhile, a toolbox for the counties and municipalities is currently being updated. It presents a range of tools that enable counties and municipalities to plan for ecological connectivity. It also includes examples of municipalities and regional county municipalities (MRCs) that have utilized some of these measures. Local NGOs who form the QECI are also active in the field supporting MRCs in integrating connectivity considerations.

As the Québec Ecological Corridors Initiative and the Center for Large Landscape Conservation continue their work, the progress made over the past two years is laying a strong foundation for long-term ecological connectivity. With new policy mandates supporting corridor identification, management, and monitoring there is a valuable opportunity to integrate conservation goals into regional planning. Momentum at this provincial scale is complemented by the Canadian federal government. Across the country, Parks Canada is providing funding and scientific capacity through the National Program for Ecological Corridors.

By combining scientific inputs, stakeholder collaboration, and policy frameworks, this partnership is helping to establish practical approaches for maintaining, enhancing, and restoring connectivity across Québec’s landscapes. These efforts also serve as a replicable model for other regions in Canada and around the world, demonstrating how coordinated planning can support both biodiversity and sustainable land use. The next steps will focus on refining management and monitoring plans to ensure these strategies remain effective over time.

Top photo: American Marten. Credit: NPS/Jacob W. Frank

The post Collaborative Planning for Ecological Connectivity in Québec appeared first on Center for Large Landscape Conservation.

Marine ecological corridors, sometimes dubbed “blue corridors,” are complex ocean migratory highways that span considerable distances with little regard for political boundaries. For instance, in the Arctic, these blue corridors serve as crucial migration routes for species such as whales, enabling travel between feeding and mating grounds. These wide-ranging species traverse thousands of kilometers, using sea ice as a guide.  

The health of the entire marine ecosystem depends on preserving these passageways. They allow species to fulfill their ecological roles and maintain delicate nutrient cycling—the system of transferring and recycling nutrients within ecosystems for living organisms and abiotic factors—the nonliving parts of the ecosystem. As humans’ scientific grasp of the ocean increases, so should efforts to protect and reestablish marine connectivity. These efforts will face mounting threats to wildlife and ecosystems, such as climate change, increased shipping traffic, deep sea mining, and overfishing. 

The Center for Large Landscape Conservation and the IUCN-WCPA Connectivity Conservation Specialist Group (CCSG)—for which we serve as Secretariat—recognize marine connectivity as an essential strategy for global conservation and have played a key role in promoting and protecting it. The CCSG Marine Connectivity Working Group (MCWG) was formed in 2019 to meet the demand for connectivity conservation solutions that maintain, enhance, and restore the ecological connectivity of marine and coastal protected areas, marine biodiversity, and critical marine and coastal ecosystem services. MCWG is now ensuring that there is dedicated attention to connectivity science, policy, and management for marine and coastal areas. 

The MCWG’s report titled “Marine Connectivity Conservation’ Rules of Thumb’ for MPA and MPA Network Design” stressed the role that interlinkages of ecosystems play in bolstering biodiversity, ensuring ecosystem resilience in a changing climate, and sustaining food systems. Developed specifically for conservation professionals and those working to implement marine policy, the report spotlights how integrating connectivity in conservation strategies and designating marine corridors for protection will help secure the longevity of marine species. 

Connectivity research, in general, is much less advanced for the ocean than land, so this report was a step forward in protecting our oceans and is especially time-sensitive given the threat that unchecked human activity continues to pose.  

Take the Maui dolphin for instance, New Zealand’s last endemic cetacean. The species faces pressures from boating and fishing, and therefore, only sixty remain in the world. In the upper Gulf of California, Mexico, the critically endangered vaquita porpoise is estimated to have dwindled to a population of only 10, suffering from habitat degradation and illegal fishing. 

Last summer, members of the MCWG released a new paper for a special issue of the journal Marine Policy. “Marine Connectivity Conservation: Guidance for MPA and MPA Network Design and Management” summarized the report with a policy focus, providing invaluable insight into how marine protected areas can be designed and managed to enhance connectivity.  

On the global stage, policy advancements in recent years emphasize the connectivity of our oceans as a primary concern. Adopted by the United Nations, the 2023 Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ)—colloquially known as the High Seas Treaty—features ecological connectivity as a top priority and criterion for identifying Marine Protected Areas. 

As of 2025, 112 countries have signed the agreement, and Greenpeace called it “the biggest conservation victory ever.” The High Seas Treaty aims to maintain marine ecosystem integrity across the world’s oceans for present and future generations, including through the establishment of “well-connected networks of marine protected areas.”  

By conserving the critical pathways of oceans, we can continue to strengthen marine ecosystems, safeguarding the many services they provide Earth and protecting marine creatures from plankton to orcas. The policy and scientific developments made via the Center and our international partners reflect a growing consensus that connectivity is essential for the health of the high seas and critical for conserving the incredible biodiversity of our oceans. 

Leaders around the world now prepare for the 2025 UN Ocean Conference convening in France in June, to advance the speed and scale to conserve our precious ocean in the face of the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. 

Top photo: Orcas at the Kenai Fjords National Park in Alaska. Credit: NPS/Jim Pfeiffenberger

The post Blue Corridors: Habitat Connectivity for Marine Species appeared first on Center for Large Landscape Conservation.

When lynx, elephants, markhors, bears or elk move in search of new water or food sources, they don’t stop to show their passports at the border or pause to consider which areas are designated as protected and which are private lands. Wildlife goes where it needs to survive, and as climate change modifies landscapes and an increased human population adds pressure to ecosystems, conflict arises. 

In 2024, the Center for Large Landscape Conservation worked across five continents to reconnect fragmented landscapes and foster partnerships across borders. Three projects in particular illustrate the challenges and opportunities of preserving wildlife movement and habitat connectivity across international boundaries. This collaborative work is taking place in the Mountain Ecosystems of Koytendag in Central Asia, the Transboundary Region of Kenya and Tanzania and the landscapes of Northeastern North America. 

Conserving the Mountain Ecosystems of Koytendag

Along the shared border of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan runs a tall, craggy ridgeline separating the two countries. While this southern spur of the Pamir-Alay mountain range may present a physical barrier for human travel, many animals and crucial sources of freshwater can still move freely through this landscape nestled in the heart of the Mountain Ecosystems of Koytendag (MEK). 

The MEK represent one of the most biodiverse landscapes in Central Asia. However, the region faces threats to endemic plant and animal species including agricultural expansion, overgrazing, illegal hunting and human development. Since 2020, the Center has been working in MEK as part of a project funded by the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund, and since 2024 by the Peace and Biodiversity Dialogue Initiative to help stakeholders in both countries come together to strengthen cooperation across two protected areas, including improving monitoring and data-sharing practices. 

“Sharing common natural resources, ecosystems, and species, this project for Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan reinforces how international and transboundary cooperation can enhance conservation across Central Asia,” said Aaron Laur, International Connectivity Program, Policy and Partnerships Manager with the Center.  

To combat the challenges faced by wildlife, rangers in Koytendag State Nature Reserve in Turkmenistan and Surkhan State Nature Reserve in Uzbekistan are collaborating to use Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool data gathering, or SMART monitoring, to track populations of markhor, urial sheep and lynx as well as other wildlife in the region. This data will help both countries make informed management decisions and enable them to deploy limited resources and rangers wisely across this vast landscape. For example, if a camera trap happens to capture an instance of poaching or other wildlife-human conflict, rangers will know exactly where incidents are happening and be able to better patrol and enforce management plans in the future.

“Better data and more sharing of that data allows managers to make proactive decisions based on information they may have from the other side of the border,” said the Center’s International Connectivity Program, Policy and Partnerships Specialist, Gabriel Oppler, who traveled to Uzbekistan in 2024 to facilitate a workshop focused on enhancing collaboration and connectivity planning between the two reserves. 

These monitoring efforts will also establish baseline information on migration and movement trends and population size and health that could then serve as future indicators of the effects of climate change. In addition, it will be helpful in supporting a transboundary nomination of both reserves as a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site. 

“A great deal of work went into building stakeholder surveys and our partners talking to people in the local community,” Laur said. “They sat with national and international experts and rangers on mountain tops for days at a time, gathering scientific information, and documenting natural, cultural, and geologic sites because that’s what goes into a World Heritage nomination.” 

World Heritage status can be valuable in helping a country, or in this case countries, be recognized for stewarding their unique heritage and can help attract more international funding. Additionally, Laur said, this designation can help spur the governments of receiving countries to prioritize and better conserve the sites. 

Oppler emphasized the importance of maintaining and enhancing connectivity between both reserves and the surrounding landscape and the shared interest of both countries in protecting the same wildlife populations and ecological processes. Though an international border runs through the heart of these mountains, for the local wildlife, it’s all one home range. 

Connecting the Transboundary Region of Kenya and Tanzania

In the transboundary region of southern Kenya and northern Tanzania, or SOKNOT, there are protected areas on both sides of the border: the Serengeti, Mount Kilimanjaro and Amboseli National Parks and Tsavo National Park. The challenge in this region is to define, monitor and conserve wildlife corridors across international boundaries. 

“There are a lot of wide-ranging species in the African landscape,” said Annika Keeley, Senior Conservation Scientist with the Center. “If you don’t care about connectivity between the countries, you damage populations on either side. Those countries depend on the species for tourism, and so if they want to sustain this business opportunity, they have to think about cross boundary connectivity for the species.” 

Tanzania has delineated corridors that are recognized by the government but Kenya has yet to put any corridors on the map. The plan is for the two countries to collaborate, delineate corridors for the entire region and then monitor them. 

“The goal is really to safeguard these corridors from being developed, to keep them open for wildlife movement,” Keeley said. 

Working with WWF and the Wildlife Connect Initiative, Keeley and Bakari Mtili with the Center led and facilitated a two-day workshop in Tanzania focused on the shared goal of maintaining a connected landscape. The group discussed which indicators to use when monitoring these corridors and gathered input from local experts to make sure future work built upon existing efforts. Moving forward, both countries will share census and movement data to help researchers understand how species are using the corridors. 

WWF also wants to monitor any delineated corridors to see if they are changing and use that data as an early-warning system. The human population of Tanzania is predicted to double by 2050 meaning lots of potential new development in these wildlife corridors. The new set of indicators laid out in a report from the Center will provide information on how the corridors are changing over time and inform future work. 

According to Keeley, the Center’s recommendation is to create a framework for implementing the ecological corridors in this region following guidelines produced by the Center and the International Union for Conservation of Nature. For each delineated corridor, there would then be a group of local stakeholders that meets to write and execute a management plan, as well as monitor and adapt actions for the long-term stewardship of the corridor. 

Collaborating to Protect Turtle Island

Many Native American communities use the term Turtle Island to describe the North American continent. The name stems from various creation stories describing the world being formed on the back of a giant turtle. This land stretched unbroken covered in lush forests, tranquil lakes and roamed by all manner of wildlife. 

This vision is not reflected in contemporary maps, which are crisscrossed with roads, private property lines, state borders and international borders that even cut right through the middle of lakes. The concept of Turtle Island, however, is more than just an uninterrupted landmass; it represents a deep respect for and connection to nature. 

At the first-ever Northeastern North America / Turtle Island Landscape Connectivity Summit in June of 2024, this concept of connected landscapes was at the forefront of presentations, panels and discussion groups focused on transboundary conservation efforts in this region. The Summit focused on the five eastern-most Canadian provinces, seven northeastern-most US states, and Indigenous territories of the region. Attendees included tribal leaders, representatives from provincial, state and federal agencies, and non-governmental organizations, among others, who all came together to collaborate across international boundaries. 

The region in focus represents a biodiverse, ecologically-rich carbon sink of utmost importance. Deb Kmon Davidson, Chief Strategy Officer with the Center, said there is a trend in species moving north, such as sugar maples, which she says are dying off in places like Massachusetts, Connecticut and southern Vermont. The solution, according to Davidson, is to work together across borders and with managers of different lands both public and private. 

“There’s an increased recognition that this is an interwoven landscape,” Davidson said. “Each state and province is not an individual entity, there’s a collective impact.” 

At the summit, road ecology and wildlife migration issues were front and center resulting in much more sharing of information across international borders and efforts to collectively put forward proposals. In September of 2024, Canadian Premieres and American Governors signed a landmark resolution representing a commitment from those provinces and states to work collectively on ecological connectivity.  

Moving forward, the hope is that all stakeholders view conservation from an eco-regional perspective that ignores boundaries, according to Davidson.  

“There’s power in, for example, people who live within Vermont, understanding that they are part of a larger regional movement, too,” Davidson said. 

In April 2025, the coordinating committee that formed around the summit will release a Pathways document that summarizes the findings of the summit and some high-priority action items that were identified. It will be important to ensure that ecological processes and wildlife in the region are able to move and flow as they need to, unimpeded by borders they don’t recognize.  

_{Top photo: Reserve rangers and collaborators from the Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan environmental ministries and the Uzbekistan Academy of Sciences discuss data entry using the SMART system – CLLC/Gabriel Oppler}

The post Transboundary Conservation: Building Partnerships for Shared Landscapes appeared first on Center for Large Landscape Conservation.