I was told an inspiring story by a colleague from a conservation organisation involved in the Common Cause for Nature project recently and thought that was worth sharing.

He said to me that for as long as he had been in the press team he had often regretted not doing a more practical degree so that he could have done proper “on the ground” conservation. However, since his involvement in the Common Cause for Nature project, his increased understanding of psychology meant he could see that his work was conservation – he now understood that communication is conservation.

The Common Cause for Nature report shows that both experiences and communications are important in influencing people’s motivation and therefore key to achieving a future better for wildlife. In other words, communication is an important component in delivering wider public support for conservation.

In the report we recommend the following with regard to communications:

WHEN COMMUNICATING:

DO

• Talk more about how amazing nature is and use inspiring pictures to reinforce this
• Talk about caring for other people
• Give members and supporters active roles  – encourage them do their own thing and be creative
• Be clear about both what the problems are and what solutions are needed
• Make solutions proportionate to the problem, if the ask is something small show how it relates to the bigger change needed.

DON’T

• Overemphasize threat – threat is important in raising awareness but over using it can make people feel helpless
• Ignore the problems or the solutions – both are needed to make it clear why action is important
• Appeal to the desire for power and money
• Don’t appeal to conflicting values at the same time – avoid using intrinsic and extrinsic values together
• Portray your organisation as a lone superhero – we cannot succeed on our own, messages should emphasize how members and supporters are part of the solution.

Although incredibly important, communication is only one thread. We need to bring an understanding of values into all areas of conservation work. The report outlines recommendations for other work areas as well as ways in which organisations themselves can adopt working practices to strengthen their own values.

Read the full report here to find out more.