Wildlife Conservation Network

In 2002, John Lukas (GIC President), Charles Knowles and Akiko Yamazaki founded Wildlife Conservation Network (WCN). WCN provides a network that delivers financial, technical, and administrative support to conservation entrepreneurs who are actively working in the field with local communities to conserve flagship species and their natural habitats around the world. John Lukas serves on the WCN Board of Directors and as Vice-President. Gilman International Conservation’s Okapi Project is a WCN Fellow.

Dedicated independent conservationists, working without support from large, traditional conservation organizations, are often leaders in the effort to preserve wildlife and wild places. These conservation entrepreneurs typically focus on select species in remote areas. Of necessity, they depend on assistance from local communities to do their fieldwork. By working with local people to balance their needs and the needs of wildlife, critical habitat can be identified and integrated into holistic conservation plans that benefit both people and wildlife.

Conservation entrepreneurs are often creative and highly effective. Their independent and lean style of work maximizes the value of every dollar invested in their projects.

The Wildlife Conservation Network draws from the expertise and knowledge of its founding partners and advisory board to carefully select conservation projects that are effective, efficient, scalable, and run by a skilled and capable conservationist. Their web site is a valuable resource of information and provides links to all of the field projects they support.