Overview

A one-day course taking you from confused to confident about conservation social science

Many people working in nature conservation are experts in understanding species, habitats and ecosystems from a natural science perspective.  You’re familiar with methods, you know the literature and you know who to speak to when you need to solve a problem.

But when it comes to understanding the people within those ecosystems…you’re not so sure.  Your training has not equipped you to work with social scientists and the disciplines of social science.  It can be overwhelming to realise there’s a big gap in the skills you need to achieve your conservation objectives.  But you’re not alone.  Many of the people we work with are lost in the unfamiliar terminology, want to better understand social science methods, and are uncertain how to move forwards.

We can help you.  This one-day online course is a great step to help you build a foundation understanding of conservation social science.

The Essentials of conservation social science course is for those starting out in social science, perhaps with an existing background in natural sciences or conservation practice, who now find themselves needing to understand the evidence of people.

You will learn what social science is, get an introduction to the methods used to gather social science data, and why social science evidence is fundamental to conservation success.  You’ll leave the course with a personal Action Plan to support you as you implement your learning from the course gain a foundation in the breadth of social science disciplines and how these can be usefully applied to conservation.  It will provide you with a springboard to advance your understanding and application of conservation social sciences.

By the end of the course, you will:

  • Have an appreciation for the breadth of social science disciplines and their place as a vital component of conservation
  • Understand the range of methods applied in conservation social sciences and the types of data collected
  • Be empowered to integrate social science understanding into your current and future activities

Upcoming course dates:

Thursday 14th March 2024 9:30am – 4:30pm London time (GMT) (details here)

Also available to be delivered in-house for your organisation or network – please email us for more details rebecca@humannature.co.uk.

 

About Human Nature

Human Nature is a social enterprise that supports conservation professionals to integrate social science into spaces traditionally dominated by natural science.  We understand that many people working in the conservation sector have considerable natural science expertise, but social sciences are often unfamiliar.  It is increasingly evident that the planetary crises need more than ecological evidence to solve them.  However, this realisation can leave conservation professionals feeling unsettled and unsure of what to do next.

Founded by Dr Rebecca Jefferson, published social scientist trained in both natural and social sciences, with over 15 years’ experience of bringing interdisciplinary expertise to the public and private sectors.

Human Nature provides training, workshops and strategic guidance to support individuals, teams and organisations to integrate conservation social science into their projects and organisations.