The essential tools for a successful conservation project on Big Island Hawaii

Big Island Hawaii is home to some of the most diverse and endangered ecosystems and species in the world. From its volcanoes to its coral reefs, from its rainforests to its dry forests, from its seabirds to its forest birds, Big Island Hawaii hosts a wealth of natural and cultural treasures that need to be protected and preserved for future generations. But how can we achieve this goal? What are the essential tools for a successful conservation project on Big Island Hawaii?

A conservation project is a planned and coordinated effort to protect, restore, or enhance a natural or cultural resource or area. A successful conservation project is one that achieves its objectives and outcomes, while also being efficient, effective, sustainable, and adaptive. To accomplish this, a conservation project needs to have the following essential tools:

• A clear vision and mission: A conservation project needs to have a clear vision and mission that define its purpose, goals, and values. A vision is a statement of what the project hopes to achieve in the long term, while a mission is a statement of how the project will achieve its vision in the short term. A clear vision and mission can help guide the project’s planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation.
• A sound strategy and plan: A conservation project needs to have a sound strategy and plan that outline its objectives, activities, indicators, budget, timeline, roles, and responsibilities. A strategy is a set of actions that the project will take to achieve its objectives, while a plan is a document that details the strategy. A sound strategy and plan can help ensure the project’s feasibility, efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability.
• A strong partnership and collaboration: A conservation project needs to have a strong partnership and collaboration with relevant stakeholders, such as local communities, landowners, government agencies, non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, funders, and media. A partnership is a relationship of mutual trust and respect between two or more parties that share a common interest or goal, while a collaboration is a process of working together to achieve that goal. A strong partnership and collaboration can help ensure the project’s relevance, legitimacy, sustainability, and impact.
• A robust monitoring and evaluation system: A conservation project needs to have a robust monitoring and evaluation system that tracks its progress and performance against its objectives and indicators. Monitoring is the regular collection and analysis of data on the project’s activities and outputs, while evaluation is the periodic assessment of the project’s outcomes and impacts. A robust monitoring and evaluation system can help ensure the project’s quality,
  adaptability,
  learning,
  and accountability.

These are some of the essential tools for a successful conservation project on Big Island Hawaii. By using these tools, a conservation project can not only protect and restore Big Island Hawaii’s natural and cultural resources but also contribute to its social and economic well-being.

Source:
(1) Hawai‘i Conservation Program | NFWF. https://www.nfwf.org/programs/hawaii-conservation-program.
(2) Hawaii Conservation Alliance. https://www.hawaiiconservation.org/.