Goslar, Germany – September 16 – 19, 2018

Improving the understanding of human dimensions of natural resource management and conservation through the application of social and economic sciences in a sustainable use and conservation context is being perceived as a major prerequisite for a successful balance of stakeholder interests, as reflected in the United Nations’ recently adapted Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and in the EU Commission’s “Action Plan for nature, people and the economy.” However, crossing disciplinary boundaries and the effective engagement with the human dimensions of natural resources such as wildlife and fisheries is still uncommon, sometimes accredited to the lack of awareness about the scope and importance of social and economic sciences related to the environment. The Pathways – Human Dimensions of Fisheries and Wildlife Conference aims at bringing researchers and practitioners together that value the contributions of social, economic and social-ecological science to the improvement of natural resource management and conservation. The conference’s key target audiences are scientists, governmental and non-governmental natural resource managers, stakeholder groups, especially land and water users/land owners, and other practitioners in the field. It wants to attract enthusiastic presenters and trainers allowing professionals to participate and engage with like-minded professionals across national, state, and institutional boundaries.

Conference Subjects and Submission Deadlines

Four major content categories for thematic orientation:

• Social-ecological systems as a framework for conservation management
• Management of Human-Wildlife Conflicts: Large Carnivores in Europe (and beyond)
• Management of Human-Wildlife Conflicts: “Other” Species in Europe (and beyond)
• Natural Resource and Conservation Stakeholders: Managing Expectations and Engagement

For a detailed description of these subjects, the presentation formats and the submission instructions please visit the conference web site at https://sites.warnercnr.colostate.edu/pathways/ and https://www.nna.niedersachsen.de/pathways/ for further information.

Submission deadlines:

• Individual abstracts for oral or poster presentations: February 28, 2018
• All other formats: February 15, 2018

You may contact the organizers at pathways2018@nna.de in case of further questions.

Co-Hosted by Alfred Toepfer Academy for Nature Conservation and Colorado State University

Partners World Wildlife Fund and Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW)