Balancing making a difference with making a living in the conservation sector

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Conservation Biology
• Psychology

Background:

• Goals are crucial for motivation, effort, and focus in human lives.
• Understanding conservationist satisfaction with goal progress offers insights into environmental trends and sector well-being.
• The conservation sector faces unique challenges impacting practitioners' motivation and effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess conservationists' satisfaction with progress toward their goals.
• To identify demographic and occupational factors influencing satisfaction.
• To explore experiences associated with goal-progress satisfaction and its impact on well-being.

Main Methods:

• Survey administered to 2694 conservationists globally.
• Analysis of satisfaction levels with individual and collective conservation goals.
• Exploration of demographic, occupational, and psychological factors correlated with satisfaction.

Main Results:

• 94% of conservationists value making a meaningful contribution; 52.5% are satisfied with progress in this area.
• General dissatisfaction exists regarding progress on collective conservation goals (e.g., species loss).
• Factors like career length, optimism, gender, and practice type influence satisfaction with individual and collective goals. Livelihood concerns (job security, compensation) are a significant source of dissatisfaction.

Conclusions:

• While contributing to conservation is a satisfier, slow progress on collective and livelihood goals causes distress and demotivation.
• Employers and funders should prioritize conservationist well-being, fair compensation, and supportive environments.
• Addressing livelihood concerns is critical for sustaining motivation and effectiveness in conservation efforts.