Insights and reflections from Bat Conservation International’s Agave Restoration Initiative скачать в хорошем качестве

Insights and reflections from Bat Conservation International’s Agave Restoration Initiative

In this webinar, Dr. Kristen Lear of Bat Conservation International (BCI) shares the story of the emergence of BCI’s Agave Restoration Initiative, a bi-national collaborative landscape-scale initiative restoring critical habitat for threatened migratory pollinating bats while supporting sustainable livelihoods across the U.S. and Mexico. Since launching in 2018, the initiative has scaled from two pilot projects to a coordinated initiative with over 65 multi-sectoral partners, planting over 116,000 agaves and restoring or protecting over 5,400 hectares across nine U.S. and Mexican states. Rather than being treated as a separate, ancillary benefit to bat conservation, human well-being is framed as an integral, foundational strategy for advancing biodiversity outcomes. This is reflected in the initiative’s diverse strategies, which include: creating regional agave supply chains with community and private nurseries; planting agaves to support both bat foraging needs and local livelihoods; implementing regenerative agriculture and ranching and supporting community green enterprises that enhance agave habitat and support local economies; strengthening local conservation and restoration capacity; fostering peer-to-peer learning; and inspiring conservation action through educational programs. Reflecting on seven years of growth, Dr. Lear will share key factors behind the initiative’s success and offer practical recommendations on: building and sustaining multi-sectoral partnerships; maintaining flexibility to respond to local crises and meet basic community needs before conservation efforts can take root; mechanisms for facilitating peer-to-peer learning that fosters a sense of belonging and shared purpose; integrating agave restoration with broader federal and regional programs; strategies for framing conservation work in ways that resonate with funders; and leveraging storytelling, media, and experiential learning for conservation impact.