Network of Conservation Educators and Practitioners (NCEP)

We seek to improve the practice of biodiversity conservation by improving training, teaching, and learning in biodiversity conservation.

NCEP has three main strategies for achieving its mission: 

• We create up-to-date, open-access resources for teaching and learning—called “modules”—on a range of topics in conservation.
• We also lead training and research to advance the field of conservation education.
• Finally, we support efforts to build capacity for conservation in the long-term, at the local, regional, and global level.

NCEP works closely with local partners, and has led projects in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Pacific, and the United States, particularly in regions with high biodiversity, significant threats, and limited opportunities.

About

The Network of Conservation Educators and Practitioners (NCEP) was founded in 2002 by the CBC in response to limited opportunities for and resources in conservation training, particularly in regions with high biodiversity and facing significant threats.

Our initial work began at home in the United States and on the ground in Latin America and Madagascar, places where the CBC had long-term partnerships already in place. With support from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Science Foundation, and the MacArthur Foundation, among others, we began to develop a collection of teaching resources on diverse conservation topics for university educators and professional trainers in the local languages of instruction (Spanish and French).

We also partnered with local scientists in both regions to adapt these materials to the local context, through examples and case studies that have local relevance. As the project grew so did the scope of our work, to encompass not only training resources in conservation but also how conservation is taught. We encourage educators and professional trainers to approach their teaching as they would their research and management: by incorporating evidence-based techniques and assessing their effectiveness.

At the global scale, we work with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and its World Commission on Protected Areas to capture lessons from around the world on effective capacity development, and chart strategic priorities for the future that can support capacity development at all levels.

Today, NCEP is the signature capacity development program of the CBC and works to implement capacity development solutions at local, national, and international levels. We continue to grow our module collection, offer annual training opportunities, and facilitate strategic thinking about capacity development with multiple partners.