Conservation Planning

Long-term conservation of endangered species continues to face new and emerging challenges, such as novel diseases and the impacts of climate change. In today’s world, the view that all species can be effectively conserved with minimal management simply by creating large areas of protected habitat is unrealistic. There is an increasing need for active management and long-term human intervention, guided by strategic plans that are tailored to the conservation needs of species.

The One Plan Approach

The One Plan Approach to species conservation promotes an integrated strategy for species recovery where a wide range of conservation partners work together to create a comprehensive conservation plan that includes populations both in the wild (in situ) and in human care (ex situ). By involving diverse partners in the planning process, including field biologists, wildlife managers, Indigenous Peoples and local communities, academics, and the zoo, aquarium, and botanic garden community, the One Plan Approach bridges the gap between wild and captive population management and mobilizes the full suite of skills and resources available to help species in trouble.

The One Plan Approach is supported by the Conservation Planning Specialist Group (CPSG), part of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Species Survival Commission. CPSG helps teams develop conservation plans through collaborative, science-driven workshops that have proven results in threatened species conservation.

Explore Recent Work

Check out CPSG’s 2024 annual report to see the incredible work done by this group to improve conservation globally!

Highlights for the CPSG Canada team (hosted by your very own WPC!) include:

– Facilitating the final conservation planning workshop for Eastern Loggerhead Shrike and publishing the transnational Conservation Strategy for the species

– Facilitating our second Ex Situ Conservation Assessment for a rare plant species, Furbish’s Lousewort

– Hosting a symposium at the North American Congress for Conservation Biology in Vancouver and presenting at the 2024 AZA Annual Conference in Calgary

WPC Conservation Planning Team

Stephanie Winton

CPSG Canada Convener and Conservation Planning Coordinator

Stephanie was Wildlife Preservation Canada’s 31st Canada’s New Noah in 2022 and has returned to WPC to apply her experience in integrated in situ and ex situ conservation management approaches and facilitation of species conservation planning workshops to build capacity and enhance conservation planning for species at risk in Canada. Stephanie holds an MSc from Thompson Rivers University where she researched the impacts of road mortality on western rattlesnake populations in BC and has over ten years of experience in conservation and research with a diversity of threatened species in Canada and globally, including burrowing owls, tiger salamanders, northern leopard frogs, black-tailed prairie dogs, and Mauritian reptiles.

Recent Articles

Stephanie Winton, the Canadian Species Initiative Coordinator gives a travelogue presentation on her experience working on reptile conservation projects in Mauritius as the 31st Canada’s New Noah.

Stephanie Winton, the Canadian Species Initiative Coordinator gives a travelogue presentation on her experience working on reptile conservation projects in Mauritius as the 31st Canada’s New Noah.