About Mosaic conservation

Mosaic Conservation was formed by Bob Smith and Matt Walpole in 2003. Our goal is to promote and develop technical and analytical excellence in biodiversity conservation and natural resource management.

Our approach

High quality research, monitoring, analysis and planning are fundamental to the success of biodiversity conservation. Yet the links between science and practical conservation are often weak. Moreover, much scientific research takes place within narrow academic disciplines, whilst real world conservation problems are complex and multidisciplinary.

It is clear that conservation is a facet of world development, and not divorced from it. Conservation takes place both within and outside protected areas, and the two are mutually dependent. Human and economic realities may present both opportunities and constraints, and these must be incorporated into any successful planning and problem-solving activities.

In order to be a genuine and valuable tool for conservation, science needs to be applied strategically, and with consideration of both the use and users of the results. This requires a partnership approach between scientists and practitioners of biodiversity management, be they government authorities, NGOs or local communities.

Our approach, developed over the past decade, incorporates these ideas. We aim to provide:

• Targeted research design and data analysis,
• Multidisciplinary perspectives, incorporating quantitative and qualitative analysis and evaluation across natural and social sciences,
• Practical solutions to problem-solving, planning and policy development, both within and beyond protected area boundaries,
• Integrated partnership projects incorporating relevant stakeholders, and
• Accessible technical and analytical tools for conservation planning and management,
• Training and capacity-building for organisations and individuals.

Topics and tools

With a combined experience of over 20 years in conservation research and development, in 14 countries in Africa, Asia and Europe, we have particular expertise in the following:

• Conservation land-use evaluation and planning
• Ecotourism impacts, planning, and management,
• Seeking solutions to human-wildlife conflict,
• Economic approaches to conservation and sustainable utilisation,
• The use of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) as research and development tools, and
• The development and delivery of training materials and courses for conservation professionals.

Much of our work has been conducted as part of a research group at the Durrell Institute of Conservation & Ecology, University of Kent. We have also worked for and with a variety of other organisations, including IUCN, The World Bank, DFID, WWF, The European Union, the British Council and others.

Examples of the kinds of activity we have undertaken include:

• Designing reserve networks in southern Africa and Indochina,
• Conducting marketing and feasibility studies for community-based tourism in Kenya,
• Advising on appropriate protected area pricing policy and fee structures in Indonesia,
• Implementing wildlife and environmental monitoring programmes inside and outside parks,
• Testing the effectiveness of methods to mitigate wildlife crop raiding and livestock predation,
• Developing user-friendly, GIS-based software tools for biodiversity research and planning,
• Delivering training courses in GIS, ecology and ecotourism planning and management, and
• Providing statistical and analytical support to conservation research projects worldwide.