Conservation Innovation Lab Report

The name “Conservation Innovation Lab” likely elicits a range of imagery in most readers’ minds—from a computer wiz working on code to track butterflies, to a hydrologist mapping the flow of underground water molecules, to an ecologist finding new ways to age elk based on hair samples. PERC’s Conservation Innovation Lab certainly supports cutting-edge science ideas like those. But what we tend to focus on is a different kind of innovation, one focused on intersections of people and nature and devoted to finding solutions for humans and conservation alike.

What I envision is a group of people from diverse backgrounds who might otherwise have never come together. They’re hunched over a kitchen table, or the hood of a truck, poring over a map. They’re standing on a recently un-fenced hillside of native grasses that nourish migrating wildlife while supporting vibrant agricultural communities. Or they’re looking out over working ranchlands, watching cattle meander through valleys, and noting the green ribbons of life that follow irrigation ditches or restored riparian corridors.

As Aldo Leopold put it, conservation boils down to “rewarding the private landowner who conserves the public interest.” And while this sentiment certainly holds true for PERC, we also believe that conservation depends on harnessing the power of partnerships and creativity that come from a diversity of passionate thinkers and doers.

Now, as part of our commitment to that partnership ethos, we are honored to share updates on our active projects. We are excited to share our wins and successes, but we are equally keen to share the lessons we’ve learned from the challenges and setbacks we’ve faced over the first two years of the Innovation Lab. We hope these experiences provide others with the opportunity to avoid pitfalls as we all continue to improve our on-the-ground conservation efforts. 

These updates do not fully capture the ever-changing nature of our Conservation Innovation Lab projects, but they offer a snapshot of where we are today. We continually work to improve our on-the-ground efforts to better meet the needs of our partners and achieve the best possible conservation outcomes.

In the future, I hope the Conservation Innovation Lab inspires a vision of hardworking people finding creative ways to enhance our land, water, and wildlife through the use of incentives. If you ever have an idea for a project or collaboration, please never hesitate to reach out.