Workshop participants
CPSG Australasia
Collaborative Partnerships
The process of responding to the mass mortality event, from the initial discovery of turtle carcasses through to eventual reintroduction of captive bred juveniles to the wild, was done through collaboration between government authorities, researchers, in situ and ex situ conservation managers, and local people who were personally invested in the turtles’ wellbeing. The communities living around the Bellinger River derive pride from the species endemic to their corner of the world, and their concern and participation as citizen scientists played a large role in raising awareness and ensuring resources were directed to the turtles. The government authorities were the central facilitators of the response, seeking out expertise across many sectors to ensure a comprehensive analysis was done.
The CPSG principle of neutral facilitation creates a collaborative and open-minded space to address conservation challenges. While the stakeholders involved in the response and workshop were from different sectors with their own motivations, the unifying end goal of developing a conservation plan that address all the risks the Bellinger River Snapping Turtle was facing was able to bridge those differences.
Conservation plans are often limited by the information on which they are based. By engaging with a larger scope of stakeholders, diverse and previously unconsidered perspectives can be captured in the planning process. This ensures all risks are considered, generating a more comprehensive and well-rounded management plan and a comprehensive foundation for long-term survival in the wild.