Rethinking Conservation: Reflections from ICN 2025

Lucy Radford

5th November 2025

3 minutes read

By Oluchi Agodi, a participant in the Interdisciplinary Conservation Network 2025.

When I received the email confirming my selection for the 2025 Interdisciplinary Conservation Network (ICN) Workshop in George, South Africa, I was thrilled. Like many early-career conservationists, I’ve always seen myself as one of the “good people”, not driven by material things, but by a desire to do what’s right for nature and the planet.

Yet, somewhere between the conversations, the shared stories, and the quiet moments of reflection, ICN reminded me that good intentions aren’t always enough. It was a humbling experience that pushed me to confront the human dimensions behind conservation decisions and how choices made in rooms like ours can have far-reaching effects on people’s lives.

The ICN, hosted by Nelson Mandela University and organized by the Interdisciplinary Centre for Conservation Science (ICCS), brought together early-career researchers from across the world to collaborate and challenge ideas for better conservation.

I was part of the theme “Advancing Inclusive Conservation through Intersectionality and Interdisciplinary Research,” where we discussed how identity markers like gender, age, class, and culture interact to create unique realities that shape people’s relationships with wildlife and conservation.

It made me question how much I really understood about the communities I’ve worked with and how easy it is, even with good intentions, to misunderstand local context, miss people’s realities and maybe even overlook voices and perspectives that matter.

One session on ethics in conservation technology stood out. We discussed how drones, camera traps, and acoustic monitors, while valuable for research, can feel intrusive or intimidating to local people when used without full consent or clear communication. Hearing these perspectives shifted something in me. It underscored that ethical conservation isn’t just about minimizing harm to wildlife, but also about empathy and protecting the dignity and privacy of local communities.

At my organization, the Small Mammal Conservation Organization (SMACON), we’ve always believed in community-based conservation. Our projects from wildfire prevention to forest restoration are built on trust, local partnerships and dialogue. Still, ICN reminded me that even with the best intentions, we must keep reflecting and refining how we engage; It’s easy to slip into thinking we already do good conservation. However, it’s a mindset that requires constant questioning.

Whose voices are missing? Whose knowledge do we prioritize? Are we listening deeply enough before deciding what’s best?

Leaving George, I carried home more questions than answers, but also a renewed sense of purpose. Conservation is not only about saving species; it’s about how we save them, with whom, and for whom.

ICN was a reminder that empathy, context, and inclusion are as vital to conservation as data and fieldwork. It was a reminder to stay humble, to keep reflecting, to keep learning, and to ensure that in our pursuit of protecting nature, we never forget the people whose lives are intertwined with it.